Order of St. Catherine

The Order of St. Katherine for Nurses was an award for nurses in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was founded by Queen Victoria. The Order was named after Saint Catherine of Alexandria and was also intended to honor the hospital of the same name, the oldest hospital of the Royal Foundation of St Katharine. Those selected were awarded it especially for the fulfillment of their duties and for teaching in the nursing service.

Three nurses were first awarded the Order on 4 June 1879.

The insignia of the Order consisted of an oval, which was attached to the left upper arm with a ribbon. The center of the oval was enamelled white and had a broad green border with gold edging. In the middle, it displayed the initials “St. K.” in raised gold lettering.

The award carried an annual payment of £50 for a period of three years.