Queen's Nursing Institute
Encyclopedia
The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) is a charity that works to improve the nursing care of people in their own homes in England
, Wales
, Scotland
and Northern Ireland.
employed a nurse named Mary Robinson to care for his wife at home during her final illness. After his wife's death Rathbone decided to employ Robinson to nurse people in their own homes who could not afford medical care. The success of this early experiment encouraged him to campaign for more nurses to be employed in the community.
This was the beginning of organised district nursing. By the end of the 19th century, with the help of Florence Nightingale
and the approval of Queen Victoria, the movement became a national voluntary organisation responsible for setting standards and training nurses. In 1887 'the women of England' raised a Jubilee Fund of £70,000 to mark Victoria's Golden Jubilee
. The Queen announced that the money should be used for nursing, and Queen Victoria's Jubilee Institute for Nurses was chartered in 1889. Rosalind Paget
was the first Superintendent, and later Inspector-General. Queen Alexandra agreed to be patron in 1901. From 1928 the Institute was known as The Queen's Institute of District Nursing, until it assumed its present name in 1973.
As a result, in 2010 The Queen's Nursing Institute launched the 'Right Nurse, Right Skills' campaign with the aim of drawing attention to the continuing loss of nursing skills in the community, and the impact this is having on the quality of care for elderly and vulnerable people in their own homes. As of September 1, 2011 the campaign had 2,963 supporters, the most notable of which being award-winning actress and former nurse Julie Walters
CBE. The QNI plans to release a report related to the topic in November of 2011.
In those three years HHI made huge and measurable steps towards achieving its goals, and exceeded many of its targets. It established an active network of over 600 homeless health professionals (the target was 110 members); provided many opportunities for professional development, regular updates and information sharing; and produced resources and guidance on good practice in homeless health.
In 2011, with funding provided by the J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust and Merchant Taylors’ Company, the QNI launched the Opening Doors Project. By providing resources for community nurses the two-year project aims to improving the health of homeless people and families, with a particular reference to substance misuse and homeless families and children.
In 2011 QNI released its official position statement, providing policy recommendations regarding education for community roles and skills in community nursing teams.
In it, they gave their view of a future when “many more people are treated at home, technology is exploited to the full to help deliver care and maintain independence, and the relationship between the individual, their family or carers and the nurse is key to building the trust and confidence people need to remain at home as long as possible”. The report outlined recommendations for the practice, education, training and management of community nursing in the future.
The QNI is currently compiling reports on the state of patient care in the home as well as on nursing and technology.
The Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Award for Outstanding Service
Founded in 1994, this award is presented to nurses who have given exceptional service to patients through nursing practice in any aspect of primary health care.
The QNI Long Service Award
This award is given to district nurses who have worked for 21 years or more in the community.
On 10 July, 2011 a record number of 20 runners participated in the London 10k run raising £3,000 for the ‘Right Nurse, Right Skills’ campaign .
The QNI is not part of the NHS, and receives no regular Government funding. The QNI’s longstanding supporter is the National Gardens Scheme
, which has supported the charity for over 80 years.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Northern Ireland.
History
In 1859, Liverpool merchant and philanthropist William RathboneWilliam Rathbone VI
William Rathbone VI was an English merchant and businessman noted for his philanthropic and public work...
employed a nurse named Mary Robinson to care for his wife at home during her final illness. After his wife's death Rathbone decided to employ Robinson to nurse people in their own homes who could not afford medical care. The success of this early experiment encouraged him to campaign for more nurses to be employed in the community.
This was the beginning of organised district nursing. By the end of the 19th century, with the help of Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
and the approval of Queen Victoria, the movement became a national voluntary organisation responsible for setting standards and training nurses. In 1887 'the women of England' raised a Jubilee Fund of £70,000 to mark Victoria's Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria
The Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom was celebrated on June 20, 1887. Victoria marked the fiftieth anniversary of her accession on June 20, 1887 with a banquet to which 50 European kings and princes were invited.-History:...
. The Queen announced that the money should be used for nursing, and Queen Victoria's Jubilee Institute for Nurses was chartered in 1889. Rosalind Paget
Rosalind Paget
Dame Mary Rosalind Paget, DBE, ARRC , was a noted British nursing sister, midwife and reformer. She was the first Superintendent, later Inspector General, of the Queen's Jubilee Institute for District Nursing at the London Hospital,, which was re-named as the Queen's Institute of District Nursing...
was the first Superintendent, and later Inspector-General. Queen Alexandra agreed to be patron in 1901. From 1928 the Institute was known as The Queen's Institute of District Nursing, until it assumed its present name in 1973.
Campaigns
1 in 4 people over the age of 75 in the United Kingdom need a district nurse's care at home, rising to 1 in 2 people over 85. In total district nurses visit more than 2.6 million people a year At the same time the number of trained district nurses has fallen to fewer than 10,000 in England. At the same time, the number of health care assistants - trained to do specific tasks but who are not qualified nurses - has more than doubledAs a result, in 2010 The Queen's Nursing Institute launched the 'Right Nurse, Right Skills' campaign with the aim of drawing attention to the continuing loss of nursing skills in the community, and the impact this is having on the quality of care for elderly and vulnerable people in their own homes. As of September 1, 2011 the campaign had 2,963 supporters, the most notable of which being award-winning actress and former nurse Julie Walters
Julie Walters
Julie Walters, CBE is an English actress and novelist. She came to international prominence in 1983 for Educating Rita, performing in the title role opposite Michael Caine. It was a role she had created on the West End stage and it won her BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for Best Actress...
CBE. The QNI plans to release a report related to the topic in November of 2011.
Queen's Nurses
The prestigious honorary title title of Queen's Nurse (QN) is open to individual nurses who want to demonstrate their commitment to patient-centred values and continually improving practice. All QNs have access to free learning and development programmes, meetings and bursaries. Currently at least nine Queen's Nurses are involved at national level, influencing policy and practice in primary care.Fund for Innovation
Since 1990 The Queen’s Nursing Institute has supported hundreds of nurse-led projects through its Fund for Innovation. Dissemination of project results also helps nurses in other areas to learn from and implement new ideas. The projects -- led by community nurses, midwives or health visitors -- set up new services or improved ways of working. Grants of up to £5000 are available, in addition to a full year of professional development and support. All project leaders benefit from a professional development programme, supported by the Burdett Trust for Nursing.Opening Doors
The QNI became aware of the challenges of homeless health through the experiences of its members working in community nursing services. Many of them wanted to increase their knowledge, skills and confidence in caring for these service users, yet found there was little support or training opportunities for those often ‘working on the margins’. The QNI therefore launched the Homeless Health Initiative (HHI) in 2007, piloted with funding from the Big Lottery Fund until 2010, to offer support to all community nurses, health visitors, midwives and other health professionals working with people without a secure home in England.In those three years HHI made huge and measurable steps towards achieving its goals, and exceeded many of its targets. It established an active network of over 600 homeless health professionals (the target was 110 members); provided many opportunities for professional development, regular updates and information sharing; and produced resources and guidance on good practice in homeless health.
In 2011, with funding provided by the J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust and Merchant Taylors’ Company, the QNI launched the Opening Doors Project. By providing resources for community nurses the two-year project aims to improving the health of homeless people and families, with a particular reference to substance misuse and homeless families and children.
Nurse First
Nurse First is a partnership between the Queen's Nursing Institute, Buckinghamshire New University, the Shaftesbury Partnership and Johnson & Johnson. The programme is designed for healthcare professionals who want to step outside the traditional clinical role to create change in their field. The core of the development involves participants taking an idea from concept to a real and fully funded project by the end of 12 months. The programme involves 21 days of residential development, professional coaching, expert advisors, and access to some of the UK's leading innovators and social entrepreneurs.Financial Assistance
QNI offers a range of financial and personal assistance to community nurses in need.Policy
Healthcare policy is a key activity for The Queen’s Nursing Institute. The QNI works to influence decision makers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland on health care policy including primary care, public health, nursing education, regulation and skill mix and issues such as services for homeless people and reducing health inequalities. To do so QNI contributes to stakeholder meetings, responds to national consultations, takes up issues raised by local projects where it appears they may have wider significance, and provides examples and information to policy-makers.In 2011 QNI released its official position statement, providing policy recommendations regarding education for community roles and skills in community nursing teams.
Reports
In 2009 QNI published a report ‘2020 Vision – focusing on the future of district nursing’ that set out to take a clear and focused look at what district nursing is and does.In it, they gave their view of a future when “many more people are treated at home, technology is exploited to the full to help deliver care and maintain independence, and the relationship between the individual, their family or carers and the nurse is key to building the trust and confidence people need to remain at home as long as possible”. The report outlined recommendations for the practice, education, training and management of community nursing in the future.
The QNI is currently compiling reports on the state of patient care in the home as well as on nursing and technology.
Awards
The Queen’s Nursing Institute currently offers three Awards.The Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Award for Outstanding Service
Founded in 1994, this award is presented to nurses who have given exceptional service to patients through nursing practice in any aspect of primary health care.
The QNI Long Service Award
This award is given to district nurses who have worked for 21 years or more in the community.
Branding
In February 2011 The Queen’s Nursing Institute rebranded the organisation to draw attention to a renewed focus on protecting and improving the standards of nursing care at home with patients and the public being key beneficiaries. The new logo and colour scheme forms the day-to-day business brand appears on all the QNI’s publications aimed at community nurses, patients, government and decision-makers, and other stakeholders. The old logo, in use for more than 120 years prior, is still part of the formal historical brand and can be found on the Queen’s Nurses’ badges.Funding
The Queen’s Nursing Institute has an income of £646,490 . According to the 2010 audited accounts the QNI’s main sources of funding included income from grantmaking organisations, donations from individuals, and investment income.On 10 July, 2011 a record number of 20 runners participated in the London 10k run raising £3,000 for the ‘Right Nurse, Right Skills’ campaign .
The QNI is not part of the NHS, and receives no regular Government funding. The QNI’s longstanding supporter is the National Gardens Scheme
National Gardens Scheme
The National Gardens Scheme, was founded in 1927 in England with the aim of "opening gardens of quality, character and interest to the public for charity". Originally, the money was raised to provide pension support for district nurses; 609 private gardens were opened and £8,191 was raised.Over...
, which has supported the charity for over 80 years.
External links
- Queen's Nursing Institute official site
- 150 Years of District Nursing website
- Sources Guide: Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting Wellcome Library
- Nurse First official website
- National Gardens Scheme official website