Queen's Nurse title
The [Queen's Nurse] course made me even prouder to be a nurse and reminded me of the power we have to use our voices to influence change and keep the person and their story at the heart of everything we do.
Queen’s Nurse
Queen’s Nursing in Scotland dates back to the late 19th century when our charity was first established. QNIS provided training for community nurses for many decades until the 1960s, when the NHS took over. But in 2017, we decided to reintroduce the Queen’s Nurse title to Scotland.
QNIS Leadership Courses 2026
The Queen’s Nurse Development Programme is now offered as a series of three in-person courses which can be taken as individual courses or combined sequentially to lead to the Queen’s Nurse Award.
Queen’s Nurse Leadership 1
A three-day in-person course for up to 20 participants. Focused on values-based leadership in the context of public health, health equity, inclusion, and community nursing. Provides well-supported time and space to consider different leadership styles and theories, what it means to lead in small ways as well as bigger ways, and to learn how these ideas might be applied in participants’ own professional context and role.
Queen’s Nurse Leadership 2
A three-day in-person course for up to 20 participants. Focused on developing a deeper understanding of professional leadership and leadership skills and enabling participants to strengthen their own voice and actively listen to the voices of the community or communities they work with. Applicants must have completed QNL1.
Queen’s Nurse Award
A three-day in-person course for up to 12 participants. Focused on learning more about systems, leading change in relational ways, and reflecting on the circulation of power, political influence, and community nursing and midwifery leadership for the future. Includes three individual coaching sessions and leads to the award of the Queen’s Nurse title on completion. Applicants must have completed QNL1 and QNL2.
Each course is subsidised by QNIS, from our charitable funds, to ensure our development opportunities are as affordable as possible.
Contemporary Queen’s Nurses are based in every region in Scotland, and we are proud of the contributions they have made, and continue to make, to the health and care of their communities.
Current opportunities
For community nurses working with older people, we have launched fully-funded places, supported by The Vivensa Foundation, on our Queen’s Nurse Leadership 1 course, with various dates and locations available.
Applications are open - click here to find out more
We will also be launching an additional subsidised Queen’s Nurse Leadership 1 course in the coming weeks.
Keep an eye on our website and social media for more information.
Roll of Honour
A list of Scotland’s Queen’s Nurses can be viewed on the Roll of Honour page.
Impact and evaluation
Community Nurses as Changemakers: An Impact Report funded by The Health Foundation
Commissioned by The Health Foundation, this report highlights the profound impact of the Queen’s Nurse Development Programme. It demonstrates the ingenuity and innovative spirit of community nurses and midwives, showcasing the significant difference they make in their communities through their leadership and dedication.
Scotland’s Queen’s Nurses: Compassionate Disruptors
Watch the short video below and hear the voices of three Scottish Queen’s Nurses as they bring the Impact Report to life.
Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Impact
Scotland faces significant health inequalities, with a striking gap in life expectancy between the most and least affluent areas. Risk factors such as smoking, poor diet, and inactivity contribute to the rise of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In 2023, QNIS, supported by the Burdett Trust for Nursing, enabled four nurses to join forces with local communities to develop meaningful health initiatives, build strong partnerships, and deliver measurable improvements in CVD prevention.
Read the full evaluation report
Scotland’s Queen’s Nurses: Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease
Watch this short video to discover the innovative approaches these four Scottish Queen’s Nurses used to tackle CVD prevention in their communities.
Robert Gordon University Evaluation
Research by Robert Gordon University (RGU) evaluated the experiences of the first community nurses to complete the Queen’s Nurse Development Programme, uncovering a journey of profound self-development and growth. Led by researchers from RGU’s School of Nursing, Midwifery, and Paramedic Practice, this was the first comprehensive, independent evaluation of the programme.