Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service

Last updated

Royal Naval Nursing Service
Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service badge.png
Active1884 – present
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
Type Nursing
Role Medicine
Website www.qarnns.co.uk
Commanders
Head of the Naval Nursing Service Captain Lisa M Taylor
Patron HRH Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, LG, GCVO
Insignia
White Ensign (1801 – present)
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg
Naval jack
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
Red Cross emblem
Flag of the Red Cross.svg

Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service (QARNNS) is the nursing branch of the British Royal Navy. The Service unit works alongside the Royal Navy Medical Branch.

Contents

As of 1 January 2006, according to former Ministry of Defence junior minister Don Touhig, the QARNNS had a total strength of 90 Nursing Officers and 200 Naval Nurses (ratings) out of a requirement of 330. [1]

The Navy List (2006) listed 92 QARNNS Officers, of whom two were captains (including one DNNS/Matron-in-Chief), seven commanders, 19 lieutenant-commanders, 60 lieutenants and four sub-lieutenants. The Navy List (1981) listed 146 QARNNS Officers, of whom one held the rank of Matron-in-Chief, two were Principal Matrons, four Matrons, 32 Superintending Sisters, 89 Senior Nursing Sisters and 13 Nursing Sisters; five of the 145 QARNNS Officers were non-nursing officers: two Senior Clerical and Quarters Officers and three Clerical and Quarters Officers.

History

QARNNS nurse takes the pulse of a patient at Cholmondeley Castle during the Second World War British Medical Services in the Second World War A11529.jpg
QARNNS nurse takes the pulse of a patient at Cholmondeley Castle during the Second World War
Three QARNNS nurses who received the OBE for rescuing patients from a bombed hospital, 1942 Four Naval Nurses Who Risked Their Lives To Remove Patients From a Bombed Hospital during An Air Raid, Are the First To Receive Military Awards during This War. 29 November 1942. A12987.jpg
Three QARNNS nurses who received the OBE for rescuing patients from a bombed hospital, 1942

Early developments of a Naval Nursing Service

The nursing staff who worked at both Haslar, which accepted its first patients in 1753, and Plymouth, which accepted its first patients in 1762, were usually widows of seamen or marines. [2] Their conduct was not regarded as satisfactory. In 1854 the decision was taken to create an all-male nursing service ashore, similar to what there was afloat. The Crimean War (1854–1856) changed the field of nursing. Eliza Mackenzie, a Superintendent of nurses, and six female nurses, travelled to the Naval Hospital, Therapia in Turkey. They left for Therapia on Christmas day,1854. [3] They were subsequently recognised by the Admiralty for their work. [4] In 1883, a committee determined that improvements were needed in medical and nursing care in the Royal Navy. As such, in 1884, a uniformed Naval Nursing Service was introduced, staffed by trained nurses. [5] These nurses served on shore, initially at Haslar and Plymouth. [6]

Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service

In 1902, Queen Alexandra became President of the Nursing Staff; in her honour, the Naval Nursing service was renamed Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service. [6] She invited Eva Luckes, Matron of The London Hospital to help her establish the new service, and supplied staff for it. [7] [8] In 1914 Alexandra, wrote to Lückes announcing that she was being awarded the Badge of the Red Cross Society ‘in grateful recognition of the invaluable services you have rendered in the organisation of the Royal Naval Nursing Service...'. [9] [8]

Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service Reserve was established on 13 October 1910. [10]

In 1914, with the outbreak of the First World War, QARNNS was significantly expanded, with many volunteers from the British Red Cross and civilian hospitals.

Second World War and until current time.

During the Second World War, many volunteer QARNNS nurses were deployed overseas. In 1949 a nursing branch of the Women's Royal Naval Service was formed; however, in 1960 these nurses were integrated into QARNNS, creating a single nursing service. In 1982 an integrated service was formed, allowing men to serve as nurses in QARNNS. [6] The first man to join was Senior Nursing Officer Rajendrasen Purusrum, who was commissioned on 1 March 1983.

Although fully affiliated to the Royal Navy from 1977, QARNNS was technically a separate service until 31 March 2000, when it officially became part of the Royal Navy.

Queen Alexandra was President until her death in 1925. The following year she was succeeded by Queen Mary. Princess Alexandra became Patron in 1955.

Ranks

Initially there were only two ranks: Nursing Sister and Head Sister. In 1911 the intermediate rank of Superintending Sister was introduced. [11] There was no overall head of the service until the introduction of the rank of Head Sister-in-Chief on 1 August 1927. By 1937 Head Sister and Head Sister-in-Chief had been renamed Matron and Matron-in-Chief.

The ranking system changed during the Second World War.

QARNNS rankEquivalent RN rank
Nursing Sister Lieutenant
Senior Nursing SisterLieutenant
Superintending Sister Lieutenant-Commander
MatronLieutenant-Commander/Commander [note 1]
Principal MatronCommander/Captain [note 2]
Matron-in-Chief Commodore

Ratings, known as Naval Nurses, were introduced in 1960, with the integration of the WRNS nurses. Their ranking system was similar to that of Royal Navy ratings.

In 1982, in preparation for the introduction of male officers, the Nursing Officers' ranking system was changed.

QARNNS rankEquivalent RN rank
Nursing Officer Sub-Lieutenant
Senior Nursing Officer Lieutenant
Superintending Nursing Officer Lieutenant-Commander
Chief Nursing Officer Commander
Principal Nursing Officer Captain
Matron-in-Chief Commodore

In 1995 the QARNNS adopted Royal Navy ranks, although the head of the Nursing Service was no longer a one-star equivalent, the senior Captain of the QARNNS was appointed Director Naval Nursing Service (DNNS) and styled with the historic post of Matron-in-Chief.

Early Sisters and Superintending Sisters of the QARNNS

Several early members of the QARNNS were trained at The London Hospital under Eva Luckes. [8] These included:

List of senior figures of the QARNNS

Head Sister-in-Chief, Naval Nursing Service

Matron-in-Chief, Naval Nursing Service

Director Naval Nursing Service

Former Matron-in-chief Commodore Inga Kennedy was appointed Head of the Royal Navy Medical Service in 2017; she wears the QARNNS badge above her rank insignia. Inga Kennedy.jpg
Former Matron-in-chief Commodore Inga Kennedy was appointed Head of the Royal Navy Medical Service in 2017; she wears the QARNNS badge above her rank insignia.

See also

Notes

  1. Lieutenant-Commander until 1976, Commander thereafter.
  2. Commander until 1976, Captain thereafter.

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References

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Further reading