Nurses who are leading the way in transforming health and aged care in Australia will be recognised by the new Health Minister’s Award for Nursing Trailblazers announced today by the Australian College of Nursing (ACN).
“The Nursing Trailblazers Award is the first of its kind in Australia. We commend the Minister for Health, the Hon. Greg Hunt MP and the Commonwealth Government for supporting this award as a tangible demonstration of the respect they have, and our whole community has, for the significant contribution nurses make to the health and wellbeing of all Australians.” Australian College of Nursing CEO Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN said.
“Nurses work on the frontline in every health care setting and in every part of Australia. They see what works and what doesn’t, changes in patient needs and preferences, and what we can do better. Nurses have the solutions to many of the challenges that confront our health and aged care sectors.
“With the launch of this prestigious award, we will recognise and highlight trailblazers in the profession who excel in their specialty and are able to bring new thinking and innovation to a wide range of health care challenges.”
The Award selection committee will include:
- ACN President
- ACN Chief Executive Officer
- Commonwealth Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer
- Chair Australian and New Zealand Council of Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers
- An Independent Representative
The Health Minister will select the winner from the preferred candidates for the award.
“At the heart of all that nurses do is patient care. They don’t tend to seek out the limelight, but rather feel their reward is helping others when they most need it,” Adjunct Professor Ward said. “However, we would encourage nurses to take this opportunity to nominate themselves or a colleague, not only so we can recognise their outstanding contribution, but learn about and share those changes that are positively impacting on patient outcomes.
“This award will highlight the valuable input nurses make to health care policy and delivery and encourage decision makers at all levels to seek out nurses’ expertise when developing initiatives.”
Applications for the award open Monday, January 28, 2019 and will close Thursday, February 28, 2019.
For more information about the award visit https://www.acn.edu.au/nursing-trailblazers.
