Twenty community nurses have been recruited by QNI Scotland to take part in a development programme that will create Scotland’s first Queen’s Nurses in almost 50 years.
The cohort of soon-to-be Queen’s Nurses have been drawn from Scotland’s Health Boards and other independent organisations across the country. The course is designed to enable teams to promote health improvement and deliver quality care.
‘They have all demonstrated their impact as experienced practitioners and clinical leaders,’ says Clare Cable, chief executive and nurse director of QNI Scotland. ‘Now they have the opportunity to further enhance their professional skills by becoming Queen’s Nurses.’
The community nurses who will take part in the development programme work in a range of roles across the community nursing secotr, including district nursing, health visiting, midwifery, mental health nursing, practice nursing and criminal justice.
‘With health policy rapidly shifting the balance of care towards care at home, it is an opportune time to highlight the important contribution of community nurses,’ says Scotland’s chief nursing officer Fiona McQueen. “The return of Queen’s Nurse title is a very welcome mark of professional excellence.’
The programme will last for nine months, culminating in an awards ceremony in December.