Congratulations to the 2020 HESTA Nursing & Midwifery Awards Finalists

Congratulations to the 2020 HESTA Nursing & Midwifery Awards Finalists

Australia’s most outstanding nurses and midwives were recently announced, with 10 finalists in the running for a share of the $30,000 prize pool as part of the sector’s most prestigious awards program.

In its 14th year, the 2020 HESTA Nursing & Midwifery Awards highlight the exceptional leadership and work taking place in the healthcare sector across the award categories of Nurse of the Year, Midwife of the Year and Outstanding Organisation.

The finalists were revealed as HESTA also announced changes to the planned May awards ceremony, which will be presented via video due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

HESTA CEO Debby Blakey said the organisation is working on a way to recognise the achievements of Australia’s nurses and midwives in the safest way possible.

“We want to celebrate the incredible work our nurses and midwives are doing in the safest and most respectful way possible,” Ms Blakey said.

“The unprecedented events of this year – first with bushfires and now with coronavirus – have only demonstrated how incredibly important these professions are in protecting our communities and providing outstanding care to all Australians.

“This year’s finalists have demonstrated extraordinary leadership and commitment to improving patient care in Australia, and we are honoured to continue putting a spotlight on their contributions and achievements through these Awards.”

Long-time Awards sponsor ME – the bank for you, has contributed the generous prize pool, of which each of the three winners will receive $10,000 towards further education or team development. ME CEO Jamie McPhee said the bank, which has supported the Awards since 2007, was proud to continue recognising the phenomenal work being done in the sector.

“Each year ME is proud to support and be witness to the countless waves of nurses and midwives who display exceptional leadership and pave the way for further innovations in their respective fields,” Mr McPhee said.

“The finalists in this year’s Nursing and Midwifery Awards hail from all around the country and underline the incredible commitment nurses and midwives have towards improving the wellbeing of everyday Australians. We’re extremely proud to be the longstanding awards sponsor.”

The Award winners will be announced on Wednesday 6 May 2020. More information about the Awards is available at hestaawards.com.au.

The 2020 finalists are:

NURSE OF THE YEAR

Kate Weger

Southern Cross Care (SA, NT & VIC) Inc

Glenside SA

Recognised for her work to deliver better wound prevention and care through the creation of the Wound Champions program at Southern Cross Care that’s improving the lives of older people.

Rafael Serrano Real

Royal Children’s Hospital

Parkville VIC

Recognised for his work as Australia’s leading paediatric oncofertility coordinator to improve fertility care for families of children undergoing cancer treatment.

Tania Green

Plastic Surgery Unit, Monash Health

Clayton VIC

Recognised for her work as a clinical nurse coordinator improving treatment and care for patients with cleft and craniofacial conditions and support for their families.

Angela Casey

Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network

Westmead & Randwick, NSW

Recognised for her exceptional leadership, advocacy and fundraising to improve the delivery of quality neonatal care for sick newborn children and support for their families.

MIDWIFE OF THE YEAR 
 

Kristy Wiegele

St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital

Mount Lawley WA

Recognised for her work with cuddle cots, a program aimed at improving care and support for grieving parents who have experienced pregnancy loss.

Dawn Reid

Lockyer Valley Midwifery

Gatton QLD

Recognised for her work providing quality antenatal care and other specialty health services to families in rural Queensland.

Cassandra Nest

Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service & Griffith University

Southport QLD

Recognised for her dedication to improving the delivery of culturally safe, quality maternity care to more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on the Gold Coast, particularly through the implementation of the Waijungbah Jarjums Service.

OUTSTANDING ORGANISATION

Lavender Mother and Baby Unit

Gold Coast Health

Southport QLD

Gold Coast Health was recognised for improving maternal mental health care and support for new mothers and their babies through the innovative Lavender Mother and Baby Unit.

Northcott

North Parramatta NSW

Recognised for developing a program to improve the autonomy, choice and control of people with disability and, ultimately, their quality of life.

Ovarian Cancer Australia

Melbourne VIC

Recognised for research, advocacy and support for women affected by ovarian cancer to improve prevalence and survival rates. This includes securing a $20 million boost for ovarian cancer research and the development of a National Action Plan to coordinate research efforts.

This article was originally published on Hesta on 7/4/2020 by Sam Riley.