Sydney Adventist Hospital has spent a week celebrating its hard-working staff with awards, treats, and hilarious events.
International Nurses Day, International Day of the Midwife, and the hospital’s own 'Thrive Week' were all part of an action-packed seven days.
One of the highlights was the inaugural bedpan relay, which was won by the Therobandits, a team from the Allied Health departments.
Clare Lumley, Chief Operations and Nursing Executive, said the theme for this year’s International Nurses Day was “our nurses, our future”.
“Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system,” she said. “The pandemic highlighted their incredible resilience and selflessness.
“As we look towards the future, it is imperative that we value our nurses.
“Let’s ensure we work together to create a brighter future for nursing, where our nurses are professionally fulfilled and empowered to provide the highest quality of care to our communities."
Ms Lumley said Sydney Adventist Hospital - also known the San - was delighted to acknowledge its midwives too.
“We celebrate the incredible contributions of our midwives who have been delivering San babies for over a century,” she said.
“Their unwavering commitment to maternal and newborn health has been instrumental in shaping the legacy of our hospital.”
New South Wales' biggest private hospital is the largest employer in the Ku-ring-gai area of Sydney, with more 1,200 nursing staff and more than 1,200 other staff members.
The San’s Thrive Week aims to recognise the importance of personal and professional growth, health, and resilience of its workforce, with staff awards being one of the highlights.
This year, 117 staff were presented with awards for long service - 65 of those have been with the hospital for 10 years; 42 staff for 20 years; seven staff for 30 years, and three for 40 years.
Nominees for the Mission Ambassador awards were also announced, recognising staff who exemplify the hospital’s mission to “care for the body, mind and spirit of patients, colleagues, community and ourselves”.
Town hall-style information sessions provided an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of recent times, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as share exciting developments for the future.
Staff were treated to a special menu and live music in the San Café, and complimentary frozen yoghurts at a pop-up stall, while the selfie photo booth was also very popular.
“Caring for our community is what nurses and staff at the San have been doing since we opened in 1903,” Ms Lumley said.
“The hospital has also played an important role in training nurses since its inception, (and today) provides a range of nursing education and upskilling programs for nurses throughout their careers, recognising that continuing education is the cornerstone of a robust healthcare system.”
