- Professor Lisa Whitehead is WA's Nurse of the Year
- RPH nurses stood up for hotel quarantine among winners
- Two new names on State's Lifetime Achievement Honour Roll
Western Australia's finest nurses and midwives were recognised at last night's WA Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards (WANMEA) Gala Ball.
The Awards - now in their 18th year - celebrate more than 41,000 WA nurses and midwives working across the State in public, private and non-government sectors.
Disrupted for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the awards were presented across 14 categories, culminating in the prestigious Nurse/Midwife of the Year Award.
This went to Professor Lisa Whitehead, Edith Cowan University's Professor of Nursing Research and Associate Dean for Research in the School of Nursing and Midwifery
Recently named in the top two per cent of researchers worldwide in the areas of nursing, rehabilitation, public health and health services, Prof Whitehead was recognised for her research expertise and its impact in WA, Australia and internationally.
Among last night's winners was St John of God Health Care Mt Lawley's Specialist Rehabilitation Service which took out the Excellence in Patient Centred Care Award.
Recognised for changing the way rehabilitation services are provided, this service aims to make its patients the most important part of the rehabilitation team. Patients are guaranteed the recommended three hours of therapy a day and encouraged to provide regular feedback.
The team has also developed processes to advance a novice nurse to specialist rehabilitation nurse - recognised as a specialist field within nursing.
The Royal Perth Hospital Hotel Team - responsible for monitoring COVID-19 symptoms and providing care for returned travellers quarantining in Perth hotels - also took out an Excellence in Patient Centred Care Award.
This nursing team cared for 33,150 returned travellers during 2020-2021, 1,500 of whom were COVID-19 positive, and carried out around 68,000 COVID tests across as many as nine hotels at a time.
This year's additions to the WANMEA Lifetime Achievement Honour Roll are WA General Manager Health & Care Services Hall & Prior Jennifer Grieve and Executive Director of the Neurological Council of Western Australia Kathy McCoy (posthumous).
To see all the WANMEA award winners go to the WANMEA website.
As stated by Health Minister Amber-Jane Sanderson:
"The McGowan Government is proud to continue to support the WA Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards.
"These prestigious awards provide us with an opportunity to publicly recognise and celebrate the achievements of Western Australia's finest nurses and midwives.
"The last two years have been challenging and we acknowledge how hard this professional workforce has worked to deliver care across the community.
"Nurses and midwives play a critical role in our State's health system and are at the forefront of ensuring compassionate and safe care.
"Congratulations to all nominees, finalists and category winners."
