Fife trio set to become Queen's Nurses

Lyndsey Forsyth, ADHD Nurse Specialist based in Kirkcaldy; Pauline Buchanan, community dermatology nurse practitioner based in Dunfermline and Gerry Hastie, community psychiatric nurse based in Leven, are three of 21 community based nurses from across the country selected to join this year’s Queen’s Nurses Development Programme.

The Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland (QNIS) was established by Queen Victoria in 1889 in honour of her golden jubilee and historically the Queen’s Nurse title was awarded to those nurses who completed training that equipped them to work in the community.

They provided healthcare and health promotion to people in their own homes and were well respected in the communities in which they practised.

This is the first time that Fife will have three nurses inducted into the programme in a single year.

Helen Wright, NHS Fife director of nursing, said: “Our inductees have each been selected because they have demonstrated a real passion and commitment to continually improve the care and treatment offered to patients in Fife.

“With an ever increasing amount of care now able to be delivered safely in our communities, their participation in the programme is likely to positively influence the nursing care offered to patients across Fife in the years and decades to come.”

The candidates were nominated having demonstrated their commitment to high quality, compassionate care. They then completed a written application and were chosen to go forward for the programme after attending a selection event where they impressed a panel of nursing leaders.

The new Queen’s Nurses will take part in a nine-month programme, developing and honing their existing skills and capabilities, culminating in an awards ceremony in December.

Once they have completed the QNIS development programme, the modern Queen’s Nurses will support new models of care to promote health improvement and local delivery of services.

Pauline Buchanan said she was “delighted and honoured” to have been selected for the programme.

She said: “It is a very exciting opportunity to make change happen in creating new ways of working.  

“Hopefully it will also provide the best possible care in the community for persons living with long term skin conditions.” 

Upon her selection, Lyndsey Forsyth said: “It is a real privilege to have been selected for the Queens Nurse Programme.

“The experience so far has been inspirational and I am excited about the journey ahead.

“I am especially looking forward to the opportunity to cascade my learning from the programme into our service for the benefit not only of colleges but our patients and their families.”

Gerry Hastie added: “Undertaking this development programme is a great privilege and I feel genuinely humbled to be doing this.

“The QNIS programme is an opportunity to build on my skills as a community nurse and ultimately this will benefit the people in my care.”