Judith Oulton
DNSA (1970)
She is currently a partner in Oulton, Oulton & Associates and a Senior Associate with Integrare SL and Orvill Adams & Associates. She holds a Bachelor of Nursing and a Master in Education, as well as Honorary Doctorates of Science from McMaster University, L’ Université de Moncton, Canada and the UNB. Oulton’s particular areas of expertise include human resources development, governance, strategic planning, policy, leadership and regulation.
Demonstrated leadership in nursing
Until 2008, Ms. Oulton served as Chief Executive Officer of the Geneva-based International Council of Nurses (ICN), a federation of more than 130 national nurses associations. Prior to joining ICN in 1996, Oulton served for seven years as the Executive Director of the Canadian Nurses Association and the Canadian Nurses Protective Society in Ottawa.
During her tenure as CEO of the ICN, Oulton oversaw the expansion of ICN membership, the development of new models of governance, the implementation of innovative programs for health and nursing services in developing countries and the initiation of new partnerships and strategic alliances. She spearheaded the creation of the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA), the global alliance of nursing, medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy and pharmacy professions.
Varied career opportunities
Her career has included experience: in government as Senior Nursing Consultant with major responsibility in hospital organization and budgetary audits and as the Director of Strategic Planning for the New Brunswick Department of Health and Community Services; in education as a member of the Nursing Faculty, University of New Brunswick (UNB); and in nursing administration and service in a variety of clinical areas.
Award recognition and appointments
She was also Chair of the Health Action Lobby (HEAL), a coalition of more than twenty Canadian health and consumer organizations. Oulton has served as a technical advisor to the World Health Organization on numerous occasions and is a founding member of the Global Health Workforce Alliance, a partnership of national governments, civil society, international agencies, finance institutions, professional associations and others and hosted by WHO.
She is the recipient of numerous awards including the University of California Los Angeles’ 2012 International Nurse 21 Award and the prestigious Jeanne Mance Award from the Canadian Nurses Association. She held the 2008-2009 Presidential Chair of the University of California, San Francisco and in 2009-10 served as the Francis Bloomberg International Distinguished Visiting Professor with the Lawrence S. BIoomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto. Oulton, who has broad experience as a speaker internationally, is the author of numerous articles and book chapters.