2023 HESTA Australian Nursing & Midwifery Awards — winners announced

A nurse providing compassionate and culturally safe care to First Nations communities and a midwife who implemented an innovative care model are among the winners at the 17th HESTA Australian Nursing & Midwifery Awards.

April Jardine, from Dhelkaya Health in Victoria, was recognised as Midwife of the Year for the instrumental role she played in implementing an innovative Midwifery Group Practice model.

Caitlin Clayer, from Ti Tree Health Clinic in the Northern Territory, was recognised as Nurse of the Year winner for her dedication as a remote area nurse providing compassionate and culturally safe care to First Nations communities.

Sunny Street, located in Queensland, took out the Outstanding Organisation Award for its work providing innovative primary health care for Australians experiencing homelessness and poverty.

The awards recognise the nurses, midwives, nurse educators, researchers and personal care workers who are improving health outcomes by providing outstanding care and support for Australians in need.

HESTA CEO Debby Blakey congratulated this year’s winners and finalists. “I am incredibly proud of all our winners and finalists for their important contributions. Their impact is so widespread, spanning from cities to remote communities,” Blakey said.

The winners will each share in a $30,000 prize money pool to be used for professional development or to improve workplace services or processes, courtesy of longstanding Awards supporter ME.

Midwife of The Year

April Jardine, Dhelkaya Health (Castlemaine, Victoria)

Jardine is recognised for being the driving force behind the implementation of an innovative Midwifery Group Practice model that has proven to be highly valued by women in the local Castlemaine community, improving care outcomes. Jardine also played a pivotal role in encouraging women to take part in studies evaluating women’s views and experiences of maternity care.

“I feel extremely humbled to be recognised in the 2023 HESTA Australian Nursing and Midwifery Awards. This has allowed me to pause and reflect on my professional journey. To be part of reshaping a suspended rural service with community input, and successfully re-launch a local maternity service where so many have been closed, has been a very rewarding experience,” Jardine said.

“The prize money will support the completion of my Masters of Midwifery Practice, along with education on simulation training for water births and acupuncture techniques for continued support of women’s choices and safe midwifery practice,” she said.

Nurse of the Year

Caitlin Clayer, Ti Tree Health Clinic (Ti Tree, NT)

Clayer is recognised for providing compassionate and culturally safe care for First Nations communities. As one of the primary caregivers in a small and remote community, Caitlin supports patients with a wide range of health concerns, helps reduce barriers to accessing regular services such as cervical screening, sexual health and primary health concerns, and works on-call to manage emergency situations.

“It’s a privilege to win this award. It’s nice to feel as though the work you do is appreciated and recognised. I hope that this award will shed some light on remote nursing, the work we do and, hopefully, encourage other nurses to consider remote nursing,” she said.

Clayer will use the prize money to undertake further study in child and family health to expand her skillset.

Outstanding Organisation

Sunny Street (Maroochydore, Queensland)

Sunny Street is recognised for its work providing primary health care ‘outside the box’ for Australians experiencing homelessness and poverty. CEO and Sunny Street co-founder Sonia Martin originally started the service out of the boot of her car. Since these early beginnings in 2018, the service has grown to have more than 30,000 conversations and consultations with vulnerable Australians, reducing presentations and associated costs for local hospitals and health services.

Martin said, “It is an honour and privilege to have the incredibly impactful street work of Sunny Street — a nurse-driven service — recognised nationally.

“We are proud to be formally recognised as exceptional, vital contributors to the Australian healthcare system. I’d like to thank my incredible team for their dedication, discipline and determination,” she said.

“We plan to use the prize money to build a comprehensive social prescription program for vulnerable people, aimed at improving their overall wellbeing by addressing both psychological and physical health concerns,” Martin added.

Image caption: HESTA Nursing and Midwifery Awards winners and finalists.