A COMMUNITY nurse at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust has been awarded the prestigious title of Queen’s Nurse by The Queen’s Nursing Institute.

Marcia Haworth, who is the trust’s lead for district nursing teams and integrated respiratory service based at the St Peter’s Centre, in Burnley, was awarded the title which indicates a commitment to high standards of patient care, learning and leadership.

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Nurses who hold the title benefit from developmental workshops, bursaries, networking opportunities, and a shared professional identity.

Marcia, who lives in Burnley, has worked throughout the whole of East Lancashire for the last 32 years.

She qualified as a registered nurse in 1985, and was awarded the Silver Medal for recognition of high-quality patient care and academic ability.

She said: “I am extremely proud to be given the title of Queen’s Nurse.

“This is an incredible honour and is a fantastic opportunity to become part of a national network of like-minded nurses where ideas and good practice can be shared.

“I am committed to excellent patient care in the community and have a great passion to ensure our community care impacts positively on our patients’ lives.

“One of my aims will be to encourage other community nurses who believe they too can make a difference to apply for the title of Queen’s Nurse.”

Chris Pearson, chief nurse at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, says the award is well-deserved for Marcia.

He believes it is a reward for her professionalism as she strives for perfection.

Mr Pearson said: “I am extremely proud that Marcia has been awarded this well-deserved accolade.

“Marcia strives for perfection and supports her colleagues in ensuring that all patients receive the care that is safe, personal and effective.

“She uses patient feedback to make sure that the services she is responsible for are delivering the best care possible.

“And is always instrumental in developing service improvement to enhance patient care.”

Crystal Oldman, chief executive of the QNI congratulated Marcia for her success.

She said: “Community nurses operate in an ever more challenging world and our role is to support them as effectively as we can.

The QNI title is a key part of this and we would encourage other community nurses to apply.”