When Nicola Reid was told she had been nominated to be a Queen’s Nurse, she went through the full range of emotions.
“I was absolutely shocked,” the 41-year-old from Fetterangus admits. “Then I just felt really proud of myself and thought, ‘Well, I’m going to make a good job of it, and I’m going to make this time count.’”
As a senior care home support nurse with NHS Grampian, Nicole was among just 21 community nurses across Scotland selected for the rigorous nine-month Queen’s Nurse Development Programme.
And as the only nurse from Grampian to be part of the Queen’s Award cohort, Nicola was justified in feeling proud.
The title, reintroduced in 2017, is awarded to nurses who demonstrate exceptional commitment to community healthcare.
It is also a chance for them to learn new skills and, if they complete the programme, give back to their own nursing community.
It was an opportunity Nicola grabbed with both hands.
The programme took Nicola and her fellow participants on an intense learning journey, starting with a residential retreat at Balbirnie House.
“It was just such a lovely experience,” she says. “We were all like-minded, really positive, and wanted to be innovative in addressing healthcare challenges. It was so refreshing to be with others who were on the same wavelength.”
Queen’s Nurse title is about ‘inspiring others’
That sense of connection remained long after the retreat.
“We’re really close now — we go on little trips together,” she says. “When we meet, it’s great because so many new ideas come up, and I think, ‘Oh, I never thought about that! I could bring that into my practice as well.’ It was just amazing.”
Beyond the friendships, Nicola took away a powerful lesson about leadership.
“It’s about inspiring others,” she explains.
“Instead of doing things for people, it’s about helping them find their own agency. Just giving people a little bit of inspiration and a voice can make all the difference.”
For Nicola, that inspiration has translated into action.
Since completing the course — culminating in an award ceremony last November at the Grassmarket Community Project in Edinburgh — she has developed a series of mindfulness workshops aimed at improving staff wellbeing in Aberdeenshire’s care homes.
“The ethos behind my project is improving staff wellbeing to enhance person-centred care,” she says. “There’s already so much good person-centred care happening in our care homes — it’s about shining a light on the positives and building on them.”
Her workshops focus on helping care home staff take better care of their own mental and emotional health.
“If people feel good about themselves, they’re going to work better. That’s the whole idea. It’s about investing in people so they feel valued, which in turn helps them provide better care.”
Why Nicola’s children have taken up meditation
The Queen’s Nurse programme also gave Nicola a new perspective on herself.
She took up journaling, which has now become an essential part of her routine.
“I never did anything like that before, but now I wouldn’t be without my journal,” she says. “I take it everywhere. If I’m driving and I have a thought, I’ll pull over just to jot it down.”
She has also embraced meditation, making it part of her daily routine – and even encouraging her family to join in.
“I do a meditation every morning now, and I make everybody else in the family do it too,” she laughs.
Her husband Wayne, a teacher, has been particularly supportive.
“He’s learned a lot along the way, and he sees how these ideas apply to his own work — how to communicate better and bring out the best in people.”
Balancing her career with family life is no small task. She and Wayne have three children — two sons and a daughter — all of whom are proud of her achievements.
Meanwhile, Nicola says being a Queen’s Nurse isn’t just a title — it’s a responsibility.
“It’s about enthusiasm, taking new ideas, and working collaboratively,” she says. “It’s not about one person saying, ‘This is how it is,’ it’s about everyone sharing ideas and learning from each other.”
Conversation