It was International Nurses Day (IND) on Tuesday 12 May and PA Hospital nurses celebrated the day in style.
The morning kicked off with celebratory cake and ice cream served at a dedicated parlour sponsored by QSuper (part of Australian Retirement Trust) and RemServ, followed by local awards in the Russell Strong Auditorium.
Speaking at the International Nurses Day Awards Ceremony, Director of Nursing Amanda Vaux and Executive Director Gillian Campbell said the IND 2026 theme Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives highlights the positive impact of an empowered nursing workforce.
"Every day, nurses save and improve lives. This year's theme highlights the vital role our nursing workforce plays in improving health outcomes and delivering the kind of trusted, person-centred primary care that transforms health systems and addresses global health challenges.
“International Nurses Day is more than a celebration of a profession. It is a celebration of compassion, courage, skill, advocacy, and humanity. It is an opportunity to pause and acknowledge the remarkable people who choose nursing not simply as a career, but as a calling.”
From 144 nominations, the awards were judged by panels consisting of PA Hospital Nursing Executive and Consumer Partners. The awards were presented to the following category winners:
Jan Kitchener ‘Living Our Values Everyday’ Award – Anne McPherson
Tammy Lye-James Consumer Recognition Award – Bill Simpson
Magnet Champion of the Year – Angela Thompson
Interprofessional Team of the Year – General Medicine Patient Flow Initiative
Nurse of the Year – Inpatient – Donna Everitt
Nurse of the Year – Outpatient – Schonnel Gosson
Graduate Nurse of the Year - Ella Boatfield
Nurse Led Quality Initiative of the Year – Rachel Pitt
Excellence in Education – Natalie McLean
Excellence in Research – Katherine Ganzon
Lifetime Achievement – Maree Jarrett
Congratulations to this year's awards winners and a big thank you to all our wonderful nurses at PA Hospital.