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The team enriching health in millions of ways every day |
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Welcome to the Nursing and Midwifery Office's latest newsletter |
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- May celebrations
- Emergency nursing education
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Out and about
- Important dates
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I hope you all enjoyed International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day in May and had the opportunity to congratulate yourselves on the incredible work you do for the people and communities in NSW.
I had the pleasure of visiting Western NSW and Western Sydney for their May celebrations, and it’s always so inspiring and invigorating to hear your stories and meet the teams. Like many of the Local Health Districts they took the opportunity to congratulate the finalists and recipients of their nursing and midwifery awards. |
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What stood out for me in both of the award ceremonies was the strong nursing and midwifery cultures in each of the Local Health Districts. Western Sydney had a focus on the diversity of their workforce and the population they serve.
Similarly, the celebration at Western New South Wales shone a light on their commitment to community, the investment and focus on their nursing and midwifery workforce was very clear, with senior leaders reflecting on how they had followed and supported the transition of many of the finalists throughout their careers.
A reminder about how we value that human connection, teamwork and supporting the communities that we live and work in.
It also reminds me how clever and compassionate the NSW Health nursing and midwifery workforces are. I know how much you all give to your roles as nurses and midwives, I see it every day in so many ways.
Your contribution to the health of our communities is immense. You are in a unique position to effect change, improve the patient and staff experience, and drive better health outcomes.
I am delighted to announce that in September the Nursing and Midwifery Office (NaMO) will again host our virtual Nursing and Midwifery Showcase, highlighting the ways nurses and midwives are improving, adapting and sometimes completely re-thinking the delivery of care through innovation.
As we head into June, it’s time to judge the nominations for the NSW Health Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards. These annual awards are an important way to recognise excellence in many ways and across all levels of seniority in the nursing and midwifery workforce. The 2025 finalists will be announced early in August and the Awards ceremony will be held in November.
Celebrating and recognising the excellence of our nurses and midwives, creating a culture where innovation thrives and creativity flourishes by prioritising kindness and compassion, are key enablers for NaMO to support all the nurses and midwives in NSW Health.
It is such a privilege to have the opportunity to be a part of the biggest workforce in NSW Health, a workforce that is strong, influential and future focused. |
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Jacqui Cross PSM Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, NSW Health |
May is a highlight in the annual nursing and midwifery calendar, with International Day of the Midwife on 5 May and International Nurses Day on 12 May.
To all our wonderful nurses and midwives – a heartfelt thank you for the huge impact you have across all facets of our healthcare system. The care you provide makes a lasting difference to the people you care for and the teams you work alongside, each and every day throughout NSW.
It’s also lovely to see the ‘healing hearts’ on display around the state as a simple but effective way to acknowledge the importance of May. Celebrations were had far and wide, and in acknowledgement of the amazing nurses and midwives in NSW Health, here is the month of May in pictures. |
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Western NSW Local Health District |
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Western Sydney Local Health District |
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Central Coast Local Health District |
NSW Ambulance Fixed Wing nursing team |
Western Sydney celebrations |
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Far West Local Health District Healing Heart Consumer Award recipients |
May celebrations at the Sydney Eye Hospital, Sydney Local Health District |
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Celebrating the inaugural rural mental health nursing scholarships |
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Congratulations to the six inaugural recipients of the 2025 Bob Fenwick Rural Mental Health Nursing Scholarships — a program established by the Nursing and Midwifery Office to honour Bob Fenwick’s lifelong contribution to rural and regional mental health nursing in NSW.
The scholarships, valued at $15,000 each, support registered nurses working in rural and regional areas to undertake a Master of Mental Health Nursing, enabling them to expand their clinical knowledge, grow their leadership capabilities, and strengthen the delivery of high-quality mental health care in their communities.
Each of the six recipients was nominated by their Local Health District’s Mental Health Director of Nursing, in recognition of their strong commitment to professional development, person-centred care, and their leadership potential in the field of mental health nursing. Congratulations to the 2025 recipients: |
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Margaret Hanen, Registered Nurse – Mid North Coast LHD
- Yve Connett, Clinical Nurse Consultant – Mid North Coast LHD
- Soji Antu, Registered Nurse – Murrumbidgee LHD
- Megan Kelly, Registered Nurse – Northern NSW LHD
- Jaisy Tom, Registered Nurse – Southern NSW LHD
- Lydia Kelly, Registered Nurse – Western NSW LHD
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“These nurses exemplify the spirit of the Bob Fenwick Scholarship — dedicated, compassionate, and future-focused,” said Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Jacqui Cross.
“I congratulate each of them on their achievement and look forward to seeing the impact they will make as leaders in mental health nursing across rural and regional NSW.” For anyone interested in the 2026 Bob Fenwick scholarships, please contact the Director of Mental Health Nursing in your District or Specialty Network. |
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The new Emergency Nursing Transition to Specialty Practice program has launched |
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The new Emergency Nursing Transition to Specialty Practice (TTSP) program is a comprehensive statewide education program developed to support nurses transitioning to roles within NSW Health emergency care settings – and it’s the first blended learning program of its kind in Australia.
The program, officially launched on 28 May by the Secretary NSW Health, Susan Pearce AM, is designed to ensure that emergency nurses, no matter if they’re based in major metropolitan hospitals or remote rural settings, receive the same high-quality education that is grounded in evidence-based practice and aligned with best contemporary educational principles.
The program is the product of system-wide partnership between the Health Education and Training Institute, the Agency for Clinical Innovation, the Nursing and Midwifery Office, and every Local Health District and Specialty Health Network.\ “By equipping our nurses with these critical skills, we are fostering a workforce that can meet the increasing complexity of our healthcare system with confidence and competence,” said Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Jacqui Cross.
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NSW Health sees more than three million emergency patient presentations per year, and nurses are at the centre of the care for each and every one of them.
The blended, contemporary approach of the new transition program will make sure every nurse is well prepared and skilled to work to their full scope of practice, and ultimately that means both patient and staff experiences are of the highest calibre.
The program, developed by the Health Education and Training Institute (HETI), embraces the concepts of modern learning, so it is engaging, flexible, relevant in the real world and integrated into work environments. The Emergency Nursing Transition to Specialty Practice program is delivered through the statewide Learning Management System (My Health Learning). |
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The Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Jacqui Cross, visited Western Sydney LHD and Western NSW LHD in May to be part of their local Awards events and catchup on what’s happening in nursing and midwifery in those districts. “There’s nothing like getting out and talking with nurses and midwives across the state,” Jacqui said. “Listening to their stories and hearing their feedback is so important to me.”
Congratulations to all the finalists and winners in the local Nursing and Midwifery Awards across the state! |
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Western Sydney Local Health District |
| Western NSW Local Health District |
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Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards 2025 |
Our annual Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards is a way to celebrate the contributions of the nurses and midwives in NSW Health. We’ve had hundreds of nominations, and our judging panel is hard at work reviewing them all. Finalists will be announced in early August and the Awards will be held in November. |
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The 2025 NSW Health virtual nursing and midwifery showcase will be held 9-11 September 2025.
Be inspired by the ideas and innovative approaches of a broad range of nursing and midwifery projects, initiatives and experiences from across the state. The Showcase theme of Ignite Inspire Influence continues, and topics thisyear will include: |
- developing culture focused leadership
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celebrating moments that matter
- building our future workforce
- embracing kindness and compassion
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“I am so proud of the work being initiated and led by nurses and midwives across the state, with a focus on improving the quality of care we provide, and the experience for our patients and their families with truly connected care,” said Jacqui Cross. Expressions of Interest are open now until 23 June, 2025. EOIs are submitted via District Directors of Nursing and Midwifery, and we encourage you to submit an abstract via your local district. |
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Important Dates // June, July, August |
12 JUNE: Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards 2025 nominations close |
17 JUNE: Applications open for NSW Health 2026 GradStart recruitment and close 30 June |
4 AUGUST: Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards 2025 finalists announced |
29 August: Wear it Purple Day is an annual LGBTIQA+ awareness day, especially for young people |
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