Four nurses at the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust have been awarded the title of Queen’s Nurse. 
A Queen's Nurse is someone who is committed to high standards of practice and patient-centred care. The Queens Nurse Institute supports innovation and best practice, in order to improve care for patients. The title is available to individual nurses who have demonstrated a high level of commitment to patient care and nursing practice.
The four nurses who were all honoured in an online ceremony were nurses are Gemma Kerr, District Nurse Team Lead in Carlisle, Clare Martindale, Team Lead in Eden, Christine Magas, District Nurse in Brampton and Yvonne Henderson, District Nurse in Maryport.
Salli Pilcher, Associate Director of Quality & Nursing and Queens nurse said “They were all awarded the title in an on line awards ceremony from London. I am really proud of them all and what they have achieved. We now have a total of eleven Queens Nurses in the Community, Integrated Care Communities and Children’s Services focussing on raising standards, quality of practice and the worth of community nurses.”
Christine Magas, District Nurse in Brampton said “It is an absolute honour to have been awarded this title, also humbling as I am one person in a team of wonderful nurses who all stand with the same values as I have.”
Gemma Kerr, District Nurse Team Lead, Carlisle said “To receive the title of Queen’s Nurse is such an honour and a privilege, it places real emphasis and recognition of our dedication as individual Nurses while shining a well-deserved spot light on our specialism and our Community Nursing Teams. It has been one of the highlights of my career to be awarded the title of Queen’s Nurse and I feel very proud to say I am both a District Nurse and a Queen’s Nurse.”
The title of Queen’s Nurse is open to registered nurses with more than five years’ experience working in the community. Managers and patients provide feedback about applicants, which is assessed along with their application. More information about how to apply is available at http://www.qni.org.uk. The Queen’s Nursing Institute is a registered charity founded in 1887.
Pictured here is Gemma Kerr.