Portsmouth community nurses awarded title of Queen's Nurse by The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI)

The nurses were awarded the title of Queen’s Nurse by the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) at a ceremony in London where they received a certificate and pin badge. The nurses from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust were awarded the title after demonstrating high standards and commitment to high standards of patient care, learning and leadership.

Jo Gambrill, practice education Lead in Portsmouth and South East Hampshire, was one of the nurses to be awarded the honour. She said: “It was very special to receive my Queen’s Nurse Title, I know they do not accept everyone into their ranks, so to be recognised as a nurse who is committed to high standards of practice and person-centred care was a real honour.

“I love my job as a practice educator, I get to work alongside our staff to support them to develop their practice, improve standards and develop education specific to their needs.”

The recipients of the title will also benefit from developmental workshops, bursaries, network opportunities, as well as a shared professional identity.

Another recipient of the title was Juliet McCormack, clinical nurse specialist in palliative care. She said: “I feel very proud to have been awarded the Queen’s Nurse title in recognition of my nursing, leadership and education working within palliative and end of life care over the past 30 years.

“My values align to the Queen’s Nursing Institute values of delivering excellence in patient care and embrace my continued commitment to secure Trust investment for our specialist palliative care service education programme.

“I plan to use my title to further influence and lead the nurturing, development, and future proofing of our workforce with the required compassion, skill, and resilience to deliver care for the 5,000+ palliative patients we care for each year.”

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare nurses were one of 587 nurses in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man to receive the title.

Stephanie Bridger, chief of nursing and director of allied health professionals at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, was delighted to see nurses within the trust recognised. She said: “Receiving the Queen’s Nurse title is an incredible honour, and we are extremely proud of our colleagues who have been recognised for the exceptional care they give to their patients, and their continuing passion and enthusiasm for nursing in the community. Congratulations to you all.”

The five Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare nurses honoured are as below:

• Jo Gambrill
• Juliet McCormack
• Stephanie New
• Debbie Lewin
• Roz Lankford