RCN names general secretary and CEO

The Royal College of Nursing has appointed Professor Nicola Ranger as its general secretary and chief executive.

Professor Ranger took up the role on an acting basis in May this year after Pat Cullen stood down to run for Irish republican party Sinn Féin in the general election. She won her seat last week.

Professor Ranger first joined the RCN in December 2022 after having been chief nurse and executive director of midwifery at King’s College Hospital Foundation Trust in south London.

Prior to that, she held senior nursing roles at University College London Hospitals FT, Frimley Health FT, and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Trust.

Earlier in her career, Professor Ranger worked abroad at George Washington University Hospital and Mount Sinai Medical Centre in the United States.

The appointment comes as the NHS pay review body is expected to report back with its recommendations for the 2024-25 pay round.

Her predecessor Ms Cullen demanded for pay negotiations to be reopened after the government struck a deal with hospital consultants last year.

The RCN balloted for further strike action last summer but it fell short of the 50 per cent legal threshold required for industrial action.

Professor Ranger said: “To be asked to take on this role, on behalf of my professor, is a great honour and an immense privilege.

“There is an opportunity right now, not just for renewal but to make huge progress and strides forward for nursing and the people we care for.

“New leadership in Westminster, the regulator, and senior parts of the NHS, as well as here at the college, gives fresh energy and new perspectives on how we work together in the interests of the profession and patients.”

Paul Vaughan, chair of the RCN Council, said Professor Ranger has “unparalleled experience as a nurse leader, and she enjoys the strongest reputation in our profession”.

He added: “She will relish the chance to deliver for all parts of our membership; work with RCN members, employers, systems and ministers across the UK; and make an immediate impact with the new Westminster government.”