Canberra Hospital nurse Prazoly Paul, midwife Nicola Ruthenberg win top ACT awards

Colleagues who feel like family and ample opportunities for further training and progression; it's not what we usually hear about jobs in health.

But intensive care unit nurse Prazoly Paul and midwife Nicola Ruthenberg, from Canberra Hospital, insist this is why they love their jobs.

Both have won top ACT government awards for their work.

They were nominated by colleagues and awarded by an independent panel.

Ms Paul is the 2023 nurse of the year, and Ms Ruthenberg is the year's top midwife.

An early career in real estate doesn't compare with helping life begin, maternity care coordinator Ms Ruthenberg said.

"Watching people become parents and families ... being there for that incredibly raw moment. The endorphins that you get from that as a midwife, [I] keep coming back to work everyday because of that feeling," she said.

One in five Australian nurses are considering leaving the profession, a September 2022 McKinsey report found.

Having caring and trusting teammates and doing meaningful work were the top things which made them stay, the report said.

Which explains why Ms Paul, who has worked at Canberra Hospital for 18 years, is not going "anywhere else".

Being an ICU nurse means watching sick patients getting better, and then seeing them healed and grateful.

And with relatives back home in India, Ms Paul's Canberra colleagues are her second family.

They even get her famous butter chicken.

"Everybody comes and talks to me in a way that they are my family member," Ms Paul said.

"When I get bored, I'll call and [say],'I'm happy to come in'. So I'm always working."

Ms Paul has been commended for implementing changes during COVID-19 which supported staff through a difficult period, but also kept patients safe.

"[She creates] a positive work culture and celebrating the diversity of her staff," the awards documentation said.

"[She encourages] senior nurses to upskill, offering guidance, education and support."

There is a relative shortage of midwives in the ACT, with experienced midwives working fewer hours than their younger counterparts, a 2019 Department of Health report found.

Having only worked as a midwife for five years, Ms Ruthenberg said she had been embraced by her managers.

"I feel like [management has] really supported me to grow as a midwife," she said.

"It's a really supportive workplace."

Ms Ruthenberg's team rely on her wise advice and calm disposition, her awards commendation said.

"Staff routinely seek Nicola's counsel following clinical scenarios that have not evolved as planned," it said.

"She is approachable and provides an environment of safety that is free of judgement or criticism."

MORE A.C.T. HEALTH NEWS:

A 2019 independent review into Canberra's public health system found it had a toxic workplace culture, poor leadership and high levels of bullying and harassment.

A 2023 review showed improvements, bullying rates dropping from 44 to 27 per cent.

The award winners insisted they were happy with their workplace.

"I love to be here," Ms Paul said.

Ms Ruthenberg agreed, saying: "I've really, really enjoyed it."

And regardless of negative media reports, neither woman wants to leave.

After all, who else will bring the butter chicken?

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