The Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland (QNIS) provides support to retired Queen’s Nurses – those who completed their community nurse training prior to 1969.
This support primarily consists of promoting wellbeing and a continuing connection with the Institute and each other. To enable this we have Staying in Touch co-ordinators in post and a small network of volunteer visitors who make connections through visiting or regular phone calls.
Each year QNIS hosts an annual gathering and a subsidised holiday which retired Queen’s Nurses and supporters are invited to attend. In between times a regular newsletter keeps the network up to date with what is happening.
And so we support these important things in a number of ways:
A network of volunteer Visitors, generally retired Queen’s Nurses themselves, are available to visit or phone retired Queen’s Nurses. They provide fellowship, and support and most importantly, keep the retired Queen’s Nurses connected to the Institute. If you are a retired Queen’s Nurse who would like to find out more about QNIS Visitors, whether you would like a visitor or to express interest in being a visitor, please contact the QNIS Team or call us on 0131 229 2333.
We send out newsletters to retired Queen’s Nurses to keep them updated and connected.
This provides an opportunity for retired QN’s to come together from across Scotland to meet old friends and share news, as well as hear about what the Institute is doing over an excellent lunch.
The 2024 Annual Gathering took place at the Fishers Hotel, Pitlochry at the end of April. Retired Queen’s Nurses receive booking forms in a mailing towards the end of the year.
Contact the QNIS team for more information or call 0131 229 2333
If you would like to know more, please contact click here to email the QNIS team or call us on 0131 229 2333.
The Visitors can recommend the provision of small hardship grants.
We are only able to provide support for retired Queen’s Nurses, and continued connection for retired contemporary Queen’s Nurses (those who have completed the development programme since 2017). However, there are many other organisations that may be able to provide help and support for retired nurses who are not Queen’s Nurses.
- The Nurses Memorial to King Edward VII in Scotland
- Junius S Morgan Benevolent Fund
- The Benevolent Fund for Nurses.
Sources of advice and support:
- Age Scotland – 0845 833 0200
- Silverline – 0800 4 70 80 90.
Obituaries
With the kind permission of family and loved ones, we share memorials for those retired Queen’s Nurses who have passed away.
If you have a memorial you would like to be added to this page, please contact us by email, stayingintouch@qnis.org.uk.
Mary Kelly (nee MacTean)
Mary was born on the Isle of Skye in 1929. She trained in General Nursing, Midwifery and Queen’s Nursing in Glasgow.
For some years Mary was the Queens Nurse in Croy before marrying her husband, Alfred. As was the policy at this time in the Highland region, Mary was required to resign her post after having her son Ewan. Mary later held the post of Night Staff Nurse at the Hilton Hospital and then in a care home in Inverness. She also enjoyed cooking, baking, needlework, writing and kept a beautiful garden.
Mary spent the last few years of her life in Ballifeary Care Home in Inverness. Angela, one of our volunteer visitors, recalls that on her last visit with Mary when she was using her zimmer, she spotted a resident standing alone totally lost in the sitting room of the care home and Mary on approaching her said “you can come with me my dear and we will soon sort you out”. Taking her hand and with her other on her zimmer they trotted off together.
Mary was a Queen’s Nurse’s caring heart to the end.
Edith Margaret Esplin Moseley SRN SCM QN
9 March 1937-1 July 2024
Edith was brought up in Cathcart Glasgow, and after education she decided to train as a nurse. Edith commenced her training at The Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow, and followed this by Midwifery in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, and joined the Queens Nursing Institute in 1962. Edith started district nursing in Glasgow and later became district nurse in Cardross, Dunbartonshire.
She met her future husband John in Glasgow, and married on 31 March 1966 in Cardross Parish church. After marriage Edith decide to become a housewife and mother. As the children grew up she started part time work for a medical company, later moving into private nursing. In her later years Edith became a carer for an agency.
Edith had a very strong faith being an Elder in the local Stamperland Parish church for 35 years, taking an active part in all the church activities and committees. Edith had a unique touch for making friends throughout her life, and was still in touch with two nurses she train with, one in Australia and one in Scotland. In the last six years Edith suffered from dementia, and passed away in Mearns View Care Home, Newton Mearns on 1st July 2024. Edith is survived by her husband John, daughter Pamela, sons Richard and Philip, Grandsons Andrew and Stuart.
Annette (nee Bremner) Patience 18 April 1939-25 July 2023
Words provided by Angela MacDonald volunteer visitor in discussion with Annette’s sons Alastair and Sinclair.
At the age of 7 Annette and her siblings lost their Mother. Two of the children were rehomed with relatives whilst Annette and two of her sisters were placed in the Inverness Orphanage where they stayed for eight years. Life, Annette had recalled often, was hard and cruel but every Sunday her father came and walked with them to a nearby loving church, and this helped to ease their burden for the week ahead.
After becoming the Dux at Inverness Royal Academy, Annette went on to study at Hedgefield Secretarial College in Inverness, before entering her nurse training at Inverness Royal Infirmary. Annette went on to work as a Staff Nurse in Lancaster and Edinburgh and did her midwifery training before completing her Queen’s Nurse training at Castle Terrace in 1969.
Annette then took up the duties of a Double Duty Nurse in Fife, later followed by a similar post in Avoch on the Black Isle where she met and married her husband Eckie in 1975. Annette, as had to be done, then resigned her post to raise her two sons, Alastair and Sinclair. Sadly, she was widowed in 1992. Annette enjoyed meeting people and supported nursing events, reunions and QNIS gatherings and holidays at Crieff and abroad when her health allowed. On 25 July 2023 Annette died peacefully in her Christian faith surrounded by her loving family.
History of our Welfare
Since 1907, Queen’s Nurses were offered respite from their work at Colinton Cottage – the home of one of the Institute’s founders and Honorary Secretary, Miss Guthrie Wright.
Although Colinton Cottage was sold some time ago, the tradition of offering respite has continued, and for many years now we have offered the nurses the opportunity of a holiday in Pitlochry, which continues the aim of Miss Guthrie Wright all those years ago.
