The WA health system’s exceptional nurses and midwives featured prominently at the recent WA Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards.
Brett Hayes, a Clinical Nurse Manager of Palliative Care in the Wheatbelt, was named Western Australia’s 2018 Nurse/Midwife of the Year, after also taking top honour in the Excellence in Rural and Remote Health category.
Brett’s commitment to providing best-practice palliative care has made him a role model for other nurses, and resulted in the development of a TelePalliative Care Service, whose clients were four times more likely to fulfil their wish to die at home.
The 2018 Lifetime Achievement Honour was awarded to Professor Phillip Della, who was the WA Department of Health's first Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer. Now Curtin University’s Head of School Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine - Professor Della continues to be a trailblazer for nurses and midwives in the academic environment.
Other category winners from the WA health system included:
- Barbara O’Callaghan – Excellence in Registered Nursing: Barbara is the Clinical Nurse Consultant at Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) and played a major role in transition of patients with cancer from Fremantle Hospital to FSH.
- Alison Jennings – Excellence in Midwifery: As a Clinical Midwife at King Edward Memorial Hospital, Alison empowers women to have positive birthing experiences and is committed to continually improving culture and patient outcomes.
- Trulie Pinnegar – Excellence in Leadership: Trulie is the Director of Clinical Services Community Health at the Child and Adolescent Health Service and has been instrumental in leading community health child reform.
- Amanda Major – Excellence in Enrolled Nursing:Amanda is an Advanced Skilled Enrolled Nurse at Rockingham General Hospital and was a founding member of the Mental Health Inpatient Unit.
- Christian Wright – Graduate of the Year: Christian was the first male Registered Midwife to work at the Family Birth Centre at King Edward Memorial Hospital.
The full list of winners can be found at the WA Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards website (external site)