Executive Director (Retired) of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at RCSI, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ireland
Thomas Kearns is a Professor of Nursing and the former Executive Director (Executive Dean) of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, at RCSI, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ireland. Appointed in April 2014 and retiring in April 2023, he was responsible for leading the strategic intent and operational activity of the faculty, which, through an MoU is the Academic Partner for the European Council of Nurse Regulators (ENC), a relationship that supports evidence and research-based regulation and professional standards and guidance in Europe. Following his retirement, Professor Kearns was appointed Co-Director of the Global Innovation and Leadership Academy, which hosts the Faculty’s WHO Collaborating Centre.
Professor Kearns has worked in professional regulation, higher education, nursing and health policy at a national, EU and global level. From August 2017 to September 2018, while Executive Director of the Faculty, he was seconded to the International Council of Nurses in Geneva to serve as its interim CEO.
While at RCSI, Professor Kearns developed a Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Advancement across the RCSI Hospital Group. He developed and was founding director of a European Centre of Research Excellence (CPD), with 22 European Partners, where he has led a number of research projects with a range of publications.
In April 2021, Professor Kearns was appointed Trustee of the Florence Nightingale International Museum. He has been a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing for more than 20 years and he is currently in his first Biennium as a Board Director of Sigma International. A member of the WHO Pan European Coalition for mental health team, he is co-PI undertaking research on workplan 6-mental health workforce in Europe and is PI leading global research into the WHO Quality Rights Education programme for nursing and midwifery. He is leading a Scoping Review on Nursing and Physician Regulation across five DG Eastern Enlargement countries within the EU. He is also leading the drafting of a Technical Brief on Nursing Regulation for the WHO Euro Region.
In February 2025, Professor Kearns was appointed a Knight of the Order of Merit by the President of Romania for his contribution to nursing and healthcare services leadership.