Each year, the Nursing and Midwifery Awards and Scholarships (NAMAS) bring the Monash Health community together to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our dedicated nurses and midwives. The night, themed “Glitz and Glamour,” was filled with celebration, recognition, and appreciation, and featured a three-course sit-down meal, entertainment, and dancing.
Among the highlights of this year’s event was the recognition of Jane Donaldson, Clinical Midwife Educator, who was honoured with the Midwife of the Year award and highly commended for the Foundations of Care Award.
About receiving the top honour, Jane said, “I am thrilled to have received the 2024 Midwife of the Year award. Receiving the NAMAS nomination was such a lovely endorsement in itself. But to have gone on to win the award is an incredible highlight for me in my career at Monash Health.”
“So much of the work that we do as midwives and nurses is invisible – it happens behind closed doors and curtains and at all hours of the day and night. So, to be recognised for that hard work is very special and means so much to me.”
As a Clinical Midwifery Educator, Jane brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in Critical Care Nursing and tertiary midwifery. In the short time she has been with the team, Jane has developed and grown an effective, knowledgeable, and responsive group of Clinical Support Midwives. She has led by providing them with structure, direction, coaching and resources, enabling them to provide support and education to their team that has exceeded their previous expectations. Jane also meets with and regularly liaises with the Midwife Managers, converting ideas into action and improvement work, demonstrating immediate results and excellence in patient care.
Jane was nominated by the Maternity Service team at Dandenong Hospital, which she joined in June 2023. About her team, Jane said, “I am lucky to be part of such an incredible team here at Dandenong – from the midwives to the ward clerks, Patient Service Assistants (PSA) and managers, it really is a very special place to work.
“I would like to thank the Midwifery Managers Karen Brown, Bridie Mills and Lauren Hunter for nominating me for the NAMAS award and for making me feel so welcome and supported over the last 12 months since starting in my role as Clinical Midwifery Educator. I would also like to use this moment of recognition to shine a light on the rest of the incredible midwifery education team here at Dandenong – Erynne Hobbs, Jenna Hall, Laura Gonsalves and Marnie Douglas – who are four of the most impressive midwives and incredible educators I know. Their friendship, support and dedication make coming to work a pleasure and is why we can achieve the outcomes that this award reflects.”
Karen, Lauren and Bridie nominated her because she “embodies the essence of exceptional care delivery and consistently upholds the highest standards in her practice, aligning perfectly with the core elements of Nursing and Midwifery at Monash Health.”
“Jane is an asset to our team, and having her appointed as our Clinical Midwife Educator has been life-changing for us all. Jane is approachable, kind, and compassionate. She is a clinical expert and draws from her extensive background to teach everyone in our team how to change and improve their clinical practice daily.”
Her team says that Jane is passionate about midwives providing evidence-based care to our women and is always keen to offer her assistance in any way possible. Jane is adaptive, innovative, and an exceptional active listener. In her many years of practice, she has seen many rare and unusual cases. She takes any opportunity to share her experiences and enhance the skills and knowledge of others.
“Jane coordinates the graduate orientation day and has adapted and changed the content that is delivered on this day based on feedback from the Midwife Managers, Clinical Support Midwives, and the previous year’s Graduate Midwives, ensuring that this session meets the needs of our future workforce.
“She readily responds to calls for clinical assistance, often dropping everything to support her colleagues in the Birth Suite, demonstrating her commitment to ensuring the highest standard of care for every woman and their family. One of Jane’s most remarkable qualities is her ability to remain calm and composed under pressure, setting an example for her colleagues that is contagious. Her presence in challenging situations is reassuring and her supportive demeanour fosters a positive work environment for all.”
Reflecting on her role, Jane shared, “As midwives our core value is to be ‘with woman’ in the most joyous and most devasting moments a person can face. We are privileged to be beside women in those moments and we value doing the little things that matter to patients as much as we value the more overt advanced skills and technology.”
“Every day, Monash Health midwives across all four of our maternity sites provide exceptional care to some of Victoria’s most complex and most vulnerable women and babies. So being named the Midwife of the Year from such an amazing collection of midwives is truly an honour.”
In honouring Jane as the 2024 Midwife of the Year, we celebrate her shining example of excellence in nursing and midwifery. Her contributions to our team are truly commendable. Jane’s work exemplifies the core values of Monash Health and serves as an inspiration to her team and Monash Health community.
Congratulations, Jane, on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you for your outstanding contributions towards the team and their patients.