Northumbria Deputy Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor made Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing

13th May 2025

Professor John Unsworth OBE Deputy Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor (Education) in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Northumbria University has been admitted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing (FRCN). John was presented with his Fellowship on International Nurses Day (12 May) at the RCN Congress in Liverpool.

RCN Fellowship is the highest honour bestowed by the Royal College and it recognises innovative individuals who have made an exceptional commitment to advancing the science and practice of nursing and the improvement of health and patient care. By becoming an RCN Fellow, Professor Unsworth is joining a distinguished community of highly respected professionals, who engage in the work of RCN and help strengthen the voice and influence of nursing.

Professor Unsworth is a registered nurse with over 34 years’ experience working in community nursing practice, management, and education, and worked as a Nurse Director in a rural care trust in Northern England prior to taking up posts in higher education. He has experience of workforce redesign in relation to developing the community nurses’ role around admission avoidance. Professor Unsworth is also an International Council of Nurses (ICN) Global Nursing Leadership Scholar 2020.

Speaking about receiving Fellowship John said ‘I am absolutely delighted to be awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing. This is the pinnacle of my career to be amongst such an esteemed group of current and previous Fellows’.

Professor Dianne Ford Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor said ‘John’s admission to Fellowship of the RCN is testimony to his outstanding work nationally and internationally to promote nursing as a key element of Universal Health Coverage – a target of the World Health Organisation’s Sustainable Development Goals. He adeptly combines research, policy influence and education to achieve lasting change amongst students and the existing workforce’.

John was nominated for Fellowship by a friend and nursing colleague Dr Margaret Scott. As part of the nominations process Margaret sought supporting statements from senior nurses. Professor Deborah Sturdy the Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care at the Department of Health and Social Care was one of the supporters. Deborah said ‘Recognition by the RCN is richly deserved. John’s work involves, skilfully working across policy, clinical practice, education, and research. His work is eclectic, but at its heart is a desire to ensure that nursing is recognized for its contribution to healthcare and equity’.

Northumbria is one of the top-rated universities for health care programmes in the UK, and is dedicated to reducing health and social inequalities, contributing to the regional and national workforce and improving social, economic and health outcomes for the most marginalised in society. Through its new Centre for Health and Social Equity, known as CHASE, researchers will be delivering world-leading health and social equity research and creating innovative, evidence-based policies and data-driven solutions to bring impactful change across the region, the UK and globally.

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