QNI Chief Executive Awarded Honorary Doctorate
31 August 2018
Updated 6 September 2018
Dr Crystal Oldman CBE, Chief Executive of the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI), has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Buckinghamshire New University for her leadership of the organisation and services to community nursing.
The well-respected figure was presented with her honorary recognition at a ceremony at the Wycombe Swan Theatre in High Wycombe on Tuesday 4 September, part of a week of graduation celebrations for the University. The above photo was taken on the day and features Crystal with Professor Rebecca Bunting, the Vice Chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University.
Dr Oldman worked at Bucks New University for 18 years, where her final role was Dean of Business and Enterprise, and she said she was ‘extremely proud and delighted’ at the honorary award.
I was privileged to spend 18 years of my career at Buckinghamshire New University and I have many happy memories of supporting hundreds if not thousands of students in their learning and development.
I started at the University in the position of senior lecturer and completed my academic career as a Dean, developing enduring friendships with colleagues and working in joyful teams across the University.
The philosophy of the university is one of supporting students as individuals to develop the skills, knowledge and attributes which will maximise their future careers.
It is a critical value which resonates strongly with all professions, including nursing - my lifelong passion.
Dr Crystal Oldman CBEDr Oldman is a Governing Body Nurse with Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group and has chaired the NHS Improvement working group on safe caseloads in the District Nursing service.
Committed to working on policy and research for community nursing, Dr Oldman has recently worked with the Nursing and Midwifery Council on new voluntary standards for District Nursing and General Practice Nursing.
Dr Oldman started her NHS career in 1975 as a ward orderly and after qualifying as a nurse at University College Hospital, she worked in some of the most deprived communities in London.
She joined the QNI from Bucks New University as Chief Executive in 2012.
It was a privilege to work both with and for Dr Oldman in the education of undergraduate and postgraduate nurses.
She has always led the way in nursing developments and this can clearly be seen in her leadership of the Queens Nursing Institute, engaging in public healthcare policy and in their new initiative around Healthcare for the homeless.
She is an inspiration and an excellent role model within the nursing profession.
Sue Leddington, Principal Lecturer for Quality Enhancement at Bucks New UniversityThe focus of the QNI is on protecting and improving the standards of nursing care in the home and in the community and promoting the specific skills and knowledge required to undertake specialist community nursing roles.
The organisation leads on healthcare for homeless people, for nurses supporting carers, and on transition for young people moving from children’s to adults’ services within the community. They have built an excellent online database of resources for all community nurses to access.
To sustain this work, Dr Oldman has expanded the number of charitable supporters of the QNI and these now range from the National Garden Scheme, The Burdett Trust for Nursing and Oak Foundation through to The Patron’s Fund, which distributes money raised for the Queen’s 90th birthday.
In recognition of her outstanding work, Dr Oldman was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2017 for services to community nursing and her leadership of the QNI.
Buckinghamshire New University
Buckinghamshire New University has enjoyed a long and successful history since it was founded in 1891. Today, it offers industry-focused degree programmes and professional qualifications across the creative and cultural industries, management and information management sectors, and the public sector. It is also one of the leading providers of nursing students in north-west London and won the Education Provider of the Year (post-registration) award at the 2015 Student Nursing Times Awards and the Teaching Excellence award at the Guardian University Awards 2016.
Website: bucks.ac.uk
For press information, interviews and images, call Dean Valler at Buckinghamshire New University on 01494 601 636 or email dean.valler@bucks.ac.uk.
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