Three nurses from the north-east have been awarded the prestigious title of Queen’s Nurse.
Earlier this year, the trio were among 20 community nurses chosen to take part in a nine-month development programme run by the Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland (QNIS).
The group, which represent 11 of the health boards across the country, all picked an issue for development to focus on which will have an impact on those in their care.
The nurses’ achievements have now been celebrated during a ceremony at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh where they were each awarded the historic title.
Representing the north-east
One of the NHS Grampian nurses to be awarded was Shirley Catto, from Keith, who is a neurology nurse specialising in Parkinson’s and Huntington’s.
She was nominated for being a role model to her peers, as well as sharing her approach to managing caseloads, working closely on prevention and prioritising crisis management.
Nicola Dickie, from Stonehaven, works as a health visitor and team leader and is described as having a “passionate desire” for her work with a focus on addressing poverty in Aberdeen.
She also works to support children with delayed communication skills which her interest has increased in since the Covid pandemic hit.
The third north-east nurse to take part in the programme was Laura Rothney from Methlick.
She works as a senior nurse practitioner and was nominated for standing out as an advocate, changing cultures and attitudes towards often marginalised and stigmatised groups in the community.
‘Demonstrating nursing excellence’
The Queen’s Nurse title was reintroduced in Scotland five years ago with the “modern” participants representing the range of contemporary roles across nursing and midwifery.
Clare Cable, QNIS chief executive and nurse director, said: “These 20 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.
“Their roles vary, from bringing care to some of society’s most vulnerable and marginalised groups to supporting people in mental distress or end of life care.
“They represent the geography of Scotland, from rural communities and small islands to concentrated areas within the big cities, but they all demonstrate nursing excellence which makes a real difference to the lives of the people they work with.”
Conversation