Our impact

Each year we deliver an intensive, high-quality leadership development programme for around 20 community nurses and midwives. Successful completion of the programme leads to the award of the Queen’s Nurse title, and there are now more than 170 Queen’s Nurses in Scotland.

We regularly give long service awards for nurses and midwives who have worked in community and primary care settings for more than 21 years. In 2024, we gave out 413 long service awards in Scotland.

We promote understanding of the community nursing and midwifery professions. In 2024 we held a parliamentary reception which was sponsored by MSPs Jackie Baillie and Carol Mochan. Attendees included MSPs, the Interim Chief Nursing Officer, health professionals, policy makers, and over 70 Queen’s Nurses from across Scotland. They were welcomed by Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health Jennie Minto.

Since we were founded in 1889, the organisation has been involved in supporting the welfare of Queen’s Nurses in their retirement. Today we continue to support more than 200 retired Queen’s Nurses who trained with us before 1969. Many are well into their nineties, and they continue to inspire us.

Many community nurses and midwives choose careers in health and social care because they enjoy working closely with the people they care for and because they want to make a difference. But it can be difficult to understand and navigate the complex interpersonal relationships that are so often at the heart of service delivery. Our relational care work helps staff be open to authentic emotional connections so they can work in relationship-oriented ways that genuinely benefit people and communities. In 2022/23 we delivered a ten-month programme for 45 participants working in 9 different regions in Scotland.

You can read more about our impact and achievements in our Annual Review and Annual Reports to OSCR shown below.