Page 1337 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 12 May 2021
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Midwives across the ACT are supporting the commonwealth’s Safer Baby Bundle project, with the aim of a 20 per cent decrease in stillbirths by 2023. Our midwives are dedicated to safely birthing the babies of Canberra and the surrounding region, and are implementing five different elements following an implementation workshop for all stakeholders on 17 May.
The five elements of the bundle are: smoking cessation, in supporting women to stop smoking in pregnancy; foetal growth restriction, by improving screening and surveillance; decreased foetal movements, by improving awareness and management of decreased foetal movement; side sleeping from 28 weeks, to improve awareness of maternal safe sleeping position; and timing of birth for high-risk women, to improve decision-making around timing of birth for women with risk factors.
The 2021 Midwife of the Year, Jessica Boutzos, is a midwife at Calvary Public Hospital, Bruce. Over the last year, in collaboration with a nurse practitioner from the emergency department, Jessica developed an early pregnancy loss support package to assist staff, initially intended for the emergency department but applicable to all areas of the hospital. Jessica is described as parent-focused, caring and collaborative, and that was clear in the way she accepted her award as a reflection on the whole team. I congratulate Jessica, Kirsty and all of the other 2021 Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Award winners.
Team of the year is ward 11B, aged care, at Canberra Health Services. Excellence in management practice goes to Nicole Slater, emergency department, Canberra Health Services. Excellence in leadership practice goes to Wendy Beckingham, infection prevention and control, Canberra Health Services. Excellence in clinical practice goes to Nicole Shiels, Tuggeranong community nursing team, Canberra Health Services. Excellence in quality improvement or research practice goes to Stephanie Parry, justice health, Canberra Health Services. Excellence in educational practice goes to Jodie Murray, learning and development, Calvary Bruce Private Hospital.
I also want to congratulate all the nominees for the 2021 Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards. The celebration of these awards was truly a celebration of professionalism, innovation, compassion and commitment.
Work is underway on the government’s election commitment to employ more healthcare workers across our public health system, including 200 additional nurses and midwives. The work of these additional nurses and midwives to strengthen our health system will be based on clinical services planning, the strategic direction for health across the ACT, as well as opportunities in education, research and innovation. The passion and skill that our nurses and midwives demonstrate each day will reach further into the community and provide care when and where it is needed.
In closing, I again acknowledge the incredibly hard work that our nurses and midwives do each day and thank them for their dedication to the health and wellbeing of the ACT community. I present the following paper:
Nurses and midwives—Ministerial statement, 12 May 2021.
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