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March 2021

Funding boost for nurse helpline



The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) TalkToUs telephone listening service has received a major funding boost.

A charity set up to support the Health and Social Care sector, called Covid-19 Healthcare Support Appeal (CHSA) has provided a grant of almost £49k to help expand the service, which has been running since May 2020.

TalkToUs was set up by the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) to offer emotional support to registered nurses working in the community, primary and social care. The QNI’s trained listeners are all Queen’s Nurses who are available to speak to nurses about any aspect of their work or personal life, in complete confidence.

QNI chief executive Crystal Oldman said: ‘We have been very concerned about the mental and emotional toll on the health of nurses since the start of the pandemic and the impact is likely to be long term, lasting far beyond the duration of the pandemic itself.’

The service cannot provide counselling, but can direct callers to other sources of support.

If you are worried about any aspect of your work or home life, particularly if it is affected by Covid19, and you would like to talk about your feelings, please email TalkToUs@qni.org.uk to arrange a call.

  • In 2020, the QNI awarded over £87,000 in grants to 130 community nurses who were experiencing financial difficulties, including five nurses who had been affected by flooding earlier in the year, and 30 nurses who had been directly affected by COVID-19. The QNI also supported nurses who were unable to work because they were off sick long-term, and nurses who had escaped abusive relationships. To find out how to apply for assistance, visit https://www.qni.org.uk/help-for-nurses/financial-help/
Practice Nurse 2021;51(2):7