6 May 2011
This year's International Nurses and Midwives Week ends on a high note on Friday 13 May with the announcing of the winners of the annual NT Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards at a ceremony hosted by Health Minister Kon Vatskalis at Parliament House.
The awards night reveals which nurses and midwives have been judged by their peers to have been the "best of the best" amongst the 128 nominations received in the following categories: Acute care, Aged care, Community, General Practice, Graduate of the Year, Living Legend, Mental Health, Midwifery, Professional, and Remote.
"The NT 2011 Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards recognise the fantastic work of nursing and midwifery professionals, and all nominations are judged against criteria such as outstanding care, advocacy, continuing education, and willingness to share personal philosophy," Department of Health Chief Executive Jeff Moffet said.
"The Territory has some of Australia's most professional, talented and caring individuals - retention figures for nurses and midwives in the NT are high, thus turnover is down, which demonstrates how much they enjoy the challenges and rewards of working here."
The winner from each category will receive $500 and these winners will automatically qualify for the overall award of Nurse or Midwife of the Year and receive an additional prize of $2000.
The awards night comes at the end of week marked by two major occasions, International Midwives Day - 5 May and International Nurses Day - 12 May.
International Midwives Day 2011 will see Midwives around the world participating in a 5-kilometre walk in their local communities to promote maternal and newborn health. This is part of the global walk into Durban, South Africa in June where the International Confederation of Midwives triennial conference is being held.
The latter day is marked around the world as the anniversary of the birth of nursing reformist Florence Nightingale. This year the theme for International Nurses Day is 'Closing the gap: increasing access and equity'. Breakfasts will be held around the nation to celebrate the day and to promote closing the gap.
Information about Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale pioneered the establishment of the nursing profession, and the entry of women into the profession. During her service as a nurse during the Crimean War (1854-6) she arrived at a barracks hospital with a party of 38 fellow nurses, who were initially turned away by the doctors. As the war went on, the nurses were recognised as a vital part of the medical team.
In 1860, Florence Nightingale established the nursing school at St Thomas's Hospital in London, the first secular nursing school in the world. Her work led to reform in hospitals, and established the foundations of the nursing profession as we know it today.
Media Contact: Robin Osborne, Media Director, 899 92886 or 0488 692 781
