Director of Nursing named Catholic Health Australia's Nurse of the Year
St John of God Richmond Hospital’s Director of Nursing Lorna O’Brien was last night named the Nurse of the Year at the Catholic Health Australia 2018 awards, recognising her role in digitising the hospital’s admissions enquiries.
28 Aug 2018
St John of God Richmond Hospital Chief Executive Officer Stephen Brooker congratulated Lorna on winning the award and said it was great recognition for her leadership and innovation.
“Lorna is a truly worthy recipient of the Catholic Health Australia Nurse of the Year award,” he said.
“Her drive, determination, good humour, humility and professionalism make her a truly one of a kind nurse and exceptional leader.”
The Catholic Health Australia Nurse of the Year Award was presented on Tuesday, 28 August and recognises outstanding nurses who are committed to serving patients with respect and dignity through an innovative program or research.
In winning the award, Lorna was acknowledged for her overall leadership and for introducing a digital customer relationship management tool to replace paper-based records to enhance the patient referral and enquiry process and provide better access to care.
Mr Brooker said Lorna’s leadership in implementing the digital database had transformed the hospital’s admissions process.
“The new digital platform she has introduced to the hospital is one example of her innovative practices that ensure we continue providing exceptional patient-centred care to all those who seek mental health support,” he said.
“Through Lorna’s work, we now have a time-orientated system that focuses on our patients’ needs, tracks their status in the admissions cycle and provides real-time feedback to promote wellbeing.”
The award and the effective introduction of this system are at once proud and humbling moments for Lorna.
“I am passionate about my work and I feel very humbled to be acknowledged through this award and I would like to thank my team and the wider hospital community for their support,” Ms O’Brien said.
“This initiative is just one example of how we continue the core values of nursing in new and innovative ways to stay relevant and help those who seek our care.”
Lorna joined St John of God Richmond Hospital as a nurse manager two years ago before being appointed as the hospital’s Director of Nursing, however her connection to the hospital dates back to the 1980s and 1990s when she worked at the facility as a registered nurse.
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