Western Victoria Primary Health Network

Introduction

Western Victoria Primary Health Network (Western Victoria PHN) is firmly focused on recognising excellence in nursing within community and primary care sectors. The Primary Health Care Nurse Excellence Awards form part of Western Victoria PHN’s commitment to raising the awareness of the contribution of nurses in the primary care sector and acknowledgement of the significant role that primary health care nursing plays in driving improvements within primary health care.

The Primary Health Care Nurse Excellence Awards 2018 recognise nurses practicing in the western Victoria region who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the health and wellbeing of their patients by undertaking a quality improvement activity within their practice.

Western Victoria Primary Health Network

Western Victoria Primary Health Network (PHN) is committed to quality and accessible primary health care for western Victoria.

Western Victoria PHN was established on 1 July 2015 and is a not for profit organisation, responsible for delivering on the following two objectives set by the Federal Government:

• Increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of health services for patients, particularly those at risk of poor health outcomes

• Improving coordination of care to ensure patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

Western Victoria PHN is committed to working with all stakeholders within our region to achieve improved health outcomes in the Primary Health Care setting.

Purpose

The purpose of this award is to highlight the commitment and results primary health care nurses make towards quality improvement work within western Victoria.

The Western Victoria PHN Primary Health Care Nurse Excellence Awards 2018 aims to:

• Raise awareness of the contribution of primary health care nurses in the primary care sector
• Recognise the role primary health care nurses play in patients receiving the right care in the right place at the right time
• Recognise the professionalism and quality of work that primary care nurses are undertaking in our community.

About the Award

The Western Victoria PHN Primary Health Care Nurse Excellence Award 2018 is open to primary health care nurses working within the geographical boundaries of Western Victoria PHN. The award will recognise primary health care nurses who have undertaken a structured and evidence-based quality improvement activity within their practice.

Regional finalists

Regional finalists will be selected from each region:

• Ballarat Goldfields
• Geelong Otway
• Great South Coast
• Wimmera Grampians.

Regional finalists will receive $500.00* to assist with continuing professional development expenses.

Regional finalists will receive a trophy of recognition.

Regional finalists will be invited to attend the Award ceremony to be held in conjunction with Western Victoria PHN’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday 25 October 2018.

*Required to provide Western Victoria PHN with evidence of use of funds post professional development within 12 months of receipt of award.

Primary Health Care Nurse Excellence Award 2018 Winner

The Primary Health Care Nurse Excellence Award 2018 Winner will be selected from the Regional Finalists and will receive $1000.00* to support continuing professional development expenses such as course or conference registration fees.

The Winner will receive a trophy of recognition.

Announcement of the Winner will take place at the Award ceremony to be held in conjunction with Western Victoria PHN’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday 25 October 2018.

*Required to provide Western Victoria PHN with evidence of use of funds post professional development within 12 months of receipt of award.

*Invited to share learnings during attendance at:

•Practice Nurse Network meeting (local office)

•Western Victoria PHN All Staff Meeting (local office)

•Western Victoria PHN Annual General Meeting (Geelong).

Employers

In recognition of the support of their employee and the implementation of the quality improvement initiative within the practice, employers of each of the Regional Finalists and the overall Winner will receive a Certificate of Acknowledgement.

Practice support staff are invited to attend the Award ceremony to be held in conjunction with Western Victoria PHN’s Annual General Meeting in Geelong on Thursday 25 October 2018.

Eligibility

Applications must be made by a primary health care nurse currently working in the Western Victoria PHN region.

Applications must relate to a quality improvement activity that has been implemented since 1 January 2018.

All entrants agree to the publication and distribution of their submission by Western Victoria PHN.

Applications will be judged on the applicant’s achievements in undertaking a quality improvement initiative, which may include, but not limited to, one of the following areas.

Assessment

All applications received will be assessed by an Awards Panel. Assessment will be strictly in accordance with the selection criteria and feedback on individual applications will not be provided.

Applications that do not address the selection criteria, or do not meet the application requirements, will be ineligible for assessment.

Privacy

Please ensure that your submission does not contain confidential information or restricted intellectual property (IP) that should not be circulated in the public domain. Western Victoria PHN will not assume liability for IP breaches due to the inappropriate distribution of information from parties external to the organisation. Submissions remain the property of Western Victoria PHN.

Western Victoria PHN may use the information contained in the submission for promotional purposes. This may include imagery contained within the application. In accordance with privacy legislation, Western Victoria PHN assumes submitting authors have granted consent to publish any material contained in the application and reports. Any authors who do not wish their names or specific materials to be published must advise Western Victoria PHN in writing with their application.

Testimonial – Caroline Gibson

Receiving this award has created numerous opportunities for me to talk about the role of practice nurses in dementia care as and to also complete a leadership skills workshop. Consequently, my confidence in presenting this project has increased as has my encouragement to other nurses to embrace the challenge of identifying gaps in current care and developing new ways of doing things to address these gaps.As there are already many nurses in general practice who are applying innovative ways of delivering best-practice care for people living in the community,I applaud Western Victoria PHN in introducing the Primary Health Care Nurse Excellence Award to recognise and celebrate the achievements of these nurses.

Caroline Gibson, Ballarat Community Health

Key dates

How to apply

1.Complete Application Form

The application form must be completed entirely. Partially completed nomination forms will be deemed invalid and will not be considered by the selection panel.

2.Submit Applications to Western Victoria Primary Health Network

• Email to mailto:

• Post to:

Primary Health Care Nurse Excellence Award 2018

Western Victoria Primary Health Network

131 Myers St, Geelong VIC 3220

3.Applications close 5.00pm on Tuesday 31 July 2018.

Enquiries

For further information, please contact Margaret Dempsey on (03) 5222 0800.

WESTERN VICTORIA PRIMARY HEALTH NETWORK

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE NURSE EXCELLENCE AWARD 2018

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