THE ACT Nursing and Midwives Excellence Awards were announced last night (May 12) on International Nurse’s Day, with 100 nominations across 13 categories.

2022’s Nurse of the Year was awarded to Rebekah Ogilvie, who in her role as a Registered Nurse Practitioner at Canberra Health Services, oversaw the response to COVID-19 outbreaks in social housing. This evolved into a broader response to the needs of the residents and other vulnerable community members.

Midwife of the Year was awarded to Melanee McMahon, who works in the maternity ward at the Calvary Bruce Private Hospital. Considered an “experienced, and widely relied-upon” midwife, Melanee went “above and beyond to give outstanding care to expectant mothers and their families, always placing her team members ahead of herself.”

Despite her primary role of overseeing training for the Calvary Maternity Unit, throuhgout the year Melanee worked additional shifts, filled unexpected vacancies and offered to assist colleagues in tough situations.

There were two winners for Team of the year 2022:

Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Education Team, Canberra Health Services – who are known as “encouraging, supportive and kind” among the staff and who implement education strategies to bring about positive change in health practice.

Their “Players Player Award,” which promoted individual performance outcomes, and their “ICU Expansion” Project, which enhanced the traditional delivery of education, are considered two of the most lauded aspects of their work among colleagues and staff.

The Canberra Health Services (CHS) Workforce Capability (WC) nursing and midwifery education team were also awarded for their “proven commitment to education by being brave, highly adaptable, and progressive during the COVID-19 pandemic challenges.”

The team developed new, innovative ways to continue providing quality education throughout lockdowns and periods of restrictions, determined to continue enabling exceptional care for the Canberra community.

Other award winners include:

• Excellence in Clinical Practice – Thimitra Panteleon, Intensive Care, Canberra Health Services.
• Excellence in Educational Practice – Courtney Hayes, LDK Seniors Living.
• Excellence in Leadership Practice – Caroline Bouloukos, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Canberra Health Services.
• Excellence in Management Practice – Louise Murphy, Maternal and Child Health, Canberra Health Services.
• Excellence in Quality Improvement or Research Practice – Delilah Shelley, Haematology Cancer Unit, Canberra Health Services.
• Assistant in Nursing Recognition – Narelle King, St Andrew’s Village.
• Nursing Student Recognition – Janet (Rei) Edge, Canberra Institute of Technology.
• Midwifery Student Recognition – Bek Messner, University of Canberra.

Consumer Recognition Award winners include:

• Kaela Graham-Bowman – Emergency Department, Canberra Health Services
• Madeleine Charlton-Owen – Canberra Clinic, IVF Australia
• Neala Jocumsen – Intensive Care Unit, Canberra Health Services
• Immunology Nursing Team – Immunology Outpatient Clinic, Canberra Health Services
• Hospital in the Home – Canberra Health Services
• Renal Supportive Care Unit – Canberra Health Services

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith congratulated the award recipients and all the nominees for their exceptional efforts.

“Canberrans are all extremely proud of the nurses and midwives in the ACT, and I thank them for their dedication,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.