General News
28 May, 2025
Amy Sutherland recognised as the district’s Aboriginal Nurse/Midwife of the Year
Amy Sutherland from Gilgandra Multi-Purpose Service has been recognised as the Aboriginal Nurse/Midwife of the Year at the Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) 2025 Nursing and Midwifery Awards last Tuesday, May 20.
A respected leader in Aboriginal healthcare within the health district, where she serves as the first Aboriginal-identified transitional nurse practitioner, Amy has over 15 years’ experience across emergency, acute, palliative, and community care.
Her award was one of nine nursing and midwifery awards presented at the event on May 20, which acknowledge the passion, dedication and significant contribution nurses and midwives provide to patients and communities across western NSW.
WNSWLHD executive director quality, clinical safety and nursing, Adrian Fahy, said he was thrilled to personally congratulate each recipient, who were honoured among colleagues and guests. “It was a privilege to celebrate this year’s award recipients, each one deserving of the recognition. I also want to commend every nominee and those who earned honourable mentions,” Mr Fahy said.
“Every year I’m impressed with the quality of all our nominations, as usual it was an incredibly difficult task to select our award recipients, which is testament to the commitment of our workforce. The department’s website further outlined the contributions of recipients and nominees in this year’s awards. “Amy has contributed significantly to developing culturally-safe clinical practices in rural and remote settings,” the department’s website duly noted. “Amy is committed to mentoring healthcare professionals and ensuring that Aboriginal perspectives are embedded in care delivery. Her work at Gilgandra Multi-Purpose Service has helped improve emergency care for Aboriginal patients and her ongoing studies toward a rural generalist nurse practitioner qualification highlight her dedication to healthcare equity,” the citation continued.
“Amy’s professionalism, cultural insight and commitment continue to inspire colleagues and strengthen care for Aboriginal communities,” it concluded.
Mr Fahy said the awards are an opportunity to celebrate the efforts of these exceptional staff while also acknowledging the dedication of the entire nursing and midwifery workforce.
“Nurses and midwives make up the largest part of our workforce, with more than 3300 committed professionals across the district,” Mr Fahy said. “Their tireless efforts are at the heart of the care we provide, whether in hospitals, community health centres, or in the homes of our patients.”
Mr Fahy indicated that the nine district recipients will now go on to contest the 2025 NSW Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards.
