Peterborough nurse receives prestigious Queen’s nursing award

Wendy, who is the Clinical Lead for Chronic Care at Peterborough-based med tech company Coloplast, received the accolade from the community-nursing charity in recognition of her outstanding commitment to high standards of patient care and continually improving practice throughout her 35-year career.

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.

In her role, Wendy gives clinical advice to patients and delivers in-house training that supports Coloplast’s Charter Team to provide telephone advice and product information to individuals who use medical devices to manage bowel and bladder conditions.

Outside of work, Wendy is a well-recognised and active member of many nursing institutions. She has led a number of national and international meetings and training sessions relating to her specialism of gastrointestinal nursing.

She has also been part of the Association of Stoma Care Nurses’ Educational Committee since 2011, leading various projects, including the NHS Stoma Care National Standards.

She was presented with her award last month (September 30). Usually, the ceremony takes place at Buckingham Palace but this year the QNI held their first ever online awards ceremony.

During the event, the cast of popular BBC TV series ‘Call the Midwife’ thanked the Queen’s Nurses for their exceptional work.

Speaking after the event, Wendy said: “I’m really proud to have achieved the title of Queen’s Nurse. I have spent most of my career caring for patients with bowel and bladder conditions and am very passionate about working within this speciality.

“The uniqueness of an individual’s challenges to manage and live with these conditions is profound. Fundamentally, my aim has been to promote continuity and consistency of high standards of quality of care to all individuals with intimate healthcare needs.

“The training aspect of my role is working with a fantastic team of telehealth specialists who provide bespoke advice to individuals using a medical device. It is this tailored information and specialist assessment, alongside the availability of quality products, which can have such a positive impact on patients’ quality of life.

“This Queen’s Nurse Title is a testimony to all my colleagues who have helped raise the profile for those with intimate care needs and contributed to making a positive difference to people managing their bladder and bowel conditions with a medical device.”

Coloplast’s Director of Nursing, Mary Spiers, added: “We are extremely proud of Wendy for this achievement. This is a very prestigious award and reflects the contribution she has made to nursing and the difference she has made to many people living with intimate care needs over many years across the UK.

“Wendy has helped to build up and support the Coloplast Nurse and Telehealth Clinical Team by providing expert training and development to ensure our patients receive the high quality care and support they deserve. She is a key member of our team at Coloplast and a very deserved recipient of this award.”

Dr Crystal Oldman CBE, Chief Executive of the QNI, said: “On behalf of the QNI I would like to congratulate Wendy and welcome her as a Queen’s Nurse.

“Queen’s Nurses serve as leaders and role models in community nursing, delivering high quality health care across the country.

“The application and assessment process to become a Queen’s Nurse is rigorous and requires clear commitment to improving care for patients, their families and carers.

“We look forward to working with Wendy and all other new Queen’s Nurses who have received the title this year.”