Two rare diseases specialists honoured with Queen’s Nurse title
Two specialist nurses at a major hospital have been given the prestigious title of Queen’s Nurse from the Queen’s Nursing Institute.
Nurse Practitioners Phillipa Sellar and Paula Sullivan work in the Rare Diseases Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital.
Alongside hospital-based clinics they travel across the UK to the homes of patients who have the rare conditions Bloom Syndrome, Trichothiodystrophy (TTD) and Cockayne Syndrome.
The Queen’s Nurse title acknowledges individual nurses who have demonstrated a high level of commitment to patient care and nursing practice, particularly showing innovative care and a vision for nursing in the community.
Ms Sullivan said she was “honoured” to receive the new title.
She said: “One of the best things about our role is visiting patients and their families in their own homes, developing relationships and building trust, which provides the platform for delivering personalised care.”
Ms Sellar, who has been a nurse for 40 years, shared her colleagues pride and said the new title will allow them to raise awareness and educate others on the rare conditions they specialise in.
She said: “This title is testament to all our patients and families.
“I’m very proud of it. Let’s celebrate nursing, its values and all the incredible work nurses do.”
Both nurses received further praise from Dr Shehla Mohammed, consultant in Paediatric clinical genetics at Guy’s and St Thomas’.
Dr Mohammed said: “I am exceptionally proud of Paula and Phillipa’s achievements.
“This recognises their exceptional skills, knowledge and expertise, and the significant role nurses of their calibre play in innovative service developments.”
More information about the Queen’s Nurse title is on the Queen’s Nursing Institute website.
Pictured top: From left, Queen’s Nurses Paula Sullivan and Phillipa Sellar, Nurse Practioners in Rare Disease Centre (Picture: Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital)