History of State Nursing Excellence Awards
The State Nursing Excellence Awards began in 2003 as an initiative of the Victorian Government to recognise and acknowledge outstanding achievements of nurses within the public health system.
The State Nursing Excellence Awards are held annually and aim to recognise the contribution made by nurses to their patients/clients and to reward innovative and dedicated individuals or teams.
These awards are open to any registered nurse (Div 1 – 5) currently working in the Victorian public health system. Any member of the health team can nomination an individual or small team.
Award recipients receive a scholarship up to the value of $10,000 to allow them to share their best practice with others or to develop their initiative further.
The awards are presented by the Health Minister and the event is hosted by the Principal Nurse Advisor/Director Nurse Policy Branch of the Department of Human Services, Victoria.
Message from the Chief Nurse, Adjunct Professor Belinda Moyes to all those nominated in 2009 State Nursing Excellence Awards
Each year it seems the job of judging gets more difficult as the calibre of the nominees and their achievements gets stronger.
Every nurse and midwife who had been nominated are stars, inspirational leaders and respected members of their professional community. They have been nominated by their managers and co-workers and reflect the highest values and practice standards of the disciplines of nursing and midwifery.
Each of the nominees are powerful and inspiring role models for new entrants to the profession as well as motivating and influencing other members of the health team. They have been nominated for their individual efforts and although many will, I am sure, defer to the teams they work with, we wish to acknowledge and pay tribute to them as individuals – their unique strengths, commitment, vision and passion.
Award recipients receive a scholarship of $10,000 each, to ensure they are able to share their work with others and undertake professional development in their area of clinical practice. I believe the award recipients intended use of the scholarships will inform nursing practice into the future, contribute to the professional and personal growth of the individuals and benefit the public.
I would like to congratulate all the nominees. The respect and pride with which so many of the nominations were written by their managers and colleagues are a testament to the professional commitment and collaborative focus.
I feel very proud to be a Victorian nurse!