The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) is excited to congratulate Professor Josephine Chow MACN, Claire Lane MACN and Dr Kate Holliday MACN for their selection as Finalists in the 2022 Health Minister’s Award for Nursing Trailblazers.
The award was established in 2019 to recognise nurse innovators who lead the way to transform our health systems by affecting costs, improving the quality of care and enhancing consumer satisfaction. Previous winners have integrated specialist palliative care into residential aged care, developed virtual hospitals and led care to those without homes.
Finalists are nominated by their peers or consumers in the community for their leadership in bringing new thinking to health care challenges and selected by an expert panel of nursing leaders.
ACN is excited to feature the 2022 finalists and their contributions to nursing innovation below.
Professor Josephine Chow MACN
South Western Sydney Local Health District
About Josephine:
Professor Josephine Chow MACN is the Foundation Professor of South Western Sydney (SWS) Nursing and Midwifery Research Alliance and the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research. Josephine also has a strong nursing experience as Deputy Director of Research, SWS Local Health District (SWSLHD) and Honorary Professor at the University of New South Wales, Western Sydney University and the University of Sydney. She is currently the Deputy Director of Research, SWS Local Health District (SWSLHD).
What’s the story of the Triple I Hub?
The Triple I Hub is a centralised intake, information and intervention unit where skilled case managers liaise with health care practitioners to provide consumers access to primary, aged and community care.
In September 2021, the Hub was upscaled to address daily check-ins for an increasing amount of consumers due to COVID-19. In partnership with Sydney Artificial Intelligence (AI) and conversational technology company Curious Thing, care-based robot technology was introduced to manage large numbers of low-to-medium risk clients with COVID-19 who were isolating at home, allowing nurses to prioritise high-risk consumers.
What does it mean to be nominated as a Nursing Trailblazer?
“Being named a finalist for the work I and my team have done is a powerful symbol of what nurses can do. When nurses are put into the centre of health challenges, we always deliver innovative solutions that put people first.” Josephine told ACN.
“I want other nurses to know that if you have a vision for how health care can be done better, don’t let anyone or even the system stand in your way to get it done. Nurses lead change all the time, and we all need to work together to make a lasting impact.”
Claire Lane MACN
CEO and Founder of Save Our Supplies
About Claire:
Claire Lane is the Founder and CEO of the not-for-profit Save Our Supplies and a Registered Nurse at the Operating Theatre nursing at Saint Vincent’s Northside Hospital. She graduated Bachelor of Nursing from the University of South Australia in 2015.
What’s the story behind Save Our Supplies?
Millions of people across the world are unable to access adequate medical care due to a lack of medical supplies. In countries like Australia, medical wastage is a huge environmental burden, with many clean medical supplies thrown out despite being unused due to faulty or expired packaging.
Save Our Supplies targets local Community Aid Groups and International Hospitals and provides access to usable but thrown-out medical supplies from local hospitals to reduce medical wastage and costs.
What does it mean to you to be nominated as a Nursing Trailblazer?
“To be selected as a finalist in the Nurse Trailblazer Awards is an amazing feeling, as it will help me achieve my vision of eliminating the clean hospital waste currently dumped in landfill by our Australian hospitals.” Claire said.
“Escalating this issue to the most senior levels of government will give me the opportunity to convince them how easily the waste issue can be resolved, and the enormous benefits that result by repurposing this waste into useable medical supplies that can help people less fortunate than ourselves.”
Dr Kate Holliday MACN
CEO of Centre for Community-Driven Research
About Kate:
Dr Kate Holliday MACN is the Founder and CEO of the Centre for Community-Driven Research. With 20 years of experience in the health sector, Dr Holliday was listed on the 100+ Outstanding Women Nurse and Midwife Leaders by the International Council of Nurses, Women in Global Health, World Health Organization and United Nations Development Programme.
What’s the story behind the Pathways Telehealth Nurse Specialist Program?
The Pathways Telehealth Nurse Specialist Program was established to support consumers with complex care needs to navigate Australia’s health care systems. To adequately manage medium and long-term conditions, care plans are developed to empower and educate consumers on best practice and available options for them.
Some conditions are rare enough that there may not be a specialist at each hospital, and the telehealth service provides access and opportunities as the first point for people with 18 different conditions to reintegrate them into the relevant health care systems.
What does it mean to you to be nominated as a Nursing Trailblazer?
“Being a finalist is truly an honour. The Health Minister’s Award for Nursing Trailblazers is such an important initiative because it it values the contribution nurses make to the health system and acknowledges that the evidence that nurse-led services generate.” Kate told ACN.
“Like a lot of nurses, you don’t do what you do for recognition, you do it because the patient in front of you needs your help and you have the skills and resources to help them, but the most important achievements come from working with others, so this really recognises a lot of people who are working hard to ensure patients receive the care and support they need.”
The winner of the Health Minister’s Award for Nursing Trailblazers will be announced at the Australian College of Nursing National Nursing Forum in Darwin in August.
Make sure to keep an eye out on ACN’s social media to learn more about each of these Trailblazers, and join in on the conversation through the hashtag #ACNTrailblazers.
