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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-05-16 Daily Xml
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Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:00): My question is for the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Can the minister update the council on the outcomes of the 18th annual Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:00): I thank the honourable member for his question and welcome the opportunity to put on record the admiration and appreciation of the Marshall Liberal government for the invaluable work done by South Australian nurses and midwives. Last Friday, I was able to show our appreciation in person when I attended the 18th Annual Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards, an event organised by SA Health to coincide with International Day of the Midwife on 5 May and International Nurses Day on 12 May, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth.

Today, I was able to continue the celebrations, with more time with nurses and midwives at a light lunch I co-hosted with the member for Hurtle Vale here in Parliament House to celebrate these international days. I acknowledge the Hon. Tung Ngo and the Hon. Clare Scriven joined us on that occasion.

This year marks a significant enhancement of the prestige of these awards by the addition of what I think is a very appropriate stream within the awards. Considering the commemorations linked to the work of Florence Nightingale, one of the world's great humanitarians, it is extremely apt that SA Health has decided to add to the repertoire of awards recognising the humanitarian work of nurses. South Australians know and love the work that nurses and midwives do in terms of going above and beyond providing care to them in direct care environments, but the humanitarian awards highlight the great work being done by South Australian nurses and midwives providing care above and beyond their own workplace in the community, in the rest of the nation and in the rest of the world.

I would like to honour in this council today the five South Australians who were recipients of the humanitarian awards last Friday night and just briefly highlight some of their work. Annie Catanzariti has been a nurse practitioner involved in leading three homeless outreach team clinics at Kilburn, Melrose Park and Constable Court. All three clinics were founded on the partnerships Annie established with non-government organisations in her part-time capacity above and beyond. Annie sees 25 to 30 people a month, and is currently providing temporary case management for 19 young people.

The second award recipient, Carol Salmon, a registered nurse and midwife, has led the development and delivery of emergency nursing and midwifery education for Country Health SA. Carol also uses her skills as a qualified lactation consultant to volunteer her time to provide advice and support to mothers. Carol has volunteered overseas to deliver care and education programs to disadvantaged populations, including self-funded trips to Cambodia and Papua New Guinea.

The third recipient, Lisa Macdonald, a nurse practitioner, has worked as a volunteer in East Timor and was quickly recognised for her skills in palliative care, to the extent that Calvary Health Care now works with her to support clinicians with good end-of-life principles in that country. As a result of this experience, Lisa returns each year for a week-long placement to provide further professional development to the people of East Timor.

The fourth recipient is Dr Svatka Micik, the nurse unit manager in the intensive care unit at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. She has undertaken humanitarian work with Open Heart International, a non-profit organisation that visits Papua New Guinea, where she mentors, educates and works with local nurses to build their expertise in cardiac specialties.

I was particularly impressed with Dr Svatka Micik's work in identifying collaborators for her Papua New Guinea work within the South Australian community. She works with RAH volunteers, for example, who stitch quilts embossed with messages of love and humanity for children having heart surgery; with SA universities, which donate textbooks and provide articles to Papua New Guinea nurses; and with the RAH newsagency, which donates reading glasses to Papua New Guinea nurses.

The fifth recipient of a humanitarian award this year was a midwifery educator, Jenny Gardner. She has participated since 2013 in volunteer work in Cambodia, where she assists in educating traditional birth attendants with the aim of reducing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Most recently she has been working with the 2H Project coordinator to set up maternal clinics for Cambodian midwives.

These are just some of the fantastic nurses and midwives we have working in South Australia. In paying tribute to them I would also pay tribute to all our hardworking and dedicated nurses and midwives and congratulate all of the recipients of excellence awards of last Friday night in what was truly an inspirational event.

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