ENDA president

Guðlaug Rakel Guðjónsdóttir, sérfræðingur
Heilbrigðisráðuneyti / Ministry of Health, Iceland

Guðlaug Rakel Guðjónsdóttir received her Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of Iceland in 1986 and her Master of Business Administration from the University of Iceland´s executive program in 2004. In her public health studies she worked on descriptive epidemiology of Emergency Department users at Landspitali the National University Hospital (LUH) of Iceland. She published a crucial study into the impact that stressful events of the economic collapse in Iceland may have had on immediate health consequences, particularly affecting the risk of  cardiovascular events. Her study was chosen as one of the most interesting at the European Society of Cardiology in 2010.

She has been a part of the front leadership team at LUH for a number of years with emphasis on continuous improvement efforts, risk management and patient safety. Guðlaug Rakel has been a Chief Executive of Clinical Services at LUH since 2014.

In 2023  she worked with the Ministry of Health on  safe staffing level  in nursing in acute inpatinet units. She is a Florence Nightingale Global Leadership Scholar; learning from a global mentor whilst workin on the project, safe staffing level in nursing.

She has maintained an active role as a member of both national and international professional administrators and leadership associations.  From 2020 she has been the President of ENDA.

March 1st 2024,  Guðlaug Rakel became the CEO of the Suðurnes Hospital and Health Center, Iceland.