Nicky Strutt, one of Livewell Southwest’s community nurses is celebrating after recently being named as a Queen’s Nurse.
Nicky, who is based in Tavistock joins seven other colleagues at the organisation who have also been awarded the prestigious title.
She received her badge at a ceremony, hosted by the Queen’s Nurse Institute in London on 21 June alongside more than 100 other nurses from across the country.
The Queen’s Nurse title is given to nurses who have worked in the community for more than five years and who recognise the commitment to high standards of patient care, learning, leadership and practice.
Nicky said: “I’ve been qualified for a nurse for 20 years now and have been working as a community nurse for 10 years. I always wanted to be a community nurse. As a student I had a fantastic mentor who was a community nurse and she really inspired me.
“I love my job and I love the fact that patients are in charge of their care because it’s in their homes and they have the power to be involved and have their say. It feels like a real equal relationship.”
As part of Nicky’s role as a community nurse, she delivers palliative care to patients and is the End of Life champion for Tavistock.
She added: “It’s one of the areas where you go home and feel as if you’ve really made a difference. When you’re caring for someone at the end of their life, you only have one chance to get it right and it is somewhere where you feel like you have really made a difference, not only to those patients but their families too.
“I feel very honoured to be a Queen’s Nurse and very passionate about my role. As part of my application I had to write 5,000 words on my role and it just really reiterated why I do this job and how much I love it.
“I feel like I’ve achieved this not just for me but for all the other community nurses in Livewell – I really would encourage anyone who has worked in the community for five years to apply because it just helps to reinforce your passion and it’s so wonderful to have that recognition.”
Shona Cornish, matron of the District Nursing Services at Livewell and one of our original Queen’s Nurses, added: “Nicky has a wealth of knowledge and experience in delivering care with the patient at the centre and I look forward to working closely with Nicky to raise the profile of this.
“She is a fabulous representation of the quality of care which is delivered in the community.”
Photo by Kate Stanworth
