Three pioneering nurses have been announced as finalists for the Health Minister's Award for Nursing Trailblazers, Australia's only award specifically recognising nurses who are transforming the nation's health and aged care systems through leadership and innovation.
The finalists of the sixth annual award represent the breadth of nursing innovation across wound care technology, geriatric emergency care, and sustainable healthcare practices.
The Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Mark Butler MP, will announce the winner at the Australian College of Nursing National Nursing Forum, on Thursday 24 July at the National Convention Centre in Canberra.
The finalists:
Professor Michelle Barakat-Johnson has revolutionised wound care delivery through the Wound Care Command Centre, Australia's first hybrid model of specialist wound care, launched in 2023 at the Royal Prince Alfred Virtual Hospital. This nurse-led centralised hub combines advanced technology with specialist support, featuring integrated virtual consultations, AI-powered wound imaging, remote monitoring, and real-time collaboration between healthcare professionals and patients. The innovative approach has dramatically reduced wound care wait times while increasing accessibility for urban, rural, and remote communities, consistently achieving high patient satisfaction rates.
Kaitlyn Cooke created Ecodefend, a fully plastic-free, compostable, medical-grade face mask that decomposes into organic material after 180 days and can be repurposed as biochar feed. Developed in Tasmania, this groundbreaking innovation addresses the environmental impact of medical waste while maintaining the highest safety standards. The masks have earned TGA certification, meet EN 13432 standards, and are currently undergoing trials across hospitals, GP clinics, dental practices, ultrasound facilities, beauty clinics, and pharmacies in Tasmania and New South Wales.
Dr Andrea Taylor MACN developed the Geriatric Emergency Department Intervention (GEDI), a nurse-led, evidence-based strategy designed to meet the unique needs of older adults from the moment they arrive at hospital. Now established as a state-wide standard across 25 emergency departments in Queensland, GEDI focuses on holistic assessment and management of frailty through a person-centred approach. Since implementation, the program has reduced unnecessary hospital admissions, improved emergency department efficiency, and enhanced health outcomes for seniors across the state.
The Health Minister's Award for Nursing Trailblazers, founded by the Federal Health Minister in 2019 and administered by ACN, recognises nurses who improve quality of care, keep communities healthy, ensure equitable access to treatment, and develop innovative approaches for diverse community health needs.
The award highlights the ingenuity of nurses and their essential contribution to community wellbeing through evidence-based innovative processes and creative models of care. It acknowledges that nurses can envisage and implement solutions to problems that negatively impact Australia's health and aged care systems.
The prestigious award is given to an outstanding and innovative ACN member who has demonstrated leadership by bringing new thinking to healthcare challenges that need to be addressed.
ACN CEO, Adjunct Professor Kathryn Zeitz FACN, said it is important to put the public spotlight on nurse-led innovation and leadership.
"We thank the Health Minister for promoting the power of nurses to transform health systems by supporting this award.
"The judges were in awe of the standard of entries this year, and the tangible effects these nursing innovators are having on patients, the environment, and health care overall.
"As the healthcare profession that spends the most time by patients' sides, nurses have enormous power to enact improvements to outcomes and this is exactly what this Award recognises and salutes.
"Congratulations to all entrants and finalists on being incredible standard bearers for our profession."
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