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Nursing and Midwifery
Every person. Every time. Exceptional care.

Campbelltown Hospital, South Western Sydney LHD

Jacqui Cross PSM

Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, NSW Health

Congratulations to every nurse and every midwife for their commitment, professionalism, and compassion; and special congratulations to this year’s winners and finalists. You should all be so proud.

Nominations for the 2025 Awards open in early May – so keep an eye out.

Midwife of the Year Award finalist Victoria Elder, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Jacqui Cross, winner Michelle Foster, and finalist Sarah Johnson-Clarke

New to Practice Award finalist Ashleigh Knox, winner, Jarrod Morrow, the Hon. Ryan Park MP, Minister for Health and Regional Health

Aboriginal Nurse/Midwife of the Year finalist Tamara Blanch, winner Kathleen Bohannon, Secretary NSW Health, Susan Pearce AM, and finalist Sara Lewis

Leadership Award finalist Sangam Shiwakoti, finalist Simpy Arora, winner Sarah Melov, the Hon. Minister Park MP, Minister for Health and Regional Health

Healing Heart (Colleague nominated) Award finalist Courtney Joseph, finalist Ahmad Ghafoor, winner Rachel Edwards, NSW Health Deputy Secretary People, Culture and Governance, Phil Minns

Healing Heart (Consumer nominated) Award finalist Angela Sercombe, Secretary NSW Health, Susan Pearce AM, winner Salina Zafeiriou, finalist Christopher Hammond

Team of the Year Award winners the Moruya Maternity team with NSW Health Deputy Secretary People, Culture and Governance, Phil Minns

Judith Meppem Lifetime Achievement Award finalist, Jennifer Flaherty, Secretary NSW Health, Susan Pearce AM, finalist Aaron Jones, winner Sandy Eagar, the Hon. Ryan Park MP, Minister for Health and Regional Health

Nurse of the Year Award finalist Madeline Hughes, finalist Kylie Williams, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Jacqui Cross, winner Holly Fuller

Team of the Year Award finalists Hospital in the Home, Integrated and Community Health with NSW Health Deputy Secretary People, Culutre and Governance, Phil Minns

Team of the Year Award finalists the Coronary Care Unit, Liverpool Hospital with NSW Health Deputy Secretary People, Culture and Governance, Phil Minns

While we’re still in Awards mode, congratulations to our NaMO Midwifery team, led by Kelley Lennon, Principal Advisor, Midwifery, for being named a finalist in the 2024 NSW Health Awards in October.

The Mentoring in Midwifery (MiM) program supports the midwifery profession, builds leadership at all levels, and helps retain a strong, confident and skilled midwifery workforce.

All 15 LHDs with maternity services have adopted the MiM program, and more than 2000 midwives and midwifery students are participating in mentoring.

Participants highlighted three main benefits of the program: connection, learning, and growth.

The MiM program has been successfully embraced by midwives across NSW Health. Participants feel valued and heard. Being involved in the co-creation of the program provided leadership development for staff that can be applied to other initiatives and roles.

MiM’s success has inspired NaMO to adapt it to the nursing context. Mentoring in Nursing Together (MiNT) is now in pilot stage with the Central Coast and Sydney Local Health Districts. 

Jacqui Cross with NaMO Principal Advisor, Midwifery, Kelley Lennon, and Project Officer, Melinda Cook

Aboriginal Nursing and Midwifery scholarships and cadetships are an important and impactful pathway to employment in the health sector.

They increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives working in NSW Health and provide financial and educational support from undergraduate to postgraduate studies.

“It’s so important we look to the future for Aboriginal nurses and midwives, because without them we won’t be able to offer the kind of culturally safe and quality care First Nations people need and deserve,” Jacqui Cross said.

“We know the key to providing the best possible care for Aboriginal patients, consumers and their families is to have as many Aboriginal nurses and midwives as possible delivering care across the health system.”

Applications open 9am 16 December and close at 11:59pm 23 February.

"It's not a job for me. It's a passion about keeping all our Mob safe."

Sharelle Anderson, registered midwife, Southern NSW LHD

Kylie Smith, Manager, Emergency Care Institute, Agency for Clinical Innovation

Tell us about yourself

With over 25 years of experience as a registered nurse, I have had the opportunity to work in diverse clinical, strategic and management roles across emergency, cancer, and surgical care.

My journey has been both challenging and rewarding, allowing me to contribute to and witness the evolution of healthcare from multiple perspectives.

Tell us about your job

As the Manager of the Emergency Care Institute at the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation, I have the privilege of leading a dedicated team to enhance care delivery in NSW Emergency Departments.

I foster networks with nurses, medical, and allied health staff, develop clinical guidance resources, create innovative models of care, and spearhead projects aimed at improving the experiences of both patients and staff.

What is ECAT?

ECAT stands for Emergency Care Assessment and Treatment. The program is designed to standardise nurse-initiated emergency care throughout the state.

This initiative aims to ensure that patients receive consistent, high-quality care regardless of which emergency department they visit. We have developed and implemented 73 protocols that guide assessment, investigations and treatment for common emergency conditions.

The program also includes a comprehensive education pathway for emergency nurses and a governance framework to maintain high standards of care.

This project was developed with the support of partners like the Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC), Health Education and Training Institute (HETI), and the Nursing and Midwifery Office (NaMO).

How does it impact nurses and midwives (and where can we learn more about it)?

ECAT supports enrolled and registered nurses working in emergency care settings to work to their optimal scope of practice. Nurses who have completed prerequisite education and training are able to initiate investigations such as blood tests and X-rays and initiate a range of medications according to the protocol and without needing a medical officer to sign off.  You can learn more about ECAT on our ECAT website.

What are you most proud of?

I am proud to have united hundreds of emergency nurses to bring the ECAT vision to life. Witnessing nurses actively using the protocols we developed together to provide patients with emergency care is truly exciting.

On 12 December every year we pay special tribute to all nurse practitioners, and acknowledge the leadership, professionalism and expert care they provide every day for our communities.

This year’s theme for National Nurse Practitioner Day is Voices for Health; The Future of Healthcare; NPs leading change.

The demand for nurse practitioner models of care in NSW Health has grown and is in high demand in our rural and remote areas, but also in metropolitan areas that service vulnerable, marginalised population groups and those with specialist needs.

NSW Health NPs provide timely, high-quality, patient-centred access to care and work as part of a multidisciplinary team. They work across many settings and specialty areas and the care they provide helps sustain equitable and affordable access to care.

On this day, please take a moment to thank them for the huge difference they make to the health outcomes of patients and communities.

Happy Nurse Practitioner Day for 2024!

NaMO's Matt Lutze with Hornsby Hospital ED Nurse Practitioners Tristan Black, Lasanga Kannangara & Megan Grieg

Westmead Hospital ED Nurse Practitioners Jason Montgomery and Megan Ronan, with Matt Lutze from NaMO

The Aboriginal Nursing and Midwifery Strategy team had the pleasure of attending the 2025 National Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives Conference (CATSINaM) held Monday 28 October – 1 November in Perth, Fremantle, on Walyalup Country.

NSW Health’s Nursing and Midwifery Office (NaMO) sponsored the Sister Alison Bush Award with Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Jacqui Cross, awarding  the successful recipient with their award in person at the official Gala Dinner on the final evening of the event.

NaMO also sponsored 11 Aboriginal nursing and midwifery cadets from across NSW to attend the conference - below is the deadly picture captured of Jacqui Cross and the inspiring cadets.

Jacqui Cross (centre, back row) with the NSW Aboriginal nursing and midwifery cadets and NaMO's Principal Advisor, Aboriginal Nursing and Midwifery Strategy, Kayla Potter (back row fourth from left), and Project Officer Amber Yarnold (back row far right)

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