Nurses and midwives celebrated at WA Awards Gala Ball

Western Australia's nurses and midwives were recognised at the annual 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 award 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 2% of researchers worldwide in the areas of nursing, rehabilitation, public health and health services, 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, 1500 of whom were COVID-19 positive, and carried out around 68,000 COVID tests across as many as nine hotels at a time.

There were two additions to the WANMEA Lifetime Achievement Honour Roll: Jennifer Grieve — WA General Manager Health & Care Services, Hall & Prior and Kathy McCoy (posthumous) — Executive Director of the Neurological Council of Western Australia.

Western Australia Health Minister Amber-Jane Sanderson said, “Nurses and midwives play a critical role in our state's health system and are at the forefront of ensuring compassionate and safe care.

"These prestigious awards provide us with an opportunity to publicly recognise and celebrate the achievements of Western Australia's finest nurses and midwives."

All the WANMEA award winners are listed here.

Image credit: iStock.com/BlackJack3D