Nursing Graduating Class of 2010

Brian the Master of Ceremonies and organiser:

 

The end of semester signals many things....from a lecturers point of view it is a busy time with winding up the semester, making sure the students have handed in all their work and then there's the marking, a mountain of marking...this is where you find out if the students have applied what you have taught them...getting all the marks in for the Board of Examiners..there is a quick turn around before the next semester.... then of course there are those students who have come to the end of their course...for nursing it is a the culmination of three and half years....this group of students is a particularly special group for me... as I have seen them over several semesters throughout the last two years...which can be rewarding because you see them grow and gain more confidence and you began to feel the excitement as they are coming to the end of their course.....I don't always teach in the last semester of the nursing unit, however I have done it a couple of times now and really enjoy seeing the students go out into there 10 week clinical practice and blossom over the weeks. There are off course the trials and tribulations that go with clinical practice.... the good and the bad of the nursing professions preceptors, bullying, the usual coping with being a student and time management.

Which one of these nurses will become a "midwife"?

 

As a lecture you also have the ability to see which students are going to succeed and those that will struggle...I am proud to say we have a large number of very gifted students in the class of 2010 and I would love to see where they are in 5 years time.

 

This celebration was organised by one of the students Brian a talented man who will be a brilliant nurse...there were about 90 people...students, partners and academics.. it was really nice to see the partners there supportive and proud.... and rightly so....it was like the red carpet at the logies.... the girls were gorgeous and the guys handsome...I have to say there were some great shoes and dresses around....there was a buffet dinner again brilliant and off course desert was great.... drinking and dancing was had by all and I had a fantastic time...

 

Now at every celebration there are the traditional speeches: yes the academics as they like to hear there own voice... had something to say... Brenton whom I greatly admire (now retired) gave a heartfelt impromptu speech...and as expected it was brilliant, great words of wisdom....Lorraine wrote a poem "Ode to the new Curtin Grads"...which was excellent... Fiona...stunning wooed the audience and again thanked Brian for the enormous job he had done...and off course I had a few words to say....
The students had there own set of awards which was brilliant: "the nurse best not to upset because she has access to a variety of theatre instruments"
"The nurse most recognisable from far away"
"the nurse most likely to achieve her PhD"
"the nurse with the quietest voice and softest touch"
"the nurse most likely to hear there voice talking over the chaos in ED"
"the nurse who organised the best Xmas party"
there were a couple more that I can not remember.......

 

There are a large number of male nurses in this group...in which area will they be in 5 years?

 

For me I am passionate about teaching, I just love it.... and my message is to always trust yourself and your gut feeling...have integrity, honesty and cover yourself... that means always documenting everything despite time constraints.....you are armed with all the skills it is now time for you to fly..... fly high and be passionate about your work...when you have passion...success follows; and think about doing a postgraduate course after your graduate year.....Well done and good luck......

Spitting the dummy!

We have all had to do it.... orientation, corporation day, induction day....whatever you want to call it... what does it mean? it means spending 0800hrs to 1600hrs learning all about the organisation, and why? because they care about you? think again.... it has to do with Safety & Duty of Care of the organisation to ensure its employee's have a working knowledge of the corporation's vision, mission statement and expectations of the organisation.... Why the hell do they have to be so boring? there has to be a better way! I have to remember to be politically correct even though it is very difficult when you are spitting the dummy.

The corporate day.... I think it is good for new graduates or new health professionals, however for old hands like me it is down right time consuming, (I think certain aspects can be e-learning packages, eg, manual handling, emergency procedures, waste management, human resources) especially when as a Midwife you are not acknowledged....We did 11 sessions between 1000 - 1230 all on corporate information....it was a conveyor belt of people...

I think it is a sad reflection on our health professionals that the Health Dept has issued a Operational Directive: Hand Hygiene in Western Australian Hospitals - what is the world coming to....I remember years ago the rules were simple, no wrist watches, jewelery, false nails....we didn't have lanyards...it was a name badge and every one washed their hands...except for some of the doctors... we all wore uniforms, bare arms from the elbows down and sensible closed in shoes....now a days its almost anything goes....there was something to be said for the old fashioned matron.....So now with the new hand hygiene... its back to the old days.... Best session for me was the 'infection control'.

I have myself been responsible for conducting orientation programs, first and foremost was to get to know your audience. I have always acknowledged my nursing colleagues who were often in the minority and now I understand how it must feel if they were not acknowledged. I was amazed that there was not one mention about midwives..... There was a welcome to all the nurses and what a wonderful profession nursing is... and not that I disagree with this...There was a voice from the audience.... "I am a midwife".... there was silence from the audience... and the speaker laughed and said "yes... that must be a midwife"... "I know we have one midwife in the audience do we have any more?".... and another midwife raised her hand.... nothing further was said....

It is this culture that has to change... we now have a Nurses and Midwives Board and a Nurses and Midwives Act 2006...also from July 2010 we will have the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, it is time for hospital management who employ midwives to acknowledge we exist.... because there are many midwives that are not nurses, we will soon be having the Bachelor of Science (Midwifery) graduating and they need to feel part of the team, as important as nurses. Every slide in the orientation presentation referred to nursing and did not mention midwifery or midwives. Even when discussing Basic Life Support and pregnant women there was no mention of a midwife.

It is time to acknowledge we are two separate professions who complement each other.....There are some nurses who believe that midwifery is an extension of nursing and this is not the case.... You do not have to be a nurse to be a midwife.....

Needless to say I have written several letters to the appropriate organisations to try and rectify this issue...REMEMBER IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DONE FOLLOW UP WITH A LETTER put it in writing.

I am expecting that future orientations will acknowledge Midwives and Midwifery and the slides will be changed accordingly.

Besotted with Grief

Today I attended the funeral of a 27 year old colleague who was a former graduate of mine with whom I had developed a professional relationship with over a period of time. I feel extremely saddened and completely perplexed by the whole ordeal. There were family, friends, acquaintances and work mates present and there was not a dry eye in the place.....everyone enmeshed within their own feelings of grief & saddness.

Her father gave his eulogy starting with "No parent should see there children die first" How true is this? as a mother & step mother of 6 children and 7 grandchildren I pray to see them grow up healthy, independent, happy and able to contribute to society in a meaningful way.... I certainly want to die before them and God forbid I should have to do what this man had to do today...

As a parent you raise your children and hopefully give them the tools and skills to deal with the issues of life, you get them through the teenage years with all the trials and tribulations , the tears, tantrums, laughter & joys and then they are deemed adults..... now they make their own life decisions with maybe your guidance or not.... then you step back and watch... this at times can be very painful.... because you cannot stop the mistakes they make..... just as my mother could not stop me... it was my lessons to learn. You can only be there as the shoulder of support. However this does not stop it from hurting or being painful.... because you love them so dearly you want their life to be perfect or less painful.

Such a young life gone....for what.... for making the wrong choice at the time....her father went on to say " as you lay on the foot of my bed sharing your day talking to me... then kissing me on the forehead as you left for work....I had no idea that I would never see you again". His pain was palpable.... it broke my heart... I tried to put myself in his shoes just for a moment and the pain was too much.....How tragic... as a parent you do your best... but sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the trees.... her mother had passed away a year ago and.........Grief can be so debilitating and depression can be so desperate & bleak that you are unable to make the right choices....it is so hard to know why things happen and we may never know the answers.... but hopefully some lessons will be learned.

For me as a parent I pray never to have to bury my children or grandchildren and that when it is my time to die that my children will accept my passing and celebrate the life I lived and move on with their own lives finding comfort in their strenghs and resilience, knowing that i will always be in their hearts.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross wrote that "you will not grow if everything is perfect. But pain is a gift with its own purpose".

Life is a responsibility...hopefully we make choices based on what is in our hearts as the right thing to do....life is full of choices we just have to know which one to make.........


I am thankful for the lovely companionship of a dear friend after the service.... sitting in the coffee shop.....dissecting the funeral, chewing the fat.... solving the worlds problems... laughing, crying...laughing.... and finally I don't feel so bad that my office is complete chaos and I have not managed to clean it up....after she described her sewing room...I was laughing so much I felt better...I think my office is not too bad..... thank you my friend.....friendships are so important...

Depression is a serious illness, it is not just about low moods, or just feeling sad or stressed....that happens to us some of the time... it is about not being able to function as you used to....not being able to sleep at night....increased drugs or alcohol.. a complete list can be found on the Beyondblue site...if you know someone who may need some help guide them to seek some help even if it is taking the first step of looking at the site and doing the Interactive Depression checklist... its simple and they can do it themselves... then guide them to seek help. Depression is no different to having a serious heart condition, diabetes or hypertension.... it needs treatment... so that people are enabled to make the right choices.....

Should health professionals who have a criminal record be allowed to continue working in the profession?

This story again highlights the importance of the trust placed with health professionals, doctors, nurses, midwives, dentist etc.... the list is extensive.

This is a particularly personal story as I worked with this doctor many many years ago and remember his colleague for being a sexual deviant... but not so much him... it does make one think... for how long do these crimes go undetected before you can conclusively convict these doctors.....as in this case. As for his colleague he was stuck off the medical register for his sexual misconduct for two years and then went back to work with restrictions.... my question is should this be allowed?

More and more doctors are misplacing or abusing the public trust, whether it is Medicare fraud to sexual assault... this latest story of Dr John Cooper 61 who has been found guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting a 24year old woman. Two years ago this doctor made a house call.... to ask the woman a favour.... I wonder what favour he needed to ask on a Sunday that required him to inject her with a drug with the intention of assaulting her.... it is truly a sad day...

Remember as Nurses and Midwives you are the clients advocate and we are compelled to report any misconduct by our health colleagues and that includes doctors.... as per ANMC Code of Ethics.... and with the new National Registration legislation... this will also be a requirement... so these issues can not stay behind closed doors.

Presenting to your peers!

Hoping the 'Dog Rose" strikes for my husband - his beloved Yorkshire Rose


I was asked last month to talk today about Scope of Practice and Career Pathways to some clinical development midwives, nurses and educators at my old hospital. My first thought was 'no'. However as usual you end up saying 'yes'. I normally don't worry about presentations but I was nervous about this one, the difference being that they are your peers. I feel particularly apprehensive in these situations, it is something I have to work on. Has anyone else experienced this feeling?

When you examine the career pathway for nurses and midwives, it can be limiting. However most importantly it is a continuous process of lifelong learning. As you progress up the stairway you can branch off into clincial specalist - education or non clincal fields, such as; project managers, research, or management areas - this then will lead to Director of Nursing. You will need to be considering masters and PhD by the time you reach the top.

The other issue is that sometimes it feels like you are teaching them to suck eggs, if you know that expression. What knowledge do you impart on people who know and teach the scope of practice? or guide others about career pathways.

I decided that I would set the scene with thinking about 'the self' being 'self aware' examining and processing how each individual approaches different life situations. Who are your role models, who do you aspire to be? for me this might be powerful women such as: Condoleezza Rice Catherine Hamlyn , Quentin Bryce and Fiona Stanley to name a few.

Also it is important to know what is it that you do in your spare time, what are your hobbies, how do you relax, wind down. This is all part and parcel of finding your career path because this all makes up who you are.
However most importantly you have to find out what is your passion, what is it that you like doing most, because once you find that out, you can then plan how you are going to achieve it.

A small step that every one can take is to set objectives or goals. This helps you when you are planning your future, 1 year, 3 year and 5 year plans. Some people found this daunting. If this is the case you need to take smaller steps, look three months ahead. Planning goals does not just apply to your work but your life as well. Set your holiday goals, when is your next overseas holiday, plan it and set it out. You will find once you set a goal it is easier to achieve, of course life can change and so do your plans, but get into the habit of setting goals.

I have always found it useful to set goals, short term and long term goals for both my work and personal life, it helps me achieve the things I want to in life.
If you don't set goals try it, see how well it works. Once you set the goal it is easier to plan how to achieve what ever it is you want.
Its all about taking little steps, when you look back you have reached the top of the stairway, and that's a tremendous feeling.

I am glad today is over, it all went well and according to plan, except once I start talking I can go off track and not stick to the game plan.

The take home message is set yourself a 12 month and 5 year plan, and watch it grow.

Yes luck with the Yorkshire Rose, lets hope they keep growing!

Teaching in Singapore:

It is always good to go away, but to experience teaching overseas is an exceptional experience. I am happy and grateful to have this experience and share the cultural diversity in which we live. I love my job and am passionate about teaching and doing my part to ensure that women are given informed information to make informed choices.



Life works in strange ways, let me give you an example: anyone who knows me knows I love books, I enjoy walking around bookshops and will visit bookshops where ever I am. I don’t always have a book in mind, however if a cover jumps off the shelf at me, I have to have it. Let me rephrase that, I will read the back cover and then make a decision, 90% of the time I pick the book. Now airports are a great place to walk around the bookshops or newsagents, for some reason they seem to have a different selection of books and I always find one that I like, what a surprise that is! Last trip it was Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, & David O. Relin, it was an exceptional story, if you get the chance read the story.

This trip it was The Hospital by the River by Dr Catherine Hamlin & John Little. It is a story about an incredible couple; both Dr’s in Obstetrics & Gynaecology who worked in Ethiopia dedicating their lives to women suffering the catastrophic effects of obstructed labour and the awful injuries as a result, that is, fistulas. These women are often from the age of 14 upwards. I have not finished reading the book, but it is both heart wrenching and compassionate. It has opened my eyes in many ways and I am grateful there are people in the world like the ‘Hamlin’s. The story is based in Ethiopia in the early 50’s. It was interesting to read that Sylvia Pankhurst the daughter of the famous Emmeline Pankhurst (the English suffragette) and she set up the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital which is now world renowned for its incredible life saving work. It is a small world, it makes you think are you born to do great things?

As a child I always remember my father saying he left Italy after the war and went to live Ethiopia & when he was ‘kicked’ out of Ethiopia he moved down to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)where he met my mother and I eventually came along. I didn’t realise that Mussolini invaded & occupied ETHIOPIA (and thats why my father was there) in 1935 until 1941. I don't like to admit it but my father was one of those fascist, unfortuntaley he was a Mussolini man, well, each to their own. You live and learn.



Now back to teaching – Singapore is a beautiful city however the humidity is more than I can bear at times – I often feel like I am constantly in a sauna, but there is no plunge pool to cool off in. I spend an intensive 12 hour teaching over 3 days. This is usually split into formal lectures, workshops and group interaction. The group are multi - ethnic made of Singaporeans, Chinese, Malay, Indian and others. The religious make up is Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianism and apologies for the ones I have left out.



The students are always respectful and courteous, family is very important and there is great respect for the elderly in the community. Most people are softly spoken and calm, at times it is very difficult for me to get the students to engage in open discussion, and therefore it is important for me to observe body language before nominating students to answer questions. Sometimes we have long periods of silence whilst I am waiting for the discussion to begin – my next trip I think I will introduce a prize a token gift for those who engage in discussions, and see if this makes a difference. Everyone likes a gift.

I have to ask the question whether it is a good idea to have the Nurses Board in the Ministry of Health, Medical Profession Building under the umbrella of the Medical Profession as in doctors. The building is OK but maybe in a separate office to acknowledge the profession of nursing as a separate entity.
On entering this building the security is evident, you need to show ID and have a pass to enter. In Singapore the Nurses Board, Dentist Council and Medical Council are all in the same building in fact it looks as if it is all in the same office. Under the Nurses and Midwives Act Singapore The Nurses Board consists of two Doctors and 14 other people (nurses). When it comes to disciplinary matters for nurses the doctors assess the fitness of the nurse to work. I wonder if the medical board has nurses on it, and if the nurses have a say as to whether the doctors are fit for work. I think not.
The other difference I saw was that there are midwives in Singapore however the Board or the Act does not reflect the 'term midwife' in it. It is not surprising to hear that the nursing union is not strong in Singapore and that the nurses feel underpaid and would like to be more political, however the cultural differences are noticeable when it comes to being political. I have heard the term 'controlled' Democracy when people have been discussing the politics of Singapore, I now know what that means.



I took some time out to visit the Botanical Gardens, and it was time well spent relaxing, walking soaking up the beautiful scenery and flowers. Shopping is always wonderful in Singapore so much to choose from and the sales were at there peak and the credit card took a bit of a hit – I came home with four pairs of new shoes – shhhh I didn’t tell my husband, I just hope he doesn’t notice –but they were such a bargain I did buy him, a golfing book. The diet also took a pounding as the food is so good it was hard to say no. But I’m home now and back on track with the diet and exercise and the shoes look great. Until the next time, Ciao.

Starting another course! I must be mad or is this all part of life long learning?

The year is well and truly entrenched now and first assignments will be due very soon. I have started my graduate certificate in Tertiary Education – you might ask why? The answer is simple, I want to be the best at what I do, therefore I feel I need to extend myself and make sure I utilise all possible avenues to be a great lecturer. Teaching formally is very different from teaching in the clinical area, which is what I am use to. However I must say that it is very disappointing to know that we teach the ideal and the reality is that in the clinical area/setting they are not practicing the ideal. Why is this?
I suspect this is largely due to being overworked and under staffed.

Some questions to ponder on! Does this mean there really is a theory practice gap?? No nurses and midwives always remember to be professional when they are working to the limit? Are they tempted to cut corners because they are so busy? How do they decide which corner to cut? Are they supported by management to maintain standards under these conditions? Is the paper work completed? Do they fill out forms when they feel under pressure, when they don’t have enough staff? Or do health professionals become blasé when they are always asked to work in these conditions? What answers do you have? One thing I have learned over the years is that unless the i’s are dotted nothing gets done. In other words, if all nurses and midwives were to fill out an aims form or incident form each time they felt unsafe or there was not enough staff to cover the work to the required standard something would soon be done. Why is it we don’t?

Now back to my course, it is all on line. This is good for me, as I have a couple of units I coordinate that are all on line, so I too can experience what it feels like to be student & how important it is to have the relevant information online. This is an interesting way of learning, interacting with the computer, meeting fellow students through blackboard profiling and emailing your tutor. I do find that I have enormous amounts of reading to do. One thing for sure is that you have to be committed to your study, enjoy the course you are doing and have clear study plans and deadlines for your assessments, otherwise you are doomed to fail. We are now in a technological age where communication is so different from when I went to school; in fact the way we all communicate now is so different. The geographical boundaries are reduced, I am currently studying with people all over Australia and I have students as far as New Guinea that is really amazing – what is next?

Enjoy your life long learning!

The end of 2008 – A time to reflect

As nurses and midwives we are use to the word reflect. To reflect according to the Collins thesaurus means to; consider, think, contemplate, deliberate, muse, ponder, meditate, mull over, ruminate, wonder and cogitate. Of these words, I will contemplate the year just ending and ponder the one we are just about to embark upon.
I will start with Christmas, I love Christmas. There was a time when I lost the Christmas spirit and that was once my children were grown up, it is just not the same, without small children and that’s where the grandchildren come to mind. To me Christmas is about a spiritual essence, it’s about children, making wishes come true, believing in make believe and Santa Clause. It’s about families, cooking, eating, drinking, sharing and yes the occasional disagreement. It stands to reason when you get a large group together, someone is going to fall out even if only for a moment, this is human nature; the trick is not to let it get to you and move on. I get tremendous joy out of preparing the Christmas feast and then watching everyone enjoy the gourmet delight.
A famous chef wrote “the peak is neither eating nor cooking, but the giving and sharing of food. Great food should never be taken alone. What pleasure can a man take in fine cuisine unless he invites cherished friends, counts the days until the banquet, and composes an anticipatory poem for his letter of invitation?” – Laing Wei. The Last Chinese Chef, Peking, 1925.




I have touched on some of the issues of this year in my previous blog – for me this has been a year of tremendous workload both professionally and on the home front. Therefore some decisions had to be made to reduce the workload and have more of a work-life-balance. Secondly we, that is my husband and myself have to concentrate on a healthier lifestyle, as Ian’s health is of some concern, that means we have to find 30 minutes a day for walking. Once you begin to reflect on the year it becomes clearer which direction you need to take and then you are able to outline clear objectives for the coming year. I have been on holidays since the 19 December and my main objectives for this time was to do those mundane jobs around the house that were beginning to really irritate me that were not being done, like – clean the venetian blinds, sort and paint the pantry, re organise and paint the laundry. I know they sound as if they are not important, but this goes to show you that importance is only measured by the need of the person wanting to do the chore? I am relieved now when I look out my bedroom window that the blinds are clean, and when I open the pantry door that everything is in the right place, this may sound anally retentive but to me it is important, therefore I have to find the time to fit it in. My home runs so much smoother now for me. However, I was tempted to spend this time updating a program for next semester but I chose not too as my home needed the attention more. The work will always be there, but my home is my place of refuge so it needs to be in order for me to be comfortable. It’s all about choices!
I have not fully decided on my objectives for next year yet, my first thoughts are to concentrate on a healthier lifestyle, that is, reduce my stress levels, 30 minutes of exercise a day and smaller meal sizes. I want to spend quality time with the family especially the grandchildren. I will be publishing several articles this year and picking up my PhD. As for the rest time will tell.

What do you have planned for 2009?
Do you find reflecting on the previous year helps you determine your objectives for the coming year?

Audrey - Is our Health System failing us?

Audrey is my sister-in-law, my husband’s sister. Audrey looked after our house and pets whilst we were on holidays. Unfortunately 10 days before we were due home, Audrey had a serious car accident as she was leaving our house for a day out. It was a case of car verses bus, needless to say the bus won. Audrey sustained serious injuries which included a compound facture of her left ankle, actually shattered ankle, and a dislocated and fractured left wrist together with multiple bruising. She was treated in a trauma unit in a major hospital. We were notified of her accident as well as her other siblings whilst in the UK. It is very difficult when you are overseas trying to obtain information about a loved one in such a condition. However after several days of concern, Audrey was recovering, she is lucky to be alive.


Audrey won’t mind me saying she is 72 years old; however she does object when I call her old, so I won’t say she is old. I asked Audrey to smile for the photo as I was going to put it on the blog, and I can not have a sad sack on. However you can imagine this is very distressing to anyone let alone a 72yr old who really has not been sick and is in generally good health and self sufficient. This sort of accident would rock you to your boots.
Audrey was told that she would have months of rehabilitation and would not be able to walk for at least 3mths. This strong self sufficient woman has now been told that she will be staying in hospital and relying on the system until she is well. This is a lot to take in. So now what do we do, we move her from the trauma unit to a regional hospital, I hear you saying what’s wrong with that? Ok you discuss it first and then make a plan and notify the family and then move. No this is not what happened to Audrey, someone came into the room packed up her things, put her on a stretcher and transferred her, just like that. Audrey arrived at the regional hospital traumatised, upset, crying and nervous. The staff were wonderful, reassured her, comforted her and called her daughters who were very upset to see their mother so upset and in pain.
Was this necessary? What adverse effects will this have on Audrey’s recovery?
Audrey settles, her family are about 20 mins away and have organised a roster system to provide constant support for their mother. She begins to recover much quicker and feels that her support network is in place.
Then several days later she is told she is moving and is moved that afternoon, very much the same way as before, no warning to a hospital that is now 45 mins away from her family and they can only visit in the afternoon. Audrey’s mood drops; she feels isolated, lonely, away from her family and shares a room with three other women whose needs are greater than hers. When she rings the bell it may take the staff 15mins before they answer, that’s enough time to wet yourself especially when you are 72. Goodness I have problems when I need to go without having to hang on for 15 mins and the rest it would take to get the bed pan etc. She feels she is a bother to the staff; she worries about the other patients in the room when they ring the bell and it takes a long time to respond.
Audrey now wants to go home, however unable to care for herself she will be depending on her daughters to help her. Her daughters are more than willing to help, but there is a danger about going home to early.
I am not criticising the staff because they take so long to answer the bell, the criticism is directed towards the government because they are not addressing the issue of workforce shortages that is not enough nursing staff.
Nursing and Midwifery shortages are growing every day, we are hugely understaffed and over worked, and nursing standards are reflecting this because nurses do not have the time to provide quality care as they have too much to do.
Audrey is very aware that the health system is failing her and the nurses of this state, it needs a massive injection of funds and staff.
Patients like Audrey understand that there are staff shortages, but there is no excuse for rudeness and bad nursing.
Take the time to talk to your patients ask why are they upset, don’t just leave them crying or say “you have a broken arm it is meant to be painful” empathy and compassion go a long way. It is all in how you talk to patients, kindly, respectfully and with empathy.
Nursing and Midwifery needs passion, you need to enjoy your work otherwise it reflects in the care that your give your patients / clients.
Smile and the world smiles with you, if you do not like your job then do not do it, find what your passion is and do it, then everyone is happy.

2008 Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards WA

2008 West Australian Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards
Presented by the Nurses and Midwives Board of WA
Saturday 10th May Burswood Entertainment Complex – Grand Ballroom


Last night was the Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards, what a great night of celebrations for the profession of Nursing and Midwifery. More than 500 people came together to celebrate, nurses, midwives, family and friends. The night was likened to that of the Logies, glamour, glitz and lots of awards. The fashion was fantastic and the air was filled with excitement.
Robin Collins, the Chief Executive Office of the Nurses and Midwives Board of WA, opened the evening by thanking all the Nurses and Midwives for their dedication to the profession.
Dixie Marshall did a professional job as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening – what a remarkable woman and a wicked sense of humour. Well done Dixie, and yes I watch channel 9 news, however go the ‘Eagles’.
The Hon, Mr Jim McGinty, MLA Minister for Health, presented the Nurse/Midwife of the Year 2008 and also thanked the Nurses and Midwives for their hard work and dedication to the profession, promising nurses and midwives better working an pay conditions.
These awards are presented for excellence within the Nursing and Midwifery professions and are well recognised within the industry. However the nature of these awards also represent an excellent service to the community and as such are little recognised.
I believe these awards deserve greater recognition in the media, in order to inform the community of the achievements within the profession. Also I think that the Minister of Health should increase the monetary value of the awards by a significant amount to reflect the importance of these awards and to keep them in line with standards set in other professions and today’s values.
What stood out for me during the awards was that all recipients of the awards when accepting stated “Thank you, I love my job……….” That’s dedication.

Congratulations to all the nominees, finalist and winners of the awards.

King Edward Memorial Hospital (Women’s and Newborn Services) did very well with the excellence awards:
Winners & Finalist being:
Lisa Nicolaou: Graduate Midwife of the Year (winner)
Tracey Martin: Emerging Leader of the Year (winner)
Sara Bayes: Researcher of the Year (winner)
Claire Henderson: Metropolitan Acute care Midwife of the Year (winner)
Sara David: (finalist)
Deborah Ireson (finalist)

Well done and again congratulations to all.
Photos of the evening












A good night was had by all, the entertainment was provided by "One Step Ahead Productions". Many thanks to the Nurses and Midwives Board of WA, Dept of Health, Dixie Marshall and all the sponsors for the awards, it was a superb evening.