In 2017 I received an email from the RCN, inviting members who wanted to make a difference to the RCN as a professional body, and a Royal College, to stand for election to the new Professional Nursing Committee. This immediately caught my attention. Like so many nurses, I have always wanted to make a difference, to my patients, my colleagues, and my field of practice (I am a children’s cancer nurse). Here was an opportunity to make a difference to the broader professional work of the RCN, and through that work, to the nursing profession.

Standing for election was daunting. I read the guidance provided about the role, and the election process. Being successful would entail a significant time commitment, so I spoke to my line manager to ensure that I would have her support to commit to the time required. I thought carefully about my statement asking members to vote for me and was proud to be elected to the Yorkshire and the Humber seat on the Professional Nursing Committee (PNC).

In 2018 PNC and the Trade Union Committee (TUC) were both newly established as directly elected governance committees, working under delegation from RCN Council. Meeting with my fellow PNC members it was great to see the diversity of skills, experience and perspective within the committee, and we quickly established positive working relationships between ourselves, and the brilliant RCN staff members we work with. It was a steep learning curve for us all, as we began to develop a work programme that aligned to the professional priorities of the college. 

As my understanding of the purpose of the committee deepened, I took on the role of Vice-Chair, becoming Chair at the start of 2020, just ahead of the declaration of the global pandemic. 

Despite the challenges, we undertook some significant pieces of work, and in that year published the RCN Nursing Workforce Standards, developed by the nursing department in collaboration with PNC. This is one of the pieces of work I am most proud of, and I was delighted to take a lead member role as they were reviewed in 2024, with updated Standards launched at Congress in 2025.

In 2022 I came to the end of my first term of office on PNC. I felt as if the committee had found its feet, and its place in the RCN governance structure, so I was keen to continue to contribute to the work. I stood for a second term and was delighted to be re-elected. Over the last four years the committee has strengthened its relationships with our counterparts on the TUC, as both committees recognise that many of the key challenges facing our members, and our profession, have both a professional, and a trade union aspect to them. 

It is hard to believe that I am now coming towards the end of my second term of office and so will be standing down from PNC. I am proud of all that we have achieved since those early days. It has been a privilege to serve on the committee, and I have benefitted enormously from the experience. I would encourage all those eligible for current vacancies to consider standing for election, to make a difference to your college, and your profession.