The Queen's Nursing Institute

What The Queen's Nursing Institute does

The Queen's Institute of Community Nursing (QICN), also known as The Queen's Nursing Institute, is a UK registered charity (No. 213128) founded in 1889 and headquartered in London, dedicated to supporting community nurses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its core proposition is an integrated platform of professional networks (10+ specialty networks covering Queen's Nurses, District Nursing, General Practice Nursing, Community Mental Health, Community Children's Nursing, Adult Social Care, Homeless and Inclusion Health, Community Learning Disability, and Health and Justice Nursing), award programmes (notably the prestigious Queen's Nurse designation), and direct support services including financial aid, educational grants, mental health resources, and the Keep In Touch programme for retired nurses. The organization is led by Chief Executive Steph Lawrence MBE and operates with a staff headcount in the 11-50 range, serving thousands of individual nurses and NHS/independent provider organizations.

The underlying technology footprint is modest: a digital platform comprising the qicn.org.uk and qni.org.uk websites, online membership functionality, network-specific email newsletters, webinars, virtual network meetings, and the QICN podcast. The organization runs an International Community Nursing Observatory for research and policy tracking, a Research Resources Hub, and a Community Nursing Innovation Programme supporting nurse-led projects. The QICN Annual Conference 2026 marks the return to in-person flagship events for the first time since 2019.

The business model is that of a UK charity rather than a commercial entity. Revenue is generated through a mix of charitable donations from the public and supporters, recurring organizational membership subscriptions from NHS and independent provider organizations, and grant-funded programmes (e.g., the National Garden Scheme). Services to individual community nurses are provided free at point of use, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Distribution is multi-channel — direct to individuals via digital self-serve resources, podcasts, newsletters, and events, and direct to provider organizations via organizational membership and the Senior and Executive Nurse Network. Geographic reach is limited to England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Name

The Queen's Nursing Institute

Legal name

The Queen's Institute of Community Nursing

Website

https://qni.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Queen's Institute of Community Nursing (QICN) is a UK registered charity (No. 213128), founded 1889, that supports community nurses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland through 10+ specialty professional networks, the Queen's Nurse designation, financial and educational grants, and direct aid programmes for nurses in need.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Nursing Professional Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers (BPAGACAB)

Keywords

• Community nursing networks
• Nursing professional development
• Nursing financial support
• Nursing leadership programmes
• Community nursing charity

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: The QICN relies on donations from the public and supporters to fund its charitable activities including financial aid for nurses and support programmes.
2. Organisational Membership: Provider organisations can become organisational members of the QICN, gaining access to networks and resources for their community nursing staff.
3. Financial Support Services: Provides grants and financial aid to working and retired nurses in financial difficulty, educational grants for specialist courses, and support programmes funded by charitable donations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Queen's Institute of Community Nursing (QICN) is a registered charity (No. 213128) that supports community nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland through professional specialty networks, financial and educational grants, leadership development, and knowledge-sharing events. It provides the prestigious Queen's Nurse designation, more than 10 specialty-specific nurse networks (e.g., District Nursing, General Practice, Mental Health, Learning Disability, Health and Justice), and a flagship annual conference.

Product overview

The Queen's Institute of Community Nursing (QICN) operates as a charity providing a platform of interconnected professional networks, support services, and educational resources for community nurses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The organization offers over 20 distinct product offerings centered around professional networking (including Queen's Nurse Network, District Nursing Network, General Practice Nurse Network, and specialty networks for Adult Social Care, Homeless Health, Children's Nursing, Mental Health, Learning Disability, and Justice Nursing), financial and educational support (grants programmes and mental health resources), professional development (Leadership Programmes, Research Resources Hub, and Awards), and knowledge-sharing platforms (Newsletters, Podcast, and Annual Conference). These products function as an integrated ecosystem supporting community nurses throughout their careers from training through retirement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Queen's Nurse Network A professional network for community nurses awarded the Queen's Nurse title, providing recognition, ongoing support, and professional development opportunities.
• District Nursing Network A specialty professional network supporting district nurses who deliver care in patients' homes and communities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• General Practice Nurse Network A professional network supporting practice nurses working in GP surgeries and primary care settings, offering resources, webinars, and professional development.
• Adult Social Care Nurses Network A network dedicated to supporting nurses working in adult social care settings, promoting excellence in care delivery and leadership.
• Homeless and Inclusion Health Network A network for community nurses working with homeless and inclusion health populations, providing support, resources, and sharing best practices for vulnerable communities.
• Community Children's Nurses Network A network supporting nurses who provide care to children in community settings, promoting child health and family support.
• Community Mental Health Nursing Network A professional network for mental health nurses working in community settings, supporting mental health care delivery outside hospital environments.
• Community Learning Disability Nursing Network A network dedicated to supporting community learning disability nurses, providing professional development and resources for nurses working with individuals with learning disabilities.
• Health and Justice Nursing Network A network for nurses working in justice settings, supporting healthcare delivery in prisons and other justice environments.
• Senior and Executive Nurse Network A network for nurses with executive responsibility for community nursing services, providing strategic leadership support and professional connections.
• Financial Help for Community Nurses A charitable grants programme providing financial assistance to community nurses in need, including both working and retired nurses.
• Educational Grants Programme Grants for specialist nursing courses and educational development, supporting community nurses' professional advancement and specialized training.
• Mental Health and Wellbeing Support Resources and support services for nurses' mental health and wellbeing, including access to mental health resources and support networks.
• Keep In Touch (KIT) Programme A programme bringing working and retired nurses together, featuring newsletters, reminiscences, blogs and support for retired community nurses.
• Leadership Programmes Professional development programmes designed to build leadership skills and capacity among community nurses.
• QICN Annual Conference The annual flagship conference bringing together community nurses to share expertise, spark discussion, and explore the present and future of community nursing.
• International Community Nursing Observatory A research and observation initiative tracking international developments in community nursing practice and policy.
• Community Nursing Innovation Programme A programme supporting community nurses in developing and implementing innovative ideas and projects to improve patient care.
• QICN Awards An annual awards programme recognising excellence and achievement in community nursing practice.
• Research Resources Hub An online resource providing research tools, literature reviews, and research support for community nurses conducting evidence-based practice.
• Standards of Education and Practice Professional standards and guidelines for community nursing education and practice, ensuring quality and consistency across the profession.
• Organisational Membership A membership programme enabling NHS and independent provider organisations to access QICN networks and resources for their community nursing staff.

Quantifiable outcome

• 163 nurses helped in 2025 through financial assistance programmes
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Leeds Beckett UniversityminorOthers · 1 July 2026Leeds Beckett University awarded QICN Chief Executive Steph Lawrence MBE an Honorary Doctorate in recognition of her contributions to community nursing.
• Hallam Medical PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026QICN and Hallam Medical Partnership are collaborating to support the nursing workforce, providing recruitment and workforce development support for community nursing positions.
• National Garden SchememinorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe National Garden Scheme opens thousands of private gardens to the public each year, raising millions of pounds for nursing and caring charities including the QICN. QICN staff also open their gardens for the scheme to raise funds.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Marie Curie: UK charity providing care and support for people with terminal illness, including nursing services in community settings. Comparable to QICN in community nursing focus and charitable funding model, though specialised in palliative and end-of-life care.
• Royal College of Midwives (RCM): UK professional body and trade union for midwives, with parallel membership, educational, and lobbying functions to QICN. Adjacent specialty rather than direct community-nursing overlap, but comparable charity/governance structure.

Others

• Council of Deans of Health: UK organisation representing university faculties engaged in health professions education. Comparable to QICN in shaping community nursing education and standards, though primarily an academic-policy body rather than a direct membership charity.
• Skills for Care: UK workforce development body for adult social care, including support for nurses working in social care settings. Comparable to QICN's Adult Social Care Nurses Network and broader workforce development remit, though focused on social care workforce rather than community nursing specifically.

Broad incumbents

• Macmillan Cancer Support: One of the largest UK health charities, providing financial grants, information, and support to people affected by cancer, including specialist nursing roles. Comparable to QICN in combining charitable grants with specialist nursing workforce advocacy, though far larger and disease-focused.
• Royal College of Nursing (RCN): The UK's largest nursing professional body and trade union, offering clinical, professional, and educational support across all nursing fields. Directly comparable to QICN as a nursing membership charity, though RCN operates on a much larger scale and includes collective bargaining.
• Health Education England (now NHS England Workforce, Training and Education): Government-backed body (now part of NHS England) responsible for workforce planning, education, and training of the UK healthcare workforce. Comparable to QICN in addressing community nursing workforce development, but as a state-funded incumbent rather than a charity.

Direct peers

• Foundation of Nursing Studies (FoNS): UK charity dedicated to developing nursing practice and supporting nurse-led innovation and research. Directly comparable to QICN's Community Nursing Innovation Programme and Standards of Education and Practice offerings.
• Florence Nightingale Foundation (FNF): Charity providing scholarships, leadership development, and research opportunities for nurses and midwives in the UK. Highly comparable to QICN's mission around nurse leadership and education grants, with overlapping donor and beneficiary bases.

Regional players

• Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland (QNIS): Scottish counterpart charity supporting community nurses in Scotland, originally part of the same historical organisation. Closely comparable mission and Queen's Nurse designation, but operates only in Scotland versus QICN's England, Wales, and Northern Ireland remit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theqni
• YouTubevimeo.com/qni
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-queens-institute-of-community-nursing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Queen's Nursing Institute