A team from a regional community care provider and its innovative indigenous meal program is among the 12 finalists of the upcoming 2016 HESTA Australian Nursing Awards.
The annual awards identify and recognise nurses, midwives, personal care attendants, and assistants in nursing who excel in their area of expertise or service provision.
The clinical service team from integratedliving Australia in Muswellbrook NSW is a finalist in the Team Excellence category for launching an innovative Indigenous meal range into a community meals program.
The program provides culturally appropriate dishes, using native wild food ingredients that promote improved diet and health outcomes.
In another food-themed initiative, the leadership team from Anglican Retirement Villages – Goodhew Gardens in Taren Point, NSW, is up for the same award for delivering an extended breakfast and 24-hour menu.
The program, which came about after a holistic review of mealtimes informed by advice from external experts and the latest research, is resulting in improved health outcomes for residents.
Another finalist under the same category is the palliative aged care consultancy team at the Calvary Public Hospital — Bruce Clare Holland House Campus Barton, ACT.
The team reached the finals for researching, developing and measuring the impact of a new model of proactive palliative care that reduced hospitalisation rates and delivered greater choice to patients and their families.
The other categories under contention are Nurse of the Year and Outstanding Graduate.
HESTA CEO, Debby Blakey said that this year saw a high calibre of nominations from across the country, with the finalists epitomising the outstanding standards of care and ongoing commitment provided by nursing professionals.
“The finalists are all leaders in their field and their dedication and commitment to patient care is inspiring. It’s a privilege to help give these professionals the acknowledgement they deserve,” Ms Blakey said.
Finalists are in the running for a share of a $30,000 prize pool from sponsor ME. Individual winners will receive $10,000 to use towards education or team development while the team winner will receive a $10,000 development grant to take their program or initiative to the next level.
Winners will be announced at the HESTA Australian Nursing Awards dinner in Melbourne on 12 May – International Nurses’ Day.
Visit hestaawards.com.au for the full list of finalists.
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