Winners of Deakin Health Super nursing leadership awards announced

Director of Nursing at Southern Health, Tricia Bulic, has won the Deakin Health Super Leadership in Nursing Award.

Ms Bulic's award was announced at a gala dinner held at the Park Hyatt as part of DeakinWeek.

Deakin University, in partnership with Health Super, hosts the annual awards to recognise the inspiring nurses who have contributed to the profession and benefited the public by improving health service delivery, capacity and/or policy.

The Head of Deakin's School of Nursing, Professor Maxine Duke, said that Ms Bulic was a very deserving winner of the major $20,000 award.

"Ms Bulic's work with Southern Health exemplifies the spirit of the Deakin Health Super nursing leadership awards," Professor Duke said.

"As an advocate for quality mental health services within Southern Health and at a state and national level, Ms Bulic contributes to raising awareness of the issues associated with mental illness.

"That Ms Bulic was nominated for the award by her mental health nursing team is also testimony to her success. Her team describes her as a leader who 'encourages and empowers nurses to believe that they are able to achieve far greater than they have been' and this has resulted in improved care for patients and their families."

Ms Bulic will use the $20,000 award prize money to develop a multi-media team development package designed specifically for the needs of mental health nurses.

During the awards dinner, three $6000 prizes were also awarded.

Dr Judy Currey, a Senior Research Fellow in the Alfred/Deakin Nursing Research Centre, received the Excellence in Nursing Leadership in an Urban Health Care Environment award.

Mr Mark Arnold, a nurse unit manager with Barwon Health's McKellar Centre in Geelong, won the Excellence in Nursing Leadership in a Regional Care Environment prize.

The Excellence in Nursing Leadership in a Rural Health Care Environment was awarded to Ms Leanne McCann, a nurse with South West Healthcare in Warrnambool.