Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards 2025 and recipients of the 2026 Premier’s Nursing and Midwifery Scholarships! Winners were announced at a Gala Dinner held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Friday 2 May 2025.
See below all of the amazing Flinders graduates who featured as winners and finalists on the night, or checkout the full list of awardees here.
Excellence in Aged Care
Winner: Karen Gregory (DipNg ’91, MPallC ’23), Resthaven Incorporated
Excellence in Education
Winner: Nursing Midwifery Education Research & Practice Development Department, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (Leigh Healey (BNg(PreReg) ’03), Lecia Semcesen (GradCertClinEd ’16)),
Finalist: Nursing and Midwifery Education Team, Yorke and Northern Local Health Network (Karen Orchard (BNg(PreReg) ’00))
Excellence in Practice – Aboriginal Nurse/Midwife (Mary Buckskin Award)
Winner: Darryle Barnes (GradDipNg(MentalHlth) ’18), Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network
Finalist: Shanamae Davies (BMid(Prereg) ’17), Southern Adelaide Local Health Network
Excellence in Practice – Early Career Nurse/Midwife
Winner: Kiana Applebee (BNg(PreReg) ’24), Eyre and Far North Local Health Network
Excellence in Practice – Nurse Practitioner
Finalist: Toni Slotness-O’Brien (GradCertHlth ’09, MNg(NPrac) ’11), University of South Australia
Excellence in Practice – Midwife
Finalist: Brittany Martin (BMid(Prereg) ’19), Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network
Excellence in Practice – Registered Nurse
Finalist: Dr Anita Lymn (BNg(PostReg) ’97, PhD ’24), Southern Adelaide Local Health Network
Excellence in Practice – Team
Winner: Closer to Home: Clinical Placement Collaborative 2024 Proof of Concept Pilot Project, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (Adjunct Assoc Prof Vanessa Owen – CNHS Academic Status)
Finalist: SA Tuberculosis Team , Central Adelaide Local Health Network (Hiu Kwan Wong (BNg(GradEntry) ’20) Georgina Paterson (GradCertHlth ’02))
Finalist: Northern Area Midwifery Group Practice Homebirth Program, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (Belinda Northcott (BMid(Prereg) ’10), Amy Rigano (GradCertMid ’14))
Excellence in Leadership and Governance
Finalist: Cara Flynn (GradCertPublicHlth ’14), Women’s and Children’s Health Network
Finalist: Tina Donaldson (BNg(PostReg) ’99), St Andrew’s Hospital
Excellence in Leadership – Emerging Leader
Winner: Kate Maxwell (BMid(Prereg) ’11), Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network
Finalist: Sirirat Wiriyakiat (BNg(GradEntry) ’09), Northern Adelaide Local Health Network
Excellence in Research and Innovation
Winner: Professor Marion Eckert (DipNg ’91)– University of South Australia – Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre
Finalist: Aileen Collier, Flinders University & Northern Adelaide Local Health Network – staff not alumni
Finalist: Dr Lauren Lines (MNg(Cwk) ’15, PhD(Ng/Midwif) ’20), Flinders University
2026 Premier’s Nursing and Midwifery Scholarship recipients:
Jessica Walkley (GradCertHlth ’10, MNg(Cwk) ’14), SAAS MedSTAR
Paula Medway (BMid(Hons) ’20), DHW
Sally Neumann (MHlthAdmin ’14), LCLHN