The professionalism, dedication and compassion of nurses and midwives across southern NSW was recognised this week, as part of local celebrations for International Day of the Midwife (5 May 2024)and International Nurses Day (12 May 2024).

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park said the District’s 1200-strong nursing and midwifery workforce is at the heart of healthcare delivery in the region, providing acute, preventative, primary and community care.

“I extend my deepest gratitude and appreciation for the exceptional care, dedication and commitment to service that nurses and midwives in Southern NSW Local Health District exhibit every day within our health facilities and community settings,” Minister Park said.

“Our nurses and midwives provide high quality, compassionate care to patients and their families, often during some of the most challenging times of their lives.”

As part of the celebrations, Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health Dr Michael Holland also announced the winners of Southern’s 2024 Nursing and Midwifery Awards.

“I extend my congratulations to SNSWLHD’s Nurse of the Year Ms Rochelle Woolf and our Midwife of the Year Ms Sonia White,” Dr Holland said.

“In her role as Nursing Unit Manager of the Perioperative Unit at Cooma Hospital, Ms Woolf has proven to be a passionate patient advocate and is well known for fostering feedback and empowering her staff to deliver a seamless experience for all those in their care.

“In her role as a Midwifery Unit Manager at South East Regional Hospital in Bega, Ms White has held a strong focus on improving clinical practice and systems that impact a woman’s experience and has worked tirelessly this year to implement the new Midwifery Group Practice model of care at South East Regional Hospital.”

Ms Woolf and Ms White are also nominated in the 2024 NSW Health Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards, which will be held in Sydney later this year.