Fiona was awarded Midwife of the Year, while Francesca was the New to Practice Nurse/Midwife of the Year, at the annual Western Sydney Local Health District Nursing and Midwifery Awards, which acknowledge and recognise the exceptional contributions of nurses and midwives working across western Sydney.
The awards took place in person for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic and celebrated the empathy, professionalism, round-the-clock service and care that nurses and midwives have continuously provided to patients, families and carers.
Fiona was overwhelmed with her win saying “it feels surreal; you go to work thinking you’re just doing your job so you don’t expect to be recognised for what you do. It’s really humbling.”
WSLHD director of nursing and midwifery Caroline Farmer said although the selection of the winners and finalists was difficult, “it was a pleasure to see the number of nurses and midwives who have been recognised for their excellence in nursing or midwifery”.
“The awards are a great appreciation of their hard work and commitment by patients and their colleagues,” she said.
Other winners included: Aboriginal Nurse/Midwife of the Year – Courtney James, Registered Midwife, Aboriginal Midwifery Caseload Model, Westmead Hospital; and WSLHD Healing Hearts Award – Consumer Nominated Award – Tracey McCreanor, Registered Midwife, Non-Inpatient Service, Westmead Hospital.
You can count on this pair to deliver
YOU can always count on Auburn Hospital nurses Fiona Donnelly (pictured) and Francesca Cruz to deliver – so much so that they have been awarded for their work.