09/04/2025

Photo Essay on Community Nursing in the UK

The Guardian’s powerful photo essay by Anna Gordon shines a spotlight on the indispensable work of community nurses—the modern-day heirs to Nightingale’s legacy—who deliver compassionate, skilled care directly in patients’ homes.

Key Highlights:

• Historical roots & modern relevance: Community nursing originated in 19th-century Liverpool to bring nursing into underserved homes. Today, Queen’s Nurses—a prestigious UK title with around 2,500 qualified practitioners—continue that mission.
• On-the-ground impact: Nurses like Angelina Blair travel wide rural routes, sometimes seeing only one patient in five hours—underscoring their dedication and the resource-intensive nature of home care.
• Breaking taboos: In hospice-at-home settings, these nurses facilitate vital conversations about death and dying—normalizing, rather than concealing, life’s final chapter.
• System value: Photo-caption commentary emphasizes home care’s cost-effectiveness: reducing hospital admissions and easing pressures on healthcare systems, especially as virtual wards expand.

Why It Matters to IHCNO Members Globally:

• These images reflect what home care nurses accomplish daily—and they resonate across diverse geographies and health systems.
• Demonstrates the breadth of nursing roles in the community—from chronic disease management to emotional and end-of-life support.
• Emphasizes the importance of visibility and recognition for home-based care, advocating for policies and resources that honor our profession.

➡️ Read the full essay: There’s something special about making a difference: community nurses step up – a photo essay

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/22/community-nurses-step-up-a-photo-essay