Gerry Bolger: Off the Chair and onto the Council!
Gerry Bolger has been elected to RCN Council – this is the RCN’s governing body which is made up of 29 elected member representing the nine regions of England, and the countries of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Gerry has been Chair of In-flight Nurses Association for almost seven years while it has been a forum. He is one of two London Region Council members and will be working with other Council members to lead the strategic direction of the RCN as well as make the key decisions with senior RCN staff, including the General Secretary & Chief Executive Peter Carter, for the next four years.
While delighted to be elected, Gerry says he is going to miss working with the IFNA as a steering committee member, although he remains a member of the forum.
Over seven years he and his colleagues on the steering committee have successfully led the IFNA to develop the first set of competences for in-flight nurses. He personally developed, with the leads for medicines management, user-friendly guidance on administrators and carriage of medicines, an area which has taxed nurses working in our speciality for years.
Supported by current committee members Caroline Carter, Mark Payne, Rita Mody, Ryan McNay and Alan Sheward, the forum held two very successful conferences and numerous professional study days, focusing on the knowledge, skills and information to work in this often challenging environment.
Gerry had also the support of Catherine Gates, Chrissie Timms, Terry Little and Val Pitman who were on the previous steering committee.
While the Chair is the face of the forum, Gerry has always maintained he couldn’t do the work and achieve as much without the fantastic support of those working with him. He also credited the role of Bernie Cottam, our PND Adviser, and Beverly Willie, the administrator who makes sure the steering committee forum does the right thing at the right time in regards to the requirements of the RCN.
Recognising the changes and challenges all forums are facing, Gerry brings to RCN Council a practical and pragmatic approach, and the ability to build rapport and work with staff and members though a series of changes which aims to make the RCN more efficient while focusing on members needs.
Since being elected to Council in October, Gerry has been elected as Vice Chair of the Governance Support Committee, one of Councils’ key committees, which is responsible for governance arrangements in the RCN.
Gerry hands over to Alan Sheward as the incoming Chair (see box). He promises not to be a stranger and will be attending events and study days as much as possible.