Three nurses have been awarded the prestigious title of Queen’s Nurse for their commitment to patient care.
Alexandra Bartlett, Emefa Dokosi and Jennie Keane all work for Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT).
Photo credit: Kate Stanworth and Anna Gordon
The Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing awards the title of Queen’s Nurse to individual nurses who have demonstrated a high level of commitment to patient care and nursing practice.
Alexandra has worked in the NHS for 36 years and has spent the last 25 years working in community nursing in south east Essex.
She said: “From the age of three, I knew nursing was my calling.
“When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I joyfully replied, “A nurse, or someone who works in a sweet shop so I can eat all the sweets!”
“Thankfully, I chose the path of care over confectionery, and I still have all my teeth to show for it.
Alexandra started her career as a Youth Training Student at 16 at Rochford Hospital, before becoming an auxiliary nurse caring for elderly patients. She is currently based at the hospital as a Practice Development Nurse, training and supporting specialist nursing teams so they can deliver the best possible care.
She said: “My professional journey has been dynamic and deeply fulfilling, encompassing roles in the Rapid Response Team, the pioneering launch of the Cumberlege Intermediate Care Centre, the Collaborative Care Team, 11 years in district nursing, and most recently, four transformative years as a Practice Development Nurse.
“Each chapter has strengthened my commitment to delivering exceptional care and empowering others to do the same.”
Emefa has recently worked as Clinical Manager for EPUT’s Care Home Education Team and will soon be joining Cumberlege Intermediate Care Centre at Rochford Hospital and Bayman ward at Brentwood Community Hospital as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner.
Photo credit: Kate Stanworth and Anna Gordon
She has worked in NHS community nursing for ten years, including previous roles as a district nurse, sepsis nurse, and in the Urgent Community Response Team.
Emefa said: “Being able to prevent avoidable hospital admissions and provide treatment in people’s homes has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.”
Before entering nursing, Emefa worked in public health. In 2012 she also completed an internship with USAID in Ghana, an experience that ignited her interest in global health and health education.
She is actively involved in charitable initiatives across Africa including Ghana, Zambia, and São Tomé and Príncipe, and co-founded the Easter Mission Box charity with her family to support missionaries working in remote villages.
In Essex, she organises health education and screening events for her local churches in partnership with GPs and allied health professionals.
Emefa said: “I became a nurse to serve, empower, and advocate for those who need it most.
“I am dedicated to improving community health, advancing nursing practice, and inspiring others within the profession.”
Jennie Keane started her nursing career 46 years ago and is a Clinical Nurse Specialist in tuberculosis (TB).
Photo credit: Kate Stanworth and Anna Gordon
Jennie, whose father was a pharmacist, said: “I always wanted to be a maths teacher as I love maths. Then one day I woke up and said ‘no, actually I want to be a nurse.’
“I don’t know why I had that sudden dramatic change of heart.”
Jennie worked on several hospital wards in the Rochford and Southend area including respiratory care, looking after patients with conditions such as HIV and cystic fibrosis.
Jennie specialised in cystic fibrosis and TB and worked with patients across Essex. In 2008 she decided to focus solely on helping TB patients and developed the specialist TB service.
Jennie is now one of a team of 11 staff, who currently look after 166 people across Essex. These include people being treated for TB, those who have been infected but do not have symptoms or active TB, and those who have non-tuberculosis mycobacterial (NTM) infections.
During her early career, life expectancy for people with cystic fibrosis was shorter than it is now and Jennie remembers some of her young patients who have had a lasting impact on her.
One was a young woman who found it difficult to explain her funeral wishes to her parents, who found it difficult to accept their daughter was dying. So Jennie helped the family to have the conversation, and supported other families in the same way to enable patients who were dying to live their lives in the way they wanted.
Jennie is also working with other specialists to improve care standards for people with TB and NTM. She is co-chair of the NTM Network UK and was part of the steering group who developed national standards of care for people with NTM. She is also a member of the British Thoracic Society steering group for TB and NTM.
Alexandra, Jennie and Emefa were presented with their Queen’s Nurse titles at an event on 28 November. It was attended by guests including Professor John Unsworth OBE, chair of the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (QICN), Steph Lawrence MBE, QICN’s Chief Executive, Professor Michelle Bateman, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for Quality at NHS England, and Karen Bonner MBE, Regional Chief Nurse for London.