Honour for Erskine care boss
A charity worker has been honoured by a top nursing body.
Derek Barron, director of care at Erskine, was made a Fellow of The Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland at a ceremony in Edinburgh.
A new Fellowship was introduced this year, and Mr Barron was one of three people to be awarded the honour in recognition of his contribution to community nursing and professional nursing leadership.
He was presented with a certificate and silver commemorative badge by television presenter Prue Leith.
Mr Barron, who has been director of care with the veterans’charity since June 2016, said:“I am thrilled and delighted to be given this honour.
“QNIS has a long and distinguished history in leading community nursing in Scotland, so it is both humbling and exciting to be recognised as having contributed in some small way.
“To share the award ceremony with our 20 new Queen’s Nurses made it even more memorable.
“Having both a mental health nurse and a care home nurse in this cohort of Queen’s Nurses was heart-warming, given my own professional background.”
The award of QNIS Fellowship aims to create a community of support for the Institute that will provide expert advice, on practice, education, research, policy and integrated care.
It is hoped that the new Fellows will act as ambassadors for the work of QNIS, as well as, benefiting from the renewed relationship.
Claire Cable, chief executive and nurse director of QNIS, said:“Derek’s award of Fellowship is in recognition of his support of community nursing and his continuous promotion and celebration of the very best of nursing practice.
“The QNIS Nominations Committee particularly wanted to acknowledge his commitment to the Institute over the years and his enthusiasm for the planning and development of the new Queen’s Nurse programme.
“We also wish to recognise his contribution to the development of community mental health nursing in Scotland, through the range of roles he has held up to the present day, championing high quality residential care in his role with Erskine.”
Steve Conway, chief executive of Erskine, said that, in the 18 months since he has been in post as director of care for Erskine, he has witnessed how Mr Barron’s commitment and drive for continuous improvement recognised by the award has led to very real improvements in the care Erskine provides for residents, particularly those living with dementia.
“We are very fortunate and will continue to benefit from his appointment at Erskine,”he added.