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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-05-13 Daily Xml
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Nurses and Midwives

Ms THOMPSON (Davenport) (15:20): I rise today to speak in honour of two vital dates on our national and international calendar and they are International Nurses Day and International Day of the Midwife. These days offer more than a symbolic recognition. They are a powerful reminder of the essential work that nurses and midwives do every single day, quietly and professionally, often without the recognition that they deserve. Here in the gallery today we have many nurses and midwives who deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated.

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge two remarkable women from my electorate of Davenport whose careers embody the very best of these professions, and they are Sharon Lothian and Sheralyn Leong. I hope they are sitting up there somewhere. Sharon is an organ donation coordinator with DonateLife, playing a crucial role in some of the most complex and emotional moments families may ever face. Her work helps to ensure that a gift of life can be given, even in the midst of unimaginable grief.

But this is just the latest chapter in her extraordinary career. Before joining DonateLife, Sharon worked in South Australia's COVID response team, from the very beginning of the outbreak, on the frontline of a public health crisis that we will never forget. Prior to that she cared for our sickest patients in the ICU at Flinders Medical Centre.

Sharon began her professional life as an electronics engineer in the British Army, before becoming a nurse in the late 1990s. After studying in the UK she moved to Australia in 2012 and has now spent more than 25 years in the profession. Sharon, your adaptability, your service across disciplines and across continents and your deep commitment to patients are nothing short of remarkable.

Sheralyn Leong's nursing career spans more than 50 years. She began her traineeship at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and went on to work at Blackwood Hospital before taking on a role as an ECG technician at Flinders, at a time when cardiac diagnostics were just beginning to ramp up. Her job was to record, manage and send data to cardiac specialists, playing a vital behind-the-scenes role in patient care.

Sheralyn later spent three decades working at Ashford Hospital, but as a smaller person physically the demands of her nursing heavier patients eventually made the role unsustainable. So instead of stepping back, she retrained. She completed a mothers and babies course and moved into maternity nursing, a role she has described as incredibly demanding but deeply rewarding. Sheralyn, your resilience and your versatility and your decades of service represent the absolute heart of nursing. We thank you for your quiet strength and dedication to others.

These women are extraordinary, but they are also part of a broader extraordinary workforce, many of whom are sitting here today. South Australia is fortunate to be home to tens of thousands of nurses and midwives, who deliver care and compassion day after day, shift after shift. And I speak today not just as a member of parliament but as someone whose life, like so many others, has been touched deeply by their care.

When I had my children by caesarean at Flinders it was the midwives who supported me through those early days. Through the fog of surgery recovery, mixed with the shock of suddenly being responsible for a tiny human, especially that first time round when you feel completely unqualified for the job, they were there, you were there. They helped with feeding, answered every question—often twice—and offered kindness at a time when I really needed it. Their reassurance helped me to take those first shaky steps into motherhood and I will never forget that.

And then when my mum reached the final stage of her life, it was the incredible nurses at Laurel Hospice who surrounded her with tenderness and dignity. I will never forget how gently they spoke to her, how they found humour, how they cared for all of us, how they sat with us in the silence and the sorrow. In one of the hardest moments in my life they brought light and peace and I will never be able to thank them enough. These are the stories that so many South Australians could tell, moments of quiet grace and strength from the people that we entrust with our lives.

But recognition must go beyond kind words. If we truly value our nurses and midwives, we must continue to fight for the conditions that they deserve: fair pay, safe staffing levels, access to training and career progression, and a health system that supports their wellbeing as much as they support ours.

So, today, let us thank you, not just with applause but with action, not just with afternoon teas but with investment, respect and genuine appreciation. To every nurse and midwife in South Australia, thank you for your care, your strength and your service. Our state is healthier, safer and more compassionate because of you.

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