Royal College of Nursing head Pat Cullen is the 2020 Aisling Awards Person of the Year in recognition of her fearless leadership of the frontline health heroes during what were the most turbulent 12 months for nurses in a generation.
The South Belfast health service champion led her hard-pressed members in the first-ever strike by nurses in December 2019 and January of this year in a bid to force political leaders to fulfil longstanding pay promises to the profession.
It's now acknowledged that the nurses action precipitated the return of the Executive which had collapsed in early 2017 — and, fortunately, enabled local politicians rather than Westminster appointees, to take the lead when the coronavirus pandemic struck.
During the Covid crisis, the courage, resilience and commitment of nurses has served as a beacon of hope for a worried and often confused public. Indeed, during the first surge, when selfless nurses put themselves in peril on the frontlines, their bravery and heroism inspired the Clap for Carers movement.
However, readers will also remember Pat Cullen's no-nonsense approach to the pandemic during the first spring surge of the coronavirus when she demanded the First and deputy First Minister quickly guarantee supply of scarce PPE to our exhausted frontline nursing workers. She also faced down suggestions from the Department of Health that nurses should reuse PPE.
HONOUR: Pat Cullen with nursing staff at RCN headquarters this week alongside the Aisling Person of the Year Award
For her fearless championing of the rights of nurses, including her demands for an equitable wage, and for her steadfast dedication to the welfare of the public by protecting nursing staff throughout the pandemic, Pat Cullen is a worthy recipient of the 2020 Aisling Person of the Year Award.
"This year has been the most difficult year for nursing staff in so many ways and none of us could have predicted the Covid-19 pandemic and everything that has come with it," said a delighted Pat Cullen. "I want to say thank you to the Aisling Awards for shining a light on nursing staff but most importantly I want to say thank you to all those nurses who are working on the frontlines day and night to care for their patients."
She follows in the footsteps of some exceptional fighters for a better society, including Inez McCormack, John Hume, Martin McGuinness, Naomi Long, Alex Maskey, Fr Alex Reid, the family of Oscar Knox, Geraldine Finucane and Fr Aidan Troy.
The Award will be presented virtually at the Open University-sponsored Aisling Awards, which are being broadcast live but without an audience from 7-9pm on Thursday night (10 December). To watch, readers have to register online beforehand via the banner at www.belfastmedia.com. (There is still time to order our Aisling hamper so that you can raise a glass to all our Unsung Heroes of the Pandemic. To order follow the same link or call 028-9061-1916). Guest speaker will be Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney TD.
FAIR PLAY: Nurses striking at Mater Hospital in January of this year
A native of Co-Tyrone, Pat Cullen joined the Royal College of Nursing in 2016 as Operations Manager and was appointed Director of RCN Northern Ireland in May 2019.
In a career that has spanned both hospital and community settings, Pat was Assistant Director of Mental Health Services and Professional Head of Nursing in a local health care trust before joining the Department of Health as Nursing Officer in 2001.
Following this, Pat took on various roles in commissioning before being appointed Deputy Director of Nursing, Safety, Quality and Patient Experience in the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Health and Social Care Board (HSCB). During this time, Pat led the development of the first safety and quality strategy in Northern Ireland and established the 10,000 Voices project which collected patient voices in order to drive commissioning decisions.
Gutting for nurses to hear this morning that once again the DoH has refused to pay nurses their lost earnings at a time when nurses are delivering the vaccine whilst they continue to carry out their day and daily care for patients. Words come easy but nurses dont see much action
— pat cullen (@patcullen9) December 8, 2020
Pat was then seconded as Executive Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professions within the Public Health Agency and Health and Social Care Board.
During her first year of office as Director of RCN Northern Ireland, Pat led the first ever strike action taken by the Royal College of Nursing in its 103-year history. This resulted in nursing staff achieving pay parity with their counterparts in England and Wales and the commitment of the Executive to deliver safe nurse staffing legislation.
In addition to her extensive career experience, Pat is also a registered psychotherapist.
