Pat Cullen

Pat Cullen is the General Secretary & Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Her extensive career includes roles like Director at Northern Irelands Public Health Agency. She holds a masters degree in management and began her career in mental health nursing, and is also a registered psychotherapist.

Originally from Carrickmore, County Tyrone, Pat grew up on a farm as the youngest of seven children, and five of the six sisters became nurses. Her early experiences with social injustice and caring for a sister with a learning disability strongly influenced her career path. She is married and has children.

As a trainee nurse, she successfully challenged a hospital policy that involved confiscating personal items from psychiatric patients as punishment.