Thursday May 8, 2025
Eastern Health is proud to celebrate International Day of the Midwife (5 May) and International Nurses Day (12 May), two important occasions that highlight the outstanding contributions of nurses and midwives in the care of our community.
As part of the celebrations, Eastern Health hosted the Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards to honour the dedication, compassion and excellence shown across both professions.
Eight remarkable individuals were recognised across seven award categories for truly living our values and helping deliver on our promise to be Healthier Together.
Clinical Leadership Award – Shermila Lokusooriya, Associate Nurse Unit Manager
This award recognises a nurse or midwife leader who role models exceptional clinical practice where person-centred, safe, high-quality care is consistently demonstrated in their practice.
The recipient of this award inspires others through their positive leadership behaviours and creates an environment where professional growth and development are nurtured.
As an Associate Nurse Unit Manager, Shermila Lokusooriya has played a pivotal role in upholding the highest clinical standards within the unit. She has proactively identified and addressed clinical risks in a timely and efficient manner, always putting patient safety and staff wellbeing at the forefront of their practice.
She is not only highly skilled in identifying existing risks but also show exceptional foresight in anticipating potential future risks. By escalating these risks to the Nurse Manager and working collaboratively with the team, she ensures that any clinical issues are addressed promptly before they can affect patient care.
One of Ms Lokusooriya’s standout qualities is her dedication to providing timely, constructive feedback to staff at the bedside. She has a natural ability to communicate effectively, offering support and guidance to nurses in real-time, which directly contributes to reducing clinical risks and improving patient outcomes. Whether it’s mentoring junior staff or collaborating with experienced colleagues, she creates an environment where learning and growth are prioritised, leading to a cohesive and skilled team.
Finalists: Anita Hepburn, Jared Loh, Brittany Williams
Leading Improvement, Research and Innovation in Nursing and Midwifery – Vivienne Power, Clinical Nurse Educator
This award recognises a nurse or midwife who has demonstrated outstanding commitment in leading improvement, research or innovation at Eastern Health. They have consistently strived to embed contemporary nursing and midwifery practice promoting positive patient outcomes.
The recipient of this award has positively contributed to health service transformation and encouraged others to actively participate in professional development.
Recognising a critical gap in the support available for novice Enrolled Nurses (ENs), Vivienne Power took the lead in addressing an overlooked area in nursing education. While well-established Registered Nurse Graduate Programs exist across Victoria, there were no equivalent programs to support ENs particularly within mental health, where the demand for services continues to rise both locally and globally.
Driven by a commitment to workforce development and safe, competent practice, Ms Power identified the absence of a comprehensive transition-to-practice program for ENs as a significant shortfall. Over the past two years, she has led the design and implementation of a 12-month, contextualised EN Mental Health Transition to Practice Program.
Through collaboration with key stakeholders, Ms Power has delivered an innovative program that reflects best practices in nursing education, aligns with Victorian mental health frameworks, and provides ENs with robust theoretical knowledge and tailored clinical support.
Finalists: Keith Griffin, Biji Gomathy, Michelle Orr
Promoting and Demonstrating Excellent Patient Experience – Tejinder Pal Singh Bajwa, Registered Psychiatric Nurse
The Promoting and Demonstrating Excellent Patient Experience Award celebrates a nurse or midwife who consistently promotes excellent patient and family experiences.
Through their partnership in care, the recipient of this award has made a significant impact on how patients experience health care services. Their actions promote a safe, welcoming, inclusive environment for all patients and their families.
What sets Tejinder Pal Singh Bajwa apart, is his ability to make every consumer feel like an individual. He consistently demonstrates the Eastern Health value, Respect for All, by acknowledging each person’s unique background, needs and preferences, promoting not only their physical health, but also supporting their emotional and psychological wellbeing.
In his daily work, Mr Bajwa creates a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment where consumers and their families feel heard, respected and valued. His personalised communication, active listening and compassionate approach foster trust and encourage consumers to actively participate in their recovery journey.
Mr Bajwa also exemplifies Partnering in Care through his outstanding collaboration with both his immediate team and interdisciplinary colleagues. He works diligently to ensure care plans are tailored and holistic, addressing the full spectrum of each consumer’s wellbeing. His commitment to open communication and team-based care enhances consumer outcomes and strengthens the overall care experience.
His dedication to person-centred care is evident in every interaction. Whether supporting consumers directly, engaging with families, or working alongside colleagues, he goes above and beyond to ensure that everyone involved feels supported, empowered and truly cared for.
Finalists: Bec Montti, Vicky He, Chelsea Adam
Rising Leader – Abigail Brown, Registered Nurse
The Rising Leader Award recognises an early career nurse or midwife who demonstrates passion for their work through exemplary practice, engagement of others, creativity and leadership.
The recipient of this award has embraced their entry into the profession and has a bright career ahead.
Abigail Brown commenced her Registered Nurse graduate year in January 2025, following the successful completion of her Enrolled Nurse graduate program at Eastern Health while concurrently undertaking her Bachelor of Nursing studies.
Ms Brown consistently demonstrates excellence in clinical practice and a strong commitment to professional development. She is a dedicated and compassionate nurse who regularly goes above and beyond for both her patients and her ongoing learning.
Recently, Ms Brown independently managed the care of an unwell patient, accurately assessing and identifying multiple clinical concerns. Her assessment and critical thinking skills exceeded expectations for a graduate nurse.
Throughout the shift, Ms Brown displayed emerging leadership capabilities, effectively coordinating care and ensuring timely communication with key stakeholders including the Intensive Care Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, medical team and team leader. Her proactive advocacy contributed to the development of a clear, coordinated care plan, reflecting her professionalism, initiative, and dedication to safe, high-quality care.
Finalists: Alana Paynter, Kobi Butcher, Maddison Upton
Staff Engagement and Wellbeing – Kate Beveridge, Registered Nurse
The Staff Engagement and Wellbeing award recognises an individual or team who have promoted the importance employee wellbeing and engagement in the workplace. They have proactively developed and implemented strategies focused on improving the work environment and consistently create welcoming and supportive spaces.
The recipient of this award fosters a culture of inclusion, balance, equity, learning and development and their actions positively influence employee engagement and experiences.
Kate Beveridge demonstrates an intuitive understanding that social wellbeing is essential to fostering a positive and cohesive workplace culture. She embodies the Eastern Health value, Respect for All, through her inclusive approach and genuine care for colleagues, patients and families.
Ms Beveridge recognises the importance of connection in the work environment and regularly initiates team-building activities to strengthen morale and collaboration.
Beyond her social initiatives, Ms Beveridge consistently brings a positive and inclusive attitude to her clinical practice. Her respectful and empathetic nature provides comfort to families during emotionally challenging times, while her approachable manner fosters a supportive environment for both staff and patients.
Ms Beveridge’s commitment to cultivating connection and inclusion has had a meaningful impact on team wellbeing and patient care, exemplifying Eastern Health’s vision to be Healthier Together.
Finalists: Mental Health Learning & Teaching Team, Tiarn Peckett, Daniel Halls
Chief Nursing and Midwifery Award for Midwives – Caroline Carr, Clinical Midwife Consultant
The Chief Nursing and Midwifery Award for Midwives, recognises excellence in leadership and outstanding practice. The award celebrates a significant contribution at the local level and to the broader professional community.
The recipient of this award has consistently demonstrated support for patients and peers. Their practice is of an exceptional standard and their actions enable team members to grow and flourish.
Caroline Carr is an experienced Clinical Midwife Consultant (CMC) who demonstrates exemplary nursing and midwifery skills and knowledge.
As a clinical leader, Ms Carr is a role model for managers, fellow CMCs, midwives and medical colleagues. She is proactive in her learning and sharing her clinical, management, education, research and leadership expertise.
Ms Carr is a dedicated advocate for women, children and families, championing their needs both as consumers and as providers of care. Her calm and compassionate approach is highly regarded by the Women and Children’s team.
She has played a pivotal role in the development of the Maternity Shared Decision Making and Maternity Declining Recommended Care forms, collaborating closely with the multidisciplinary team and consumers. Through this work, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting informed decision making for consumers.
Ms Carr has also been instrumental in strengthening clinical governance within the Maternity Group Practice. She has worked with the team to review clinical outcomes and enhance the quality and transparency of clinical activity reporting.
In addition, she supported the development and implementation of the Authorised Midwives model at Eastern Health. This initiative enables AHPRA Endorsed Midwives working within a continuity of care model to practice to their full scope, including the authority to prescribe medications and order diagnostic tests under Eastern Health authorisation.
Finalists: Madeline Hawke, Anathea Shere
Chief Nursing and Midwifery Award for Nurses – Emma Davis and Rebecca Sedgman
The Chief Nursing and Midwifery Award for Nurses recognises excellence in leadership and outstanding practice. The award celebrates a significant contribution at the local level and to the broader professional community.
The recipients of this award have consistently demonstrated support for patients and peers. Their practice is of an exceptional standard and their actions enable team members to grow and flourish.
Emma Davis, Associate Director Learning and Teaching
Emma Davis has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication, professionalism and innovation in her role as Transition to Practice Program Associate Director.
Through her hard work and commitment, Ms Davis has made significant contributions that have a lasting and positive impact on our organisation. She demonstrates a clear vision and effectively coordinates her team to ensure Eastern Health leads as a welcoming employer of choice. Under her guidance, nursing and midwifery graduate match rates have increased, resulting in Eastern Health being fully-matched in all pathways for the 2025 graduate program.
In addition, Ms Davis demonstrates her leadership capacity at a broader level through Chairing the Statewide Victorian Graduate Nurse Program Coordinator Network. She leads by example and fosters a collaborative environment where every team member feels valued and motivated.
Ms Davis has been instrumental in bringing diverse perspectives together and ensuring smooth communication across departments and programs, leading to improved synergy and productivity.
Rebecca Sedgman, Nurse Practitioner Emergency Department
Rebecca Sedgman has demonstrated outstanding leadership through her pivotal role in leading a team in implementing Critical Care Registered Nurse Standing Orders (CCRNSO) across three Eastern Health emergency departments.
She has led this initiative from inception to roll out, liaising across the organisation’s multiple committees and teams for sustained practice, ensuring a transformative impact on patient care, workflow efficiency, and nursing autonomy.
Ms Sedgeman conducted research into best practices for the CCRNSO, benchmarking against other health services. She analysed patient flow data, clinical outcomes and nursing scope of practice, using this evidence to tailor a model suited to our emergency departments. She was instrumental in developing policy frameworks ensuring alignment with regulatory guidelines and organisational governance.
Ms Sedgeman engaged with key stakeholders, including emergency physicians, nursing leadership and legal teams, to ensure compliance and endorsement. Through structured PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) cycles, ensuring a phased rollout, allowing for iterative improvements based on real-time feedback. She developed and led multidisciplinary working groups, fostering collaboration between nurses, Nurse Practitioners, medical staff, and educators.
Ms Sedgeman’s work has empowered nurses to work at their full scope of practice, reduced time-to treatment for patients and enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration. Her unwavering commitment to innovation, education and quality improvement makes her an exemplary leader in advancing nursing practice.
Finalists: Stacey Becker, Melanie Tew