QNI appoints Newham Nurse to lead new CCN Project

The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) has appointed Newham based Community Children’s Matron Rebecca Daniels to lead development of new Transition to Community Children’s Nursing (CCN) resources, to enhance the quality of life for children and families nationally.

Rebecca’s new role will involve developing QNI resources for children and young people (CYP) with complex health needs in the community setting.

She will also be the CCN representative in national planning the QNI is involved with, raising the profile and voice of the Children’s Community Nursing workforce.

Rebecca will continue in post at East London NHS Foundation Trust’s (ELFT) Specialist Children & Young People’s Service (SCYPS) and will manage her responsibilities for the new role alongside her work as Children’s Matron there.

Developing a CCN Forum during the pandemic

The new QNI role will build on the work of the Community Children’s Nurse forum during the pandemic.

Rebecca was singled out for praise by England’s Chief Nurse, Ruth May, for the work she did to coordinate the work of the CCN forum, along with other core CCN members, as it became clear that the pandemic was becoming a once-in-a-generation national health challenge.

Community Children’s Nurses came together nationally through the CCN forum to discuss, plan, and decide on the best ways to support children with tracheostomies and long-term ventilation or complex respiratory difficulties requiring Aerosol Generated Procedures (AGP) to help them breathe.

The strict enforcement of COVID19 guidance regarding space, ventilation and enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) threatened to keep these children isolated for longer compared to other schoolchildren.

Rebecca’s work across the CCN forum helped to ensure that rapid and co-ordinated steps could be taken nationally to overcome obstacles, allowing children to return to school and integrate with their peers much faster than would have been possible otherwise.

Comments on the new role

Commenting on her new role, Rebecca said: “It’s both an honour and a challenge to take up this new role with the Queen’s Nursing Institute.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be able to use my knowledge and expertise nationally to help give a voice to children and families, who often have to cope with potentially very life limiting conditions.

“I am proud to represent and work alongside community children’s nurses who work so hard to enhance the lives of the children and families they care for.”

On the appointment of Rebecca to the role, QNI Chief Executive Dr Crystal Oldman CBE said:

“I am delighted that Rebecca is now a member of the QNI team. She is leading the development of the QNI resource ‘Transition to the Community Children’s Nursing Service’ which will support nurses new to the CCN service, whether newly qualified or new to community services.

“The QNI is also providing a ‘home’ for the CCN Forum which has more than 300 members and has built up a very high national profile for its work in advocating for the children, young people and families served, including their brilliant work throughout the pandemic. Rebecca’s expertise will be critical to our evolving work as a professional organisation supporting all nurses who work in the community.”

ELFT’s Director for Specialist Services, Sarah Wilson said:

“This is a great news, and Rebecca is the perfect choice for such an important role.

“She is outstanding leader, dedicated to provide the best care for the children and families that her team work alongside.

“All of us at ELFT are incredibly proud of the Newham SCYPS Community Children’s Nurses team.”

ENDS

Media Contact: Matthew Bradby, Head of Communications matthew.bradby@qni.org.uk