The Royal College of Nursing today confirmed that its general secretary is standing down, just days after insisting Beverly Malone had "no intention" of resigning.

Guardian Unlimited revealed last week that the leader of the 390,000 strong nursing union planned to step down and return to the US, weeks after sanctioning a staged protest against the health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, at the college's annual conference.

Ms Malone defended the coordinated and unprecedented protest at the conference, which saw a humiliated Ms Hewitt barracked over job losses resulting from financial deficits.

Last week, the college denied claims that Ms Malone was set to go, even though senior-ranking officials at the professional organisation confirmed their leader had announced her intentions to staff.

The RCN today switched tack as it confirmed that Ms Malone would be standing down next January to lead the National League for Nursing (NLN) based in New York, which champions quality nursing education in the United States.

Ms Malone, who formerly worked in the US health department under the Clinton administration, was seen as a controversial appointment five years ago, with detractors complaining that a home-grown UK nurse should have taken the helm of the country's largest nursing union.

Factions within the college sought to undermine Ms Malone's leadership at different times, including an attempt to depose her a year after she took office.

Ms Malone, who became RCN general secretary in June 2001, said it was now the right time to return home to the states.

She leaves behind a rift to be healed with public sector union Unison, which also represents nurses.

The RCN caused a furore by campaigning for a judicial review over the government's proposals to outsource primary care nursing services, before abandoning it midway following talks with the government.

The move, carried out without consultation with other unions, was seen as divisive within union circles, and prompted unprecedented condemnation by Unison's head of health, Karen Jennings.

Confirming her decision to go, Ms Malone said today :"I joined the RCN at a pivotal stage in nursing's history with huge reform of the NHS on the horizon. Now, more than five years on, nurses have well and truly pushed back the boundaries - extending their roles and improving care for patients.

"Nursing really has grown in confidence as a profession and I feel truly privileged to have led the RCN during such an exciting time."