Twenty-four extraordinary community nurses and midwives who were selected to complete the nine-month Queen’s Nurse Development Programme (QNDP), have been awarded the prestigious title of Queen’s Nurse in a ceremony on Friday 24 November at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh.
Picture by Lesley Martin
The programme consists of residential and online workshops alongside individual coaching sessions. It requires participants to choose an issue for development which will have a significant impact on those they care for, so that the learning during the nine months is applied in practice. There is an expectation that this work will have a focus on promoting equity and inclusion.
QNIS is a small charity and the QNDP is funded by grant making trusts and donations. We are incredibly grateful to the charitable trusts who have helped to fund candidates for the 2023 Queen’s Nurse programme. Without this financial support the programme would not be possible.
The Burdett Trust for Nursing has generously funded four candidates who are focusing their learning on primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. The Dunhill Medical Trust has supported six candidates who work with older people. NHS Lothians Charity continue to fund a nurse from NHS Lothian. One candidate has been funded by a scholarship from The General Nursing Council.
Scotland’s Gardens Scheme has been our funding partner since 1931 and we remain hugely honoured to be supported by this remarkable group of gardeners.
Community nurses and midwives provide a wide range of support to the people in their communities including complex care for older people, support for substance misuse and advocacy for people with learning disabilities. Those working in community mental health, district nursing, school nursing, care home nursing and health visiting are also part of this vital group of health professionals.
As well as the Queen’s Nurse awards, QNIS Fellowship awards were presented to Fiona Coutts, to acknowledge her immense contribution to the work of QNIS during her time as a Trustee, and Kathy Kenmuir, to recognise her ongoing advocacy for community nursing.
Fiona Coutts
Kathy Kenmuir
Clare Cable QNIS Chief Executive and Nurse Director, said:
“These 24 exceptional individuals can be deservedly proud of being awarded this prestigious title.
From the late 1880s, Queen’s Nurses were social reformers who were taking public health into people’s homes to help families take better care of themselves. The modern Queen’s Nurses are building on this proud heritage – sharing this pioneering spirit to improve the health and wellbeing of the communities of Scotland.
Their roles vary, from bringing care to those who have experienced significant adversity to supporting people in mental distress or end of life care.
They represent the geography of Scotland, from rural communities and small islands to concentrated areas within the big cities, but they all demonstrate nursing and midwifery excellence which makes a real difference to the lives of the people they work with.”
Full list of nurses awarded the Queen’s Nurse title:
Clare Bates Amy Borthwick Helen Bremner
Lynda Bryceland Lynsey Callaghan Kirsty Cartin
Fraser Chalmers Nicki Corrigan Dana Crawford
Rosie Crighton Jena Davies Jonathan Davies
Caroline Lilley Rhona Martin Rhona McLeman
Annmarie Murphy Leanne Patrick Claire Pearse
Chloe Richardson Kerri-Ann Roberts Kerys Russell
Mairi Smith James Sweeney Jill Wright
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