Source: Waikato District Health Board
The Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Waikato Nurse of the Year Award for 2024 was celebrated at Waikato Hospital last week.
The event coincided with International Nurses Day which had a theme of “Our Nurses, Our Future”, and was an opportunity for nurses to celebrate the success of their peers.
From a strong field of 23 nominees, the recipient of the 2024 Nurse of the Year award was Marion Sanders who works in the Mothercraft service located at the Waterford Birthing Centre.
Marion Sanders, Waikato Nurse of the Year 2024
Marion Sanders, Registered Nurse in Mothercraft played a pivotal role in the planning and execution of two relocations of Mothercraft from its original home of 50 years in 2022.
The positivity, initiative and sheer hard work demonstrated by Marion was described by her peers in her nomination as role modelling what an expert, dedicated nurse should look like.
Her nomination described Marion as an avid advocate for her service and for women and their babies, Marion’s expert nursing knowledge of families and the community which she shares with colleagues and whānau is greatly respected.
Receiving the 2024 award, Marion said she was overwhelmed and humbled given the high standard of nursing demonstrated by the 23 nominees.
The award recognises a nurse who has made a real difference to the area they work in. This difference could be related to improved patient experience and/or patient safety. The improvement could encompass innovation, improvements to team dynamics, patient care or implementing process changes.
Pictured is 2024 Health NZ Waikato Nurse of the Year, Marion Sanders with interim Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Noel Watson
