Published 11/12/2023
Care Home Education Facilitator at Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) and nurse at Hywel Dda University Health Board, Sarah Kingdom-Mills, has received the prestigious title of Queen’s Nurse.
The accolade, awarded by The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI), acknowledges Sarah’s exceptional individual contribution to patient care and the nursing profession.
Sarah accepted the Award on Friday 8th December at the official QNI Awards Ceremony at Friends House in London. The Award was presented by Dame Elizabeth Anionwu, QNI Vice Chair and Patron of the Mary Seacole Trust.
Simon Cassidy, Education Programme Manager at HEIW, said:
"Sarah is a dedicated nursing professional having undertaken significant roles within the NHS and social care community services throughout her career. She has also been instrumental in the implementation of the Care Home Education Facilitator role in Wales, which serves to encourage more healthcare students to undertake placements within care homes.
“The Queens Nursing Institute Award is testament to Sarah’s work over several years, particularly in relation to people with learning disabilities and older peoples’ care.
“Speaking on behalf of everyone at Health Education and Improvement Wales, we are extremely proud of Sarah’s prestigious recognition. Well done Sarah.”
Queen’s Nurses have at least five years’ experience of working in community settings and undergo a rigorous selection process to receive the title. It is a formal recognition that you are part of a professional network of nurses, committed to delivering and leading outstanding care in the community.
Sarah, being the first Care Home Education Facilitator in Wales, has established the current systems of work to focus on the development of student placements in care homes. As part of this, she has successfully completed the Bevan Commission Exemplar programme with the project entitled “Creating student nurse placements in care homes” and has the responsibility of chairing the All Wales Practice Education Forum. Sarah has also provided the learning disability contribution to the publication “Essential Clinical Skills in Nursing” which was released in March this year.
To find out more about the Award and its history, visit History of the Queen’s Nurse Title – The Queen's Nursing Institute.