- Awards and Honours, Nursing and Midwifery
- 3 min read
Congratulations to The Monash Children’s at Home and Reef Children’s Cancer Centre Team, named joint winners of the 2026 NAMAS ‘Teams of the Year’.
The Monash Children’s at Home and Reef Children’s Cancer Centre teams have transformed how Paediatric Oncology care is delivered safely at Monash Health.
The teams worked collaboratively to innovate and advance Paediatric Oncology care by designing new clinical procedures, establishing robust safety pathways, and creating a comprehensive training program to upskill Hospital in the Home nurses in anti-cancer therapy.
Their work has increased service capacity and improved the experience of children and families during an incredibly challenging time.
A treatment that traditionally required attending the Reef Children’s Cancer Centre for five days of the week, now only requires the first dose to occur as a day‑stay. All subsequent doses are safely provided at home.
Ashleigh Schneider, Nurse Unit Manager, Monash Children’s at Home, said reducing hospital stays and supporting children at home makes a meaningful difference for families.
‘Children can continue to attend school or kinder because families know when the nurse will visit. It also allows parents to keep working during this time.’
‘We have also seen greater comfort and less anxiety in our patients. At home, children can settle in with familiar routines, their own toys and the comfort of their usual surroundings.’
Rhiannon Brown, Interim Nurse Manager of 4C Reef Children’s Cancer Centre, added there is a reduction on the burden of families and all the associated costs with hospital stays, saving time and money.
‘Treatment at home also helps siblings understand what is happening, because they can watch the nurses at work and learn more about the care their brother or sister is receiving.’
The teams have supported multiple patients in early 2026, demonstrating the model’s consistency, safety and scalability. It has reduced inpatient bed use, increased capacity for higher-acuity patients and improved comfort for children and families.
‘Care in the home and the community is the way of the future, and we’ve had discussions about where further expansion could occur. We are really excited about what this means for this cohort of patients.’
Their collaboration has led to success which has strengthened team capability, built confidence across services, and shown what shared vision and collaboration can achieve.
Rhiannon is inspired by the Monash Children’s at Home team’s adaptability and creativity in delivering safe care at home.
‘They have contributed to every part of the patient journey and are always willing to step in and help wherever needed. They go above and beyond to fit our patients in and make sure they’re in the best place, which is their home.’
Ashleigh said of the Reef , ‘You don’t really understand what another team does until you stand in their shoes.’
‘They have very highly skilled and dedicated nurses, and the support that is provided to the kids in their care has been eye-opening.’
Asked what advice they would give other teams, they said shared purpose and complementary skills were key to making the model work.
‘It’s about bringing together people with different skill sets who share the same goal, helping children return home to their families,’ said Ashleigh.
Rhiannon added, ‘it’s just big ideas and the right people to put them together.’
Congratulations to all our 2026 NAMAS award winners and nominees.
