The 2018 winner Angela de Zwart is a clinical consultant for health tech company Orion Health who has 20 years’ experience as a registered nurse and still practices on a casual basis as an emergency department nurse for Waitemata DHB.

She is described as an advocate for health IT solutions supporting user workflow and trasnforming healthcare delivery.  She was the Project Lead for Emergency Care and Primary Care in the implementation of clinical information systems at Waitemata District Health Board and an Implementation Lead for the A+E and ADT Patient Administration System modules which included the introduction of electronic messaging, clinical portals and ED whiteboards.  De Zwart is also a member of the executive ofrecently renamed and realigned HiNZ Nursing Informatics Special Interest Group (HiNZ-NI).

Last year’s winner of the cup was Anna-Marie Scroggins, a clinical information specialist at MercyAscot Private Hospitals. The cup has been awarded since 2010 to encourage nurses in the informatics field and in recognition of work carried out to further the goals and achievements of nursing informatics.

The winner was announced at the HiNZ Conference this week by HiNZ-NI.

*Robyn Carr is one of the five nurses who organised New Zealand’s first nursing informatics conference in 1991. She went on to become World Chair of the Nursing Informatics Special Group of the International Medical Informatics Association Nursing Informatics Special Interest Group (IMIA-NI). Last year Carr –and fellow longstanding New Zealand informatics nurse Lucy Westbrooke – were elected as founding members of the Geneva-based International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics.

The 25-year-old of Ngāti Awa, Tuhoe and Te Arawa descent was announced as joint winner with Annie Stevenson at the annual NZNO awards dinner last night

Ruha-Hiraka now works as a practice nurse at Kawerau Medical Centre, where she had also worked part-time as a healthcare assistant throughout her three-year degree. The majority of the centre’s patients are Māori and the centre nominated their young protégé – who is fluent in te reo – for her passion for improving the health status of Māori through prevention and education­, and her work as the centre’s smoking cessation champion with the COPD management programme.

She says that when her boss nominated her she didn’t believe she had a chance of winning as “the calibre of the past winners was so high”. So she was so very excited to find she had won. “I was, like, stoked…I couldn’t believe it! I was so thankful, honoured and proud.”

Ruha-Hiraka grew up with her first language as Māori and said speaking te reo meant she felt she was able to connect and build rapport quite quickly with her Māori patients. “And we do have some kaumātua who struggle to understand consultations done in English so I do some of my consultations in Māori, which is easier for me and for them. So it’s a win-win.”

She says her Te Ōhanga Mataora Paetahi (Bachelor of Health Science Māori Nursing) at the wānanga was amazing, including its holistic focus on using the te whare tapa whā model to make them consider all four sides of Māori health – tinana (physical), wairua (spiritual), whānau (family) and hinengaro (mental) – when working with Māori patients.

“I’ve been brought up with te reo Māori and with the Māori world view, so I have basic knowledge of tikanga and I apply a lot of that into my practice as well. Which I feel our Māori patients appreciate.”

Though originally from the Bay of Plenty, Ruha-Hiraka had full te reo-immersion schooling in Wellington from kohanga reo, kura kaupapa and on to wharekura. A new job saw her nurse mother bring the family home to the Bay of Plenty, where Ruha-Hiraka decided to enrol and be part of the first Whakatane cohort of the wānanga’s kaupapa Māori nursing degree. She gave birth to her daughter Tewaituarangi in her second year but was so determined to finish her degree on time that she went straight back to school the day after giving birth as she had an assessment.

“I just continued my studies with no break,” she says. “I was working part-time as a healthcare assistant, was a full-time mum and did full-time study all at the same time.”  “But I couldn’t have done it without my whānau – they were my number one support system. Without them, I don’t think I would have been able to continue that quickly.”

Ruha-Hiraka says after leaving school she had been contemplating medicine but having shifted back to the Bay of Plenty she had been keen to stay there to study. Now midway through her new graduate year, she says she wants to continue studying and is considering starting on the nurse practitioner pathway in her chosen field of primary health care.

But first she is looking to celebrate her win and says as it is her partner’s birthday the day after the awards they might head off with their baby for a weekend away.

At the awards, NZNO kaiwhakahaere Keri Nuku acknowledged Ruha-Hiraka’s use of tikanga and te reo to create a safe and respectful environment when working with patients and their whānau, and said she truly deserves recognition for her hard work and dedication.

“You are a wonderful role model for young and Māori nurses, and we couldn’t agree more with staff at Kawerau Medical Centre, who say they are lucky to have you.”

Runner-up Te Rongopai Clay-Mackay, a young Plunket Nurse working in Porirua, was also acknowledged for her work in improving health for Māori. She is the first Plunket nurse to deliver both Well Child and B4 School programmes in te reo Māori and Nuku said Te Rongopai stood out for being “a vibrant, committed and caring young nurse who has demonstrated an incredible amount of maturity and professionalism in her work”.

The 2018 award winners and runners-up were chosen from 14 nominations. The judging panel consisted of representatives from all district health boards, the Office of the Chief Nurse (Ministry of Health), the NZNO President, kaiwhakahaere and nursing staff, and last year’s winner Jess Tiplady.

Kidz First Children’s Hospital paediatric medical ward nurse Annie Stevenson was announced last night as joint winner of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation award, alongside Aroha Ruha-Hiraka, at the annual NZNO Young Nurse of the Year awards dinner.

It was only the second time in the award’s five-year history that it has been given to two participants, because the judging panel found both nominees equally impressive

Annie, of Niuean descent, was nominated first for her work on a number of Kidz First projects at Middlemore Hospital, including Lungs 4 Life, which seeks to reduce bronchiectasis among Māori and Pacific children. Her second nomination was in recognition of her passion for child protection and work around intimate partner violence and shaken baby prevention.

NZNO president Grant Brookes said at the awards that Annie was outstanding role model to all young nurses, but especially young Pacific nurses.

“Annie is impressive for her willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty. She has had a real impact on the lives of infants in the Counties Manukau community and in the island nation of Kiribati where she has worked as a volunteer.”

Runner-up for the award this year was Te Rongopai Clay-Mackay, a young Plunket Nurse working in Porirua, who was also acknowledged for her work towards improving health for Māori. She is the first Plunket nurse to deliver both Well Child and B4 School programmes in Te Reo Māori and stood out for being “a vibrant, committed and caring young nurse who has demonstrated an incredible amount of maturity and professionalism in her work”.

The 2018 Award winners and runner up were chosen from 14 nominations. The judging panel consisted of representatives from all District Health Boards, The Office of the Chief Nurse (Ministry of Health), the NZNO President, Kaiwhakahaere and nursing staff, and last year’s winner Jess Tiplady.

The annual awards recognise the work of NZNO nurses and midwives who have made a difference at the national level to nursing or midwifery practice or to the practice environment of nurses or midwives.

Siniva Leru-Cruikshankwas honoured for her leadership work over her 40 years of nursing and community work both in New Zealand and Samoa.A matai (or Samoan chief) she was a founding member of NZNO’s Pacific Nurses Section, where she is acknowledged as an elder. She currently works with the Health Star Pacific Trust overseeing the Rheumatic Fever School Programme in South Auckland. She was described as a wonderful leader who readily shared her knowledge, skills and practice.

Vaifagaloa Naseriis also a matai who was nominated for her award for her extensive and generous contributions to Pacific nursing and Pacific communities. She has been a registered nurse and midwife working in both Samoa and New Zealand and has held a number of clinical, educational and managerial roles. These have included chairperson of the Pacific Women’s Data Advisory Group for the national cervical screening programme, Manager of the Pacific Breast Screening programme for Auckland, and as a committee member for NZNO’s Pacific Nursing Section.

Leonie Metcalfe has been an enrolled nurse at Waikato Hospital for 35 years and was nominated for her being a great advocate for enrolled nursing at every opportunity.  As well as her extensive history of supporting colleagues in the workplace.  She has a long history of involvement with NZNO, is the enrolled nurse representative on Waikato DHB’s PDRP council and the chair of NZNO’s Enrolled Nurse Section.

Sheryl Haywood, who became a nurse practitioner in 2016 after nursing for 25 years, was nominated for her award for the significant contribution she  was making to improving the lives of the older people she works with in Ashburton.  Also for inspiring those “lucky enough to work with her”.  Haywood provides comprehensive services to the frail elderly with complex diagnoses and management requirements. She is known for being passionate about person-centred care and believing in building sustainable and trusting relationships with her clients.

Last year’s winner of the cup was Anna-Marie Scroggins, a clinical informations specialist at MercyAscot Private Hospitals. The cup has been awarded since 2010 to encourage nurses in the informatics field and in recognition of work carried out to further the goals and achievements of nursing informatics.

The winner will be announced at the HiNZ Conference being held in Wellington in late November. For more information and nomination forms, email [email protected]. Honey is chair of the recently renamed and realigned HiNZ Nursing Informatics Special Interest Group (HiNZ-NI).

*Robyn Carr is one of the five nurses who organised New Zealand’s first nursing informatics conference in 1991. She went on to become World Chair of the Nursing Informatics Special Group of the International Medical Informatics Association Nursing Informatics Special Interest Group (IMIA-NI). Last year Carr –and fellow longstanding New Zealand informatics nurse Lucy Westbrooke – were elected as founding members of the Geneva-basedInternational Academy of Health Sciences Informatics.

The Tapuhi Kaitiaki Awards recognise Māori nurses who are furthering their studies, clinical practice and professional development while continuing to support the wellbeing of whānau, hapū and iwi.

“Māori nurses play a unique role in the health sector in that they are both clinically and culturally competent health professionals,” said NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku on the new awards.

Alison Hill, Pharmac’s Director of Engagement and Implementation said a Pharmac goal was eliminate inequities in access to medicines by 2025, and improving Māori health outcomes was a key focus.

“Māori health professionals have a pivotal role in helping Māori understand and access the medicines they need,” said Hill.

“We were really pleased with the quality of the applications, which painted a vivid picture of the deep understanding and strong commitment these nurses have to serving their communities through their profession. I was impressed to see how much these nurses fit into their daily lives, juggling their studies, tamariki, home and professional lives.

She said each of the nine winners demonstrated strong connections and dedication to their whakapapa and community, while continuing to strive towards excellence in their studies or professional practice.

Recipients of the 2018 Tapuhi Kaitiaki awards each received $2000 to $2500.

The award was presented by Kerri Nuku, the kaiwhakahaere of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, and adds to the New Zealand Order of Merit that Milne, a Māori mental health leader and consultant of Ngāti Hine and Ngāpuhi descent, received in the Queen’s Birthday Honours last year for services to Māori and health.

Milne, who trained as a mental health nurse more than 40 years ago, said she believes the people currently in mental health nursing are just as passionate as her generation.

“We [mental health nurses] were always the poor cousins [of nursing] but now we’re actually the distant cousins … Because the whole ethos around mental health nursing has really, really been diminished in the last decade.”

Milne says part of what makes mental health nursing unique is that “you are the tool of the trade”. “How somebody moves through from mental illness to mental wellness is dependent on you.”

She says her generation was forced to do things without permission because there was “nowhere to go but up” because of the unsustainable pressures on health services. “I have to actually say – if we don’t watch out …we are going back to that same crisis-driven environment again.”

Nuku said Milne’s dedication was a gift to all New Zealanders. “I was very proud to present this award to such a great person who is so dedicated to Māori health needs and education.” She said Milne had provided significant leadership through her working career and generated the same aroha, manaakitanga and commitment to her people as the award’s namesake – Akenehi Hei – who was the first Māori nurse to register under her Māori name back in 1908.

Milne’s previous awards also include the College of Mental Health Nurses/Te Ao Maramatanga Māori Mental Health Nurses Award and the RANZCP Mark Sheldon Award for her contribution to indigenous psychiatry, both presented in 2016.

Milne said her recent submission to the Inquiry into Mental Health and Addictions called for a kaupapa Māori framework for services for Māori and arguing the better resourced kaupapa Māori services were the bigger difference they could make to consumers.

Milne’s mother was a registered nurse, but it was the mental illness of a teenage classmate that first drew Milne to working in mental health. She first trained at a psychopaedic hospital in Mangere, before completing her psychiatric nurse training at Nelson’s Ngāwhatu Hospital, where she and colleagues also formed a kapa haka group of patients and staff that competed in local competitions.

She returned to Auckland to nurse at Kingseat, and spent some time nursing in Scotland in the mid-1970s before returning to nurse at the former Carrington Hospital. She retrained as a teacher in 1980 but returned to her first love of mental health, including working as a kaiwhakahaere for the Health & Disability Commissioner.

After becoming a consultant in 2000, in 2001 she developed a framework called Nga Tikanga Totika or Best Practice Guidelines for Kaupapa Māori Mental Health Services. She also contributed to Te Hau Marire (the national Māori addiction strategy), developed education programmes addressing Māori health, and contributed to Maori research through her membership of the Health Research Council and chairing of the group that developed Te Ara Tika to improve research ethics with Māori.

Milne has been a member of the Māori committee of the Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) for almost 20 years and is active in the International Network of Indigenous Health Knowledge and Development.

The winner of the inaugural NZ Young Nurse of the Year award in 2014 was Plunket nurse Katrina Coleman, whose client group included many new migrant families in Newtown, Wellington. With the help of local Plunket volunteers, she organised Christmas and winter parcels for families in need and set up a database to link mothers from the same culture for social support.

She was followed in 2015 by Gemma Hutton, a rural nurse specialist based in Franz Joseph who was the sole nurse dedicated to serving the isolated South Westland region. Being on call 24 hours a day meant she has to be ready to for “whatever lands on her doorstep”, including being called out to treat people injured in car accidents, glacier incidents or flown in from offshore fishing boats. She had also set up an exercise and healthy lifestyle group for local residents and a mother and babies group. Still based in South Westland, Gemma recently became a board member of the New Zealand Rural General Practice Network.

In 2016 there were joint winners. Rosita Richards was a passionate convert to rural outreach nursing after gaining a new graduate place in a kaupapa Māori health provider despite as a student being determined to work in acute care. The young mother of three, who had her first child at 16, said she had decided to study nursing to do something for herself and make her children proud. She advocated for nurses to nominate other young nurses as she had been surprised and humbled just to be nominated by her preceptor, let alone be a joint winner.

Fellow joint winner in 2016 was Dr Jed Montayre, a Philippines-trained nurse and lecturer at AUT, who has a passion for teaching and supporting the retention of all nurses in the country, including fellow internationally qualified nurses (IQN). He said receiving the award was sending a message that his and his fellow IQNs’ contribution to nursing in New Zealand was valued.

Last year’s winner was young nurse practitioner Jess Tiplady – at the time one of only four NPs under 35 and the youngest Māori nurse to have achieved NP status in New Zealand. To become an NP by age 29, Tiplady had studied every year but one since first enrolling in nursing school. With a passion for primary health care, she had worked for Manurewa’s Greenstone Family Clinic since graduating and had soon after set up a nurse-led clinic for eczema and then asthma, with an annual pre-winter “warrant of fitness’ clinic helping to halve its hospitalisation rates for children with asthma.

The purpose of the annual NZ Young Nurse of the Year awards is to recognise and celebrate exemplary practice by young nurses, encourage young nurses to demonstrate their commitment to the nursing profession, and provide an incentive for them to stay nursing in New Zealand.

Nominators are requested to show how the nurse has demonstrated their commitment and passion for nursing, which may include how the nurse has:

• shown compassion or courage beyond what is expected in their role
• improved care or health outcomes for their patients through their commitment to care, leadership, research or quality
• overcome major challenges to deliver exceptional care.

Nominees may be registered or enrolled nurses, or new graduates. They do not have to be in paid nursing work, must be under the age of 31 as at December 31 2018, must be resident in New Zealand, and must be a current financial member of NZNO.

The closing date for nominations is July 14 2018. Click here for more information and a nomination form.

She was honoured at the 2018 Minister of Health Volunteer award ceremony at Parliament on June 18 alongside Pacific nurse Sonya Apa Temata, who won the Pacific Health Volunteer Individual award for her work both here and across the Pacific, and wound care nurse consultant Pam Mitchell, a longstanding member of the New Zealand Wound Care Society, who was a runner-up in the Long Service awards.

Gosman who was born in 1936 of Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa and Ngāti Tautahi descent, has been doing volunteer work since 1974. She trained as a registered nurse in Wellington Hospital in the mid-1950s and later trained as a registered midwife and Plunket nurse. Now in her 80s, the foundation member of Te Kaunihera Neehi Māori o Aotearoa (The National Council of Māori Nurses) and inaugural vice-president of the College of Nurses Aotearoa continues her volunteer work, including posts on a number of iwi/ Māori councils and as a board member of the Rural General Practice Network.

Health Minister Dr David Clark said the judges were impressed by the depth and range of Gosman’s volunteering work over 44 years and the impact it has had on improving Māori health outcomes in particular.

“I would like to thank Kim for her contribution to the health and wellbeing of others. Her commitment at a strategic level and to training and mentoring new staff has enabled the expansion of frontline health services and improved health accessibility for Māori in the Lakes District Health Board region,” he said.

Her volunteer work began in the 1970s and later as a foundation tutor at Whitireia’s School of Nursing in the 1980s, she began undertaking papers in Māori Studies and learned te reo Māori. She also stepped up her volunteer work in firstly Porirua and later Turangi, where she was the inaugural managing director and chief executive of Tuwharetoa Health Services.

Gosman’s voluntary work has included maternity services and marae-based ear health clinics, and extended and improved the development of a wide range of health services. She is described by Lakes District Health Board as being a champion of improving Māori health outcomes and reducing inequalities.

Clark presented the Minister of Health Volunteer Awards in Parliament yesterday to mark National Volunteer Week and congratulated all those recognised as outstanding achievers.

Pacific nurse Sonya Apa Temata won her award for her exceptional work to improve health outcomes for Pacific patients and their families, both in New Zealand and in the Pacific. As a volunteer, she drew on her nursing background, which includes cardio-thoracic surgery, district nursing, sexual health and adult sexual assault services. As well as being a proactive member of a number of boards and advisory groups, she volunteers in communities and universities to ensure a Pacific perspective is reflected in the delivery of  health services. This year she has volunteered as part of the Fiji of Friends Foundation Cardiac Missionary team in Samoa and Fiji, and in the Cook Islands. She also gives a lot of her time to the LGQTBI Rainbow space for Takataapui, Pasifika Rainbow.

The work of Pam Mitchell, a Christchurch wound care clinical nurse consultant, particularly her work as a recognised leader in pressure injuries, was honoured with a long service award. Mitchell has been an active member of the New Zealand Wound Care Society for over 19 years, at times holding executive positions. She has represented the New Zealand Wound Care Society nationally and internationally, including work on developing pressure injury guidelines. She has been involved with national initiatives to improve clinical outcomes across New Zealand, collaborating with ACC, the Ministry of Health and the Health Quality and Safety Commission. She is also on the organising committee for the New Zealand Stop Pressure Injury Day.

Health Volunteer of the Year Award

Winner – Kim Gosman, Turangi

Māori Health Volunteer Individual Awards

Winner – Kim Gosman, Turangi

Runner-up – Jean Te Huia, volunteer CEO for Nga Maia o Aotearoa Māori Midwives.

Pacific Health Volunteer Individual Awards

Winner – Sonya Apa Temata, Pacific nurse

Long Service Awards

Runner-up – Pam Mitchell, wound care nurse consultant and member of NZ Wound Care Society

See the full list of winners and runner-ups at the close of this here.

The man’s shoes had caught fire and Wooding used his bare hands to stamp out the flames. Once he had the man out of the car, his first aid efforts were interrupted by having to drag the man further from the crashed car after explosions and fire engulfed the vehicle.

The community mental health nurse said he was at his mother’s house in Peel Forest, near Geraldine, when he heard “an almighty crash” and saw a car had hit a tree.

Wooding rushed to the scene, hurrying to free the unconscious driver from his car. It had already caught fire and the flames were spreading.

It looked, obviously, very serious right from the outset,” he said.

Wooding is a registered nurse and had previously volunteered as a paramedic, so had skills and experience to rely on when rescuing the driver.

“The guy’s not in a good shape, I can tell that I need to get him out pretty swiftly because the front of the car has caught fire,” he said.

It took Wooding a few tries to open the door. When he reached the driver, the man was not breathing.

“I can’t remember feeling a lot going through my mind. I was really just in the moment.”

Using the advanced first aid kit he kept in his truck, Wooding worked on the man for some time, with the help of others who also came to the rescue.

The  Royal Humane Society says although Grant is trained as a nurse and paramedic, the circumstances put him at a high risk of injury or death. The driver of the vehicle would almost certainly have died had Grant not responded in the timely and brave way that he did.

Wooding was one of 10 recipients to receive a Royal Humane Society of New Zealand Silver Medal from Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy at Government House last week. The medals are awarded for acts of bravery where rescuers put their own lives at risk to assist others whose lives are in peril.

“I think I was the right guy at the right time,” Wooding told Herald reporter Melissa Nightingale.

Wooding said he had been afraid of the immediate danger while pulling the man from the car.

“I think anyone would be. But … it’s someone’s life, you know? And you do what you can to try and get them out of a bad situation, and fortunately we were able to do that.

“Several times we had to … pull him away from the car as it was going up in flames. There were a few explosions.”

Wooding still thinks about the incident.

“It’s undeniable that it does affect you. On the day, you just leap into it with both hands and do what you need to, and later on you have some time to reflect.

“I’m pleased that this gentleman’s got the opportunity to still be a part of his family and I know he’s got young grandchildren and I know that they’re thrilled to still have him around. That, for me, is the biggest outcome from this, is that, you know, you get to spare a life and he gets to continue his life, and I think that’s a pretty awesome thing for a family.”

Wooding got “quite a shock” and thought someone was pulling a prank on him when he found out he was receiving the award.

“I don’t think I will still fully believe it until I’m standing in front of the Governor-General, to be honest.”

He said he was humbled, proud, grateful and honoured.

“I’m not one to sort of talk about these things too much. I do think about the event and what happened, and yeah, I’m just glad I was there and I was able to help this gentleman when he needed it most.”