Fife nurse awarded prestigious title

Rhona Martin from Glenrothes is among a group of 24 community nurses and midwives to have been awarded the prestigious title of Queen’s Nurse.

Rhona, a Lead Specialist Community Stroke Nurse with Chest, Heart, Stroke Scotland, was selected earlier this year to take part in a nine-month development programme run by the Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland (QNIS). She was awarded the title at a ceremony held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh on November 24.

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.”

Clare continued that the roles vary and have a wide impact across Scotland.

She added: “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."

Nurses are nominated by their employers and the programme requires them 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.

The origins of the Queen’s Nurse title date back to the late 19th century before being reintroduced to Scotland in 2017.

20 community nurses were chosen to take part in a transformational development programme which would see them become the first modern Queen’s Nurses. There are now over 150 contemporary Queen’s Nurses working across Scotland.

The QNIS is a charity which is funded by a variety of grants making trusts and donations.