International Nurses Day is an opportunity to celebrate and recognise nurses for their roles in the community and dedication to achieving health outcomes for their patients.
Celebrated each year on May 12 in recognition of the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, Mackay Hospital and Health Service marks the day with morning and afternoon teas and the annual International Nurses Day Awards.
“It’s really important to celebrate the achievements of our nurses and how hard they work 24/7,” said Nursing Director Samantha Sanders.
“They show up every day and they’re very passionate about what they do so we want to celebrate that.”
Emergency Department Registered Nurse Felicity Morris received the CQUniversity 2022 Graduate of the Year Award, completing her studies at CQU before entering the Emergency Department in her graduate year.
“I’ve had exposure to so many different presentations and I’ve been able to progress very quickly through my career,” she said.
“Nursing is such an integral part of the community and we do it day in and day out and we always put our patients first but it’s nice to have a day where we let the community know that we are here, and we celebrate our nurses.”
Surgical Nurse Unit Manager Lachlan Frank agreed after receiving the Nurse Unit Manager Clinical Excellence Award.
“I think this award demonstrates what we do as Nurse Unit Managers on a daily basis in supporting our teams but also we couldn’t do our jobs without the support of our teams,” he said.
“While I was the winner of this award, it really does demonstrate the hard work our staff do on the surgical ward every day.”
McFadzen Perpetual Award: Margaret MacDermott (Day Surgery Unit)
Clinical Nurse Specialty Award: Yolanda Gibbons (Paediatric Diabetes Clinic)
Clinical Excellence Award – Rural: Vicky Grams (Proserpine Hospital)
Clinical Excellence Award – Nurse Unit Manager: Lachlan Frank (GSU)
Excellence in Patient Care Award: Vincent Uy (Renal Unit)
CQUniversity 2022 Graduate of the Year Award: Felicity Morris (Emergency Department)
JCU Department Outstanding Support Award: Mackay Base Hospital G2 Medical Ward
JCU Department Outstanding Support Award: Proserpine Hospital
CQUniversity 2022 Graduate of the Year Award: Felicity Morris (Emergency Department)
Clinical Excellence Award – Nurse Unit Manager: Lachlan Frank (GSU)
JCU Department Outstanding Support Award: Mackay Base Hospital G2 Medical Ward
