Helen Nenke named NT Midwife of the Year 2023

The NT’s top nursing and midwifery staff have been recognised at a prestigious awards ceremony. See the full list of winners.

Winners at the Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards, 2023. Picture: NT Health

The Territory’s top nurses and midwives have been recognised at the annual Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards ceremony.

Midwife of the Year went to midwife and childbirth educator Helen Nenke while Nurse of the Year went to registered nurse for inpatient services Esther McAdam.

Ms Nenke has worked with Anglicare NT’s Pandanus program for eight years, offering childbirth and early parenting education to young mums.

Her non-judgemental approach was said to have created a safe space for mothers under 25 to develop their skills and confidence.

Ms Nenke also works as a maternal child health nurse and midwife.

Helen Nenke was named Midwife of the Year at the Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards 2023. Picture: NT Health

Ms McAdam has created a safe, responsive and kind therapeutic environment for her patients’ recovery, including a garden that led to connections to land and country.

The proactive nurse is highly sought after among patients and offers a steady presence in an otherwise chaotic ward environment to listen, support, and provide psychosocial education.

There were 276 nominations across 12 categories, with two new awards – Registered Undergraduate Student of Nursing/Midwifery of the Year and Excellence in Aged Care Nursing – listed for the first time.

It comes as the Territory government announced its new NT Health Nursing and Midwifery Plan for 2023-2028.

The new plan offers significant opportunities for nurses and midwives to support workplace culture, resilience, leadership, nursing and midwifery care models, recruitment, and retention.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles and Esther McAdam, who was named Nurse of the Year, at the Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards 2023. Picture: NT Health

READ THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS

Helen Nenke – Midwife of the year

Esther McAdam – Charles Darwin University Nurse of the Year Award

Caroline Phillips – NT Administrator’s Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Nursing/Midwifery

Reetha Girishkumar – Client Appreciation Award

DonateLifeNT – Team Award for Excellence in Nursing/Midwifery

Alysha Maceachern – Excellence in Nursing/Midwifery Aboriginal Health

Priscilla Moore – Excellence in Nursing/Midwifery Leadership

Caroline Phillips – Excellence in Aged Care Nursing

Justine Williams – Excellence in Nursing/Midwifery Research/Quality Improvement

Teresa Raines – Flinders University’s Excellence in Nurse/Midwife Education

Holly Engelhardt – Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation NT’s Excellence in Early Career Nurse/Midwife of the Year

Nicole Bayliss – Registered Undergraduate Student of Nursing/Midwifery of the Year

Originally published as Helen Nenke named NT Midwife of the Year 2023