07/31/2025

Crystal Oldman, RN, RHV, MSc, MA, EdD

Vice President

Dr Crystal Oldman is an independent community nursing consultant, with a career in nursing that spans more than 45 years.

After qualifying as a nurse Crystal worked in the National Health Service in London, the majority of which was as a Health Visitor (Public Health Nurse), serving disadvantaged communities in west London.

She has a longstanding interest in learning, teaching and research to support best practice and in 1994 joined Buckinghamshire New University as a senior lecturer, to develop a new suite of undergraduate and postgraduate community nursing programmes for the region, including Specialist Community Public Health Nursing and Community Specialist Practice Qualifications.

Crystal enjoyed an academic career for 18 years, completing her Higher Education career as a Dean, a role which included developing partnerships with a range of public services, including local authorities and health service providers, to support workforce development and research.

In 2012 Crystal joined the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (QICN) as its Chief Executive. The QICN is the oldest nursing charity in the world and became established as the professional home for community nurses under Crystal’s leadership.

Crystal’s interest in leadership inspired her doctoral studies into the knowledge, skills and attributes of middle managers, research which was completed in 2013. Her commitment to excellence in evidence-based practice, policy, innovation and the development of highly skilled nursing leaders has guided the development of the QICN’s highly acclaimed portfolio of programmes and networks to support the aim and strategic priorities of the charity.

The QICN’s International Community Nursing Observatory (ICNO) was established in 2019 and the work of the ICNO now underpins excellence in community nursing practice and providing valuable data to support workforce development in the context of integrated services.

She was awarded a CBE in 2017 for services to community nursing and her leadership of the QICN; in 2020, she was awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing and in 2023 Crystal was awarded the Gold Badge of the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing.

In 2025, Crystal moved to ‘preferment’, a position of semi-retirement, to use her expertise and experience in the sector to support health and nursing charities and not-for-profits as a Trustee.