Hard work pays off with royal honour
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A BANFFSHIRE nurse has been awarded the title of a Queen's Nurse, marking only the second time the honour has been made in Scotland in almost 50 years following the reintroduction of the historic title.
Kirsteen Coady was selected earlier this year to take part in a nine-month development programme run by the Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland (QNIS).
The advanced nurse practitioner at Macduff Medical Practice was nominated for providing high quality, compassionate care to people in her community.
Mrs Coady, who lives in Banff, was awarded the historic Queen's Nurse title along with 20 other community nurses at a ceremony in Edinburgh.
She said: "I do get a lot of job satisfaction in my role and that stems from the relationship with the people within the practice.
"As the lead for people with long-term conditions, I am there as a catalyst to support them self-manage and help keep them safe.
"The programme has been life-changing for me, it has truly brought out the best in myself and I'm excited to continue building on the services that improve the wellbeing of people in this community."
Queen's Nursing in Scotland dates back to the late 19th century, when nurses completed specific training which allowed them to work as district nurses. The title was awarded for the final time in 1969 before the decision was made to reintroduce Queen's Nurses to Scotland in 2017, with 20 community nurses chosen to take part in a development programme.
The process involves senior managers in the NHS or private organisations nominating a community-based nurse who will go forward for interview following a successful application.
This year, 21 community nurses were selected to complete the nine-month programme which consists of a week-long residential workshop followed by two further workshops and coaching sessions in between.
Caroline Hiscox, acting director of nursing, midwifery and allied health professions for NHS Grampian said: "I am delighted to see Kirsteen receive this award. Her dedication to her professional development throughout her career is evident."
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."
Each nurse received a certificate and badge by Scotland's chief nursing officer Professor Fiona McQueen who said: "Our Queen's Nurses are truly inspirational."
