The Royal School of Nursing’s normal secretary Pat Cullen has stated nursing is in her blood.
She's the youngest of six ladies, 4 of whom went on to develop into nurses.
She additionally has a brother whom her household tried to persuade to develop into a nurse “however he wasn’t having any of it”, she has stated.
Ms Cullen grew up in Carrickmore in Co Tyrone in Northern Eire. She failed her GCSEs and was unable to proceed to A-levels so went to varsity as an alternative after which turned a trainee nurse.
In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph in 2019, she described beginning her profession in psychological well being nursing, from the place she turned an assistant director of psychological well being providers and professional head of nursing.
I can not think about some other profession that might have fulfilled me professionally or personally as a lotPat Cullen
She instructed the newspaper: “I can actually say that I cherished every single day of working in psychological well being. I can’t think about some other profession that might have fulfilled me professionally or personally as a lot.
“I began out working in hospital earlier than transferring into the neighborhood, which was simply mind-blowing and a privilege to take care of folks in their very own houses.”
Ms Cullen, who's additionally a registered psychotherapist, was a neighborhood psychiatric nurse in Twinbrook and Poleglass throughout the Troubles and has stated “the impression of the violence on psychological well being was stunning”.
Married with kids, Ms Cullen had additional roles, together with deputy director of nursing, security, high quality and affected person expertise within the Northern Eire Public Well being Company (PHA), and dealing on the Northern Eire Well being and Social Care Board (HSCB).
She has additionally labored as the chief director of nursing and allied well being professions inside the PHA and HSCB.
In Might 2019, she turned director of RCN Northern Eire, having began working for the RCN in 2016.
In October 2019, RCN Northern Eire took the unprecedented step of balloting members on industrial motion, together with strike motion, over pay and low staffing ranges.
The union stated that, regardless of intensive negotiations, it was unable to get motion from the Division of Well being or Secretary of State to deal with points over pay and to start discussions on secure staffing
Some 92% of members voted in favour of strike motion, which happened in December 2019 and January 2020.
Ms Cullen was seen as key to mobilising employees over the strike, and spent appreciable time visiting their workplaces and making the RCN’s case within the media.
Now, as a part of the broader RCN, Ms Cullen has spent the summer time touring NHS workplaces to encourage nurses to vote in favour of a UK-wide poll.
The union is recommending its 300,000 members stroll out over pay, with the results of the poll due subsequent month.