Introducing Professor Daniel Kelly OBE, Convenor of the RCN Fellows

I’m Daniel Kelly, and I took over as Convenor of RCN Fellows in 2021. My main goals are to raise the profile of our inspiring Fellows and ensure that we can all make the most of their vast experience to further the work of the RCN. I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself, and to tell you about the ways that our Fellows’ work and expertise are being shared with RCN members and the public.

I am the RCN Chair of Nursing Research at Cardiff University and was awarded an RCN Fellowship in 2016 at the RCN Congress in Glasgow. Being recognised by my peers in this way was a very proud moment, and I was delighted to share the platform that year with some amazing colleagues from a range of nursing areas. My own background is Oncology and Palliative Care, and I’m not overstating it when I say that the role of skilled nursing is crucial in promoting the best standards of cancer care.

This is why all branches and specialisms of nursing are represented by RCN Fellows, and the Roll of Honour includes many pioneers of the nursing profession – from 1976 to the present day. We also have Honorary RCN Fellows who have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to nursing. Last year’s recipients of Honorary Fellowships included Professor Patricia Davidson, Vice Chancellor of the University of Wollongong in Australia and former Dean of the John Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore, one of the world’s top performing nursing departments.

Other RCN Fellowships recognise clinical expertise, research contribution, professional leadership, top management achievement and educational excellence. You can nominate colleagues for an RCN Fellowship, and we encourage you to do so each year. Please watch out for nomination information soon.

To share the expertise of the current Fellows, we have recently started a series of online public events. In Conversation with Nursing Pioneers sees Fellows lead discussions on topical issues, from the impact of COVID-19 to nursing in politics. Not only are the conversations stimulating and inspiring, they’re a great way to get to know our Fellows. Our next event, which will focus on mental health, is on 10 October at 5.30pm. Speakers include current Fellows Catherine Gamble, Roland Dix and Cecilia Anim CBE. As well as a deep dive into the ways nursing has shaped the mental health care landscape, we’ll take a look at the work of one of the first RCN Fellows (awarded in 1978) mental health advocate, Professor Annie Altschul. You can register here. Alternatively, catch up with a recorded version, which will be available after on our RCN Fellows webpage, where we’ll also be sharing a monthly blog. I hope you will find it a useful way learn more about the range of talent and expertise among the RCN Fellows.

Please do feel free to contact me if you have any questions.