Ruth Burey was the Professional lead for the RCN Education forum for four years and sadly passed away in late 2023. Ruth was passionate about Nursing and her role at the RCN enabled her to make a huge difference to the profession of Nursing. Ruth initiated and facilitated an agency network and a Quality and safety network within the West Midlands region as part of her role as a professional lead for Education.
During the pandemic she co-designed and facilitated a national Return to Practice Network for nurses returning to practice working closely with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. More recently Ruth supported the review of the RCN inclusive leadership programme and contributed to the Queens Nursing Institute executive nurse leadership programme.
Some of you may have meet Ruth either at the RCN Education conferences or though her work within the RCN West Midlands and Eastern regions.
As the Professional Lead for the RCN Education forum, Ruth was active in supporting the Chair and the work of the Forum, making an invaluable contribution to the professional experiences of nurses within her role. Ruth bought her passion for education, and lifelong learning to her role as the Professional Lead for the RCN Education Forum and the annual RCN Education conference was a priority in her calendar. She played a pivotal role in supporting the forum during the pandemic when they had to move the Education Conference online for two years. Ruth contained the anxieties of the Chair and Forum committee during this challenging period, consistently reassuring the Committee that they could make the transition, and they did.
Ruth had a way of making people feel heard, often a pause indicated she was listening and a playful glance over the rim of her glasses signaling that it was time to move things on. She is greatly missed, a confident, mentor and a champion for all things nursing.
It is fitting that we ended this year’s RCN Education conference in York, at a record high in terms of delegates numbers, four hundred and forty-four and a conference programme that was warmly received by delegates.
Christine Mckenzie
Professional Lead
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