Beverly Malone, who served in Bill Clinton's administration as a deputy assistant secretary in the US health department, is in line for the job of general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing.

A row has broken out within the RCN over the short listing of applicants for the £90,000 a year role and Malone is seen as having been invited to apply for the post while others, such as present assistant general secretary, Tom Bolger, have been excluded.

The post will become vacant with the departure of Christine Hancock, who is set to leave to concentrate on her role as president of the International Council of Nurses.