Residents of rural and regional areas are being invited to nominate a local nurse or midwife in the fifth annual Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards, Member for Cootamundra Katrina Hodgkinson has announced.
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“The health service needs of rural and regional areas are unique,” she said.
“From March 2011 to June 2016 we increased the rural and regional nursing and midwifery workforce by 13 per cent – the equivalent of 2,357 full-time positions.
“This year we recruited more than 2,200 nursing and midwifery graduates. 27 per cent of these (about 600 graduates) are located in rural and regional NSW.
“In 2016/17 we pledged $300 million to Stage 5 of the MultiPurpose Strategy, which will bring more integrated and flexible health care services to rural and regional communities.
“Three sites are now complete, with a further five under construction.
“Following on from International Nurses Day on 12 May, I encourage community members, patients and colleagues to nominate a nurse or midwife in your local area who makes a real difference to the lives of their patients.”
The NSW Government has committed the following resources:
- $300 million Multipurpose Strategy: Multipurpose Services are facilities located in rural and remote areas that combine a range of health and aged care services. Stage 5 will continue to build on this successful model and deliver another 15 sites across rural NSW.
- Rural Postgraduate Midwifery Scholarships: These scholarships support local registered nurses to undertake midwifery training in their own rural maternity services. The nurses are offered employment upon completion of their training. 60 scholarships have been awarded between 2011 and 2017.
- Graduate Metro-Rural Exchange: Graduate nurses and midwives undertake six months of employment at a metropolitan health facility and six months in a rural or remote facility, giving them the opportunity to experience life and clinical practice in both environments.
To nominate a nurse or midwife, visit https://e-award.com.au/2017/einma/index.php?page=about
Nominations for the Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards close on Friday, June 9 2017.
