21 nurses given prestigious Queen’s Nurse award

A group of community nurses working in specialisms across Scotland have been awarded the title of Queen’s Nurse.

Among the 21 to receive the honour are nurses working with substance misuse, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease patients.

They were selected earlier this year to take part in a nine-month development programme run by the Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland (QNIS) for their clinical care and expertise.

Queen’s Nursing in Scotland dates back to 1889, when nurses completed specific training which allowed them to work as district nurses. They provided care and health education to people in their own homes and became well respected figures within their community.

Following the introduction of a national certificate for district nursing, QNIS ceased training, awarding the Queen’s Nurse title for the final time in 1969.

However, the decision was made to reintroduce Queen’s Nurses to Scotland in 2017, with community nurses chosen to take part in a development programme which would see them become the first modern Queen’s Nurses.

Clare Cable, QNIS chief executive and nurse director, said: “The development programme was designed to ensure that values of Queen’s Nurses of the past can be translated to meet the demands of leadership of nursing in the community in the future.

“The 2018 Queen’s Nurses demonstrate the diversity of roles within community nursing in Scotland.

“They include specialist practitioners in remote communities, cutting the need for long journeys to be seen at a hospital; advanced nurse practitioners delivering care to people in their GP practice; nurses supporting people using their expertise in mental health; and others bringing care to some of society’s most vulnerable and marginalised groups.

“They are all expert community nurses, seeking to make a real difference to the lives of the people they work with.

“The Queen’s Nurse programme has resulted in a truly transformational journey for those involved and I know that they are all very proud to have been awarded the title.”