Speakers - Rachel Kenna

Rachel Kenna
Chief Nursing Officer – Department of Health – Ireland

Rachel Kenna is the Government Chief Nursing Officer in Ireland. She is a Registered Childrens and General Nurse (RCN/RGN) and has extensive clinical and managerial experience spanning 30 years in both in Ireland and the UK.

Rachel has worked as a Deputy Chief Nursing Officer in the Department of Health since 2018 and her primary area of responsibility was nursing policy in the area of patient systems and clinical governance. Rachel previously held the Director of Nursing post in Irelands largest Childrens hospital, Childrens Health Ireland at Crumlin.

Rachel has a real interest in Nursing and Midwifery policy but also in wider health policy and is educated in a wide range of areas to support this. She holds a MSc in Child Protection and Welfare and a BSc in Nursing Management. Rachel’s other educational qualifications includes a Higher Diploma in Professional Practice, critical care, Leadership, Quality in Healthcare and a Diploma in Human Rights and Equality and a Professional Diploma in Governance. Rachel was selected as a Florence Nightingale Leadership Scholar in 2021.

The Chief Nursing Officer role has an important strategic leadership and influencing role that includes the provision of professional policy direction and evidence-based expert advice for the nursing and midwifery and general health policy agenda. The role includes and integrates other key policy areas of professional regulation, strategic workforce planning for the health service, population health screening and the National Patient Safety Office. Positioned as a senior management position in the Department of Health the CNO role provides the opportunity to lead, develop and strengthen the collaborative working across government and the wider public service.