Nominations have opened to recognise an outstanding nurse or midwife as part of the 2026 Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards.
The Healing Heart Consumer Award gives community members the opportunity to nominate a nurse or midwife who has provided extraordinary, safe, high-quality and compassionate care.
NNSWLHD Director of Nursing and Midwifery Katharine Duffy said the award allows the public to recognise a nurse or midwife who helped them or a loved one feel safe, supported and genuinely cared for.
“Our nurses and midwives do an incredible job of looking after those in our communities who are most vulnerable and in need of care and support,” Duffy said.
“The Healing Heart award is an opportunity to thank them for their dedication and hard work and for contributing to the life of our community in such a meaningful way.
“I encourage anyone who has had a great experience with a nurse or midwife, anywhere across our region, to help us celebrate this by nominating them for the Healing Heart Award.”
The Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards are held annually to recognise the contribution and commitment of nurses and midwives working across hospitals and health services in the district.
Joint winner of the 2025 Healing Heart Award, Sarah Hendrikse from BreastScreen NSW’s Tweed Heads clinic, who shared the honour with Lismore Base Hospital intensive care unit nurse Nigel Watts, said she was honoured to receive the award last year.
“It means a great deal to me that the care my colleagues and I put into looking after people does make a difference in the moment, they may be feeling most vulnerable and afraid,” Sarah said.
Sarah, who has worked across a range of specialties since qualifying as a registered nurse in 1994 and later becoming a midwife, now divides her time between BreastScreen at Tweed Heads and the day surgery unit at Murwillumbah District Hospital.
As a teenager, she was inspired to pursue a career in nursing after watching her mother being lovingly cared for before passing away from cancer.
“I love working with a team of people who are kind and caring and extend that kindness and compassion to our clients,” Sarah said.
“People who attend the BreastScreen service are often anxious and nervous, and I enjoy helping to make an unpleasant experience as good as it can be.”
Nominations are open and close at 5pm on Friday, 15 May 2026.
The Healing Heart Award will be announced at the NNSWLHD Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards in Ballina on 4 June 2026.
To nominate a nurse or midwife, fill out the form at Healing Heart Consumer Recognition Award.
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