Shetland visit celebrates and supports community nursing

During their visit, Sarah and Emma were warmly welcomed by Chief Nurse Kim Anderson and Keri Ratter, Child Health Nurse Manager and Queen’s Nurse, who supported the organisation of the visit. Sarah and Emma delivered taster sessions on Relational Care and Queen’s Nurse leadership and presented QNIS Long Service Awards to practitioners who have dedicated more than 21 years to community nursing and midwifery.

The visit provided an opportunity to learn more about healthcare delivery in Shetland, where services are spread across the mainland and numerous islands, including Fair Isle, Unst, Yell, Fetlar, Bressay, Foula, Whalsay, Burra, Tondra, Papa Stour, Muckle Roe and the Out Skerries. Nurses and midwives shared powerful insights into the rewards and challenges of working there, where extreme weather and remote settings add complexity to care delivery.

Sarah and Emma heard first-hand accounts of practitioners supporting people to remain at home wherever possible, while also managing complex response and retrieval arrangements when clinical conditions deteriorate.

Reflecting on the visit, Sarah Doyle said: “As a charity we aim to support community nurses and midwives across the whole of Scotland and it’s important to us that we connect with all the different regions and try to understand their working environments. Shetland is a very special place.”

Emma Legge also reflected on the experience: “It was a highlight of the year to meet community nurses and midwives working on Shetland; the examples of person-centred care, creativity and resourcefulness we heard about was inspiring, I learned a great deal.

Nurses and midwives generously shared accounts of what it's like to deliver community care on Shetland; how they pivot to the challenges and embrace the joys of island living. The trip was inspiring from start to finish - I understand what draws people to these islands.”

The visit also included a special moment connecting past and present generations of community nursing. Sarah and Emma were joined by Nora Peterson, a former district nurse in Shetland who trained with QNIS in Edinburgh. Nora attended alongside her friend Gillian, also a district nurse, whose aunt completed Queen’s Nurse training in 1937 — highlighting a remarkable professional heritage spanning almost 90 years.

The visit reinforced QNIS’ commitment to supporting nurses and midwives in all parts of Scotland and celebrating the vital role they play in sustaining communities.