National Florence Nightingale Nursing award launched
Vitals Global Healthcare, together with the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses and the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, have launched a new national award, to honour nurses who lead the way in the spirit of compassion, nurturing, knowledge through evidence-based practices and research and commitment to quality and safety.
The award was launched during an event organised by MUMN in celebration of the International Nurses and Midwives Day at San Anton Palace.
The award is a way to recognise the outstanding commitment demonstrated by nurses who constantly exceed expectations in their profession. Nominations will be received from colleagues and patients who experience the work of dedicated professionals consistently and is open to professional nurses licensed to work and actively employed in Malta for the last five years.
The criteria for the Malta Florence Nightingale Nursing Award are: • 15% Excellence in clinical nurs
ing skills • 15% Teamwork and develop- ment of effective interpersonal relationships • 10% Community engagement: volunteer service activities, local or international • 10% Effective leadership and
management skills • 10% Publication of nursingrelated article, essay, opinions in local journals or periodicals • 10% Publication of research, EBP, research utilisation reviews or research reviews in peer reviewed journals or nursing journals as primary author • 10% Publication or oral presentation of quality improvement projects or evidence-based practice projects • 10% personal professional development through advancement in career • 10% professional development of other nurses through mentoring and coaching All applications will be de-identified and reviewed by a panel with members from MUMN, VGH and Malta Directorate, and one final winner will be announced.
Tess Panizales, director of Nursing at VGH explained that the award was not only to give thanks to those most dedicated in the field, but also to motivate nurses to continue to develop and achieve excellence in their profession. “Nursing is far more than just a job, it is a calling and a lifelong profession. We need to motivate nurses and provide the opportunity to promote learning and professional growth, so we can continue the tradition to deliver the highest quality and safe care to our patients.”
Maria Cutajar, president of the MUMN, added that the MUMN had always worked to see the advancement of the nursing profession and this new award continued to build on that. “As nurses we are trained to work in a team environment and that is why we are pleased to collaborate with entities such as the Nursing Directorate and the team at Vitals Global Healthcare. Together we believe that we can further strengthen and empower our healthcare professionals to improve the overall quality of care across Malta and Gozo.” More information will be made available shortly on www.vitalshealthcare.com