Equity was the theme of the Nurses and Midwives of Tairāwhiti (NAMOT) annual awards last Saturday.
Nine awards were presented to nurses and midwives who are going above and beyond to provide the best care to those who need them. Many of the awards went to people who are working hard to break down equity barriers to health services.
Michelle Scott won the Gaye Hollamby (Heikell) – Excellence in Clinical Practice Award. Michelle works with people with sleep apnoea and coordinates the only nurse-led sleep clinic in New Zealand. Michelle is continually looking at ways to modify the service to best meet the needs of the community.
Rachel Ferkins won the Pinnacle Midlands Health Network, Primary Healthcare Nursing Award. Rachel is the long term conditions nurse navigator at 3 Rivers Medical ensuring people with long term medical conditions get a full wrap-around service.
Richelle Tarsau was involved in reviewing the Paediatric outpatient service and particularly why the ‘did not arrive’ rate was high. As a result of the review Richelle’s role now helps make the journey through the paediatric outpatient service one that is easy for families to engage with.
The large crowd gathered were entertained by speakers Janie Thomas (Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Raukawa) and Dr Jade Tamatea (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Maniapoto).
Janie Thomas is a midwife based in Wairoa doing kaupapa Māori research to look at the barriers to accessing midwifery services. “Some of the barriers are pretty obvious. Extending the runway would accommodate larger aircraft landing in adverse weather conditions. This would allow patients requiring acute services to be transported without delay. Having a Wairoa based sonographer to would make difference for pregnant women. Some mums need 6-8 scans per pregnancy and have to travel to Gisborne or Hawkes Bay to have them.”
Dr Jade Tamatea has whakapapa to Waituhi/Patutahi and lives in Hamilton. She is a senior lecturer at Auckland University, an endocrinologist at Waikato DHB and the visiting endocrinologist at Gisborne Hospital. She talked about the drivers of inequity and how we all play a role in achieving equity. “Understanding the upstream drivers of ethnic health inequities is so important if we are to eliminate them. Equity requires ongoing mahi from all - mahi like that which has been recognised in the award recipients tonight.”
Nurses and Midwives of Tairāwhiti (NAMOT) Award Recipients
Director of Nursing New Graduate
Toia Murray – Registered Nurse Ward 9
Gaye Hollamby (Heikell) Excellence in Clinical Practice
Michelle Scott – Clinical Nurse Specialist Sleep Tui Te Ora
Services to Nursing
Teresa Fisher – Duty Nurse Manager
Services to Midwifery
Carolyn White – Core Midwife Maternity
Innovation/Patient Safety
Jacqueline Horsfall – Enrolled Nurse Te Wiremu
General Practice / Primary Care Nursing
Rachel Ferkins – Long term conditions nurse navigator 3 Rivers
Services to Reducing Inequity Award
Richelle Tarsau – Paediatric Outpatient Nurse Coordinator
EIT Student Support for undergraduate Nurses award
Danny Ryan - Community Mental Health and the Tui te Ora Long-term Conditions team
Lifetime Services to Nursing – Sponsored by the Cook Hospital Nurses Reunion Group
Cynthia Colbert – Nurse Ngāti Porou Hauora