News

Aveley nurse shines in WA nursing awards

Apr 12, 2016

Aveley resident Jay Ewers is one of the last faces patients see in theatre at Joondalup Health Campus before they drift off under anaesthetic.

His amazing ability to reassure and keep people’s pre-operative anxiety in check, and the extraordinary lengths he goes to on the job, has seen him named a finalist in this year’s WA Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards.

The awards are run by the Western Australian Department of Health every year to recognise nurses and midwives who have made an exceptions contribution to their professions in WA.

Working in the hospital’s busy operating theatres as a newly graduated registered nurse, Jay had also worked as an enrolled nurse for nine years prior to obtaining his registration.

Operating Theatres Clinical Nurse Specialist Tania Arnold nominated Jay for the award in the Graduate of the Year category and says he is well deserving of a win.

“I remember one time we had an elderly patient who was quite confused and unable to complete the safety checks for consent and procedure matching, so Jay initiated phone calls and dialogue with the patient’s family to ensure the much-needed surgery could go ahead as planned, which prevented delays in treatment and recovery – he is always proactive in addressing issues so that patient care is appropriate and timely,” she said.

“Jay was also one of our first volunteers to provide anaesthetic patient care when we commenced the provision of a state-wide Peritonectomy service at Joondalup Health Campus. He has fine-tuned this care and helped other staff learn and develop their competencies in this specialty area.”

Director of Clinical Services Ben Irish said he was very impressed by Jay’s commitment, citing that Jay had used up all of his annual leave to attend practical placements around Australia to increase his exposure to all kinds of medical situations and enhance his competency.

“Jay used this experience not only to build on his own practice but also to apply them to continuous improvement processes and practices within theatres and to share his knowledge with Joondalup Health Campus staff,” he said.

“He is dynamic, committed and works tirelessly to promote patient quality care,” he said. “I am extremely pleased to see that a nurse who is so attentive and considerate of the care provided to surgical patients and who is such an outstanding role model has been named a finalist in these prestigious awards.”

The award winners will be announced at a Gala Ball being held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday 7 May.