Celebrating International Nurses Day with the Peter Mac Nursing Awards
13 May 2025
Peter Mac marked International Nurses Day by announcing the Peter Mac Nursing Award winners, and celebrating of the many ways nurses deliver and improve cancer care.
The Peter Mac Nursing Awards are designed to reflect the full spectrum of Peter Mac nursing contributions - from clinical practice to education, research, leadership, and beyond. They highlight nurses whose work exemplifies Peter Mac's values of compassion, excellence, and innovation.
Peter Mac Nursing Awards - 2025 winners
- Chief Nursing Officer's Award - Paul Heaney (Palliative Care)
- Compassion Award - Gillian Bulle (Palliative Care)
- Innovation Award - Molly Robertson (Clinical Trials) and Sam van der Linde (Specaialist Nursing CAR T-Cell Therapy)
- Leadership Award - Anooshka Bucci (Cancer Surgery)
- Outstanding Graduate (2024) Award - Tiarna Green (Day Therapy)
- Clinical Award - Nathan Watson Kruse (Cancer Surgery)
- Education Award - Tracey Taylor (Nursing Education)
- Research Award - Hayley Beer (Specialist Nursing, Myeloma)
- Team Award - The Cancer Imaging Nursing Team
Team work was a strong theme of the evening. The inaugural Teams award was awarded to the Cancer Imaging Nursing Team, for their exemplary support of Peter Mac's Imaging and Theraonistics nuclear medicine programs, which has seen many team members upskill and learn more technical skills. Many nominees were praised for their commitment to team culture - in fact 'team' was the most used word across the 125 award nominations.
Two Palliative Care team members received awards. These recognused the compassionate, comprehensive care they provide for patients, many of whom are receiving end of life care, and also to their families. Associate Nurse Unit Manager Paul Heaney received the prestigious Chief Nursing Officer's award for his longstanding commitment to consistent, gentle cancer care. His team mate, Registered Nurse Gillian Bulle, recieved the Compassion Award.
Guest speaker Rae Sturgess, a Registered Nurse in Peter Mac's busy Day Therapy department, spoke eloquently about learnings from her 2024 graduate year. Her speech was injected with humour and vulnerability, which resonated with nurses of all ages and specialties in the room.
The awards were also a time to note Peter Mac nurse's other achievements through 2024-25. In line with Peter Mac's commitment to supporting nurses to grow in their careers, new Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, and those who have completed a graduate certificate in specialty nuring were also celebrated. As were nurses who recieved career develpment grants through Peter Mac's new nursing scholarships program.
Nursing leaders, including Chief Nursing Officer Andy Dimech and Associate Director Kyra Chapman, spoke warmly of the joys of cancer nurses. Acknowleding the challenges of their profession, all speakers highlighted the deep sense of satisfaction that comes with providing personalised care and seeing it make an impact.
The 2025 Nursing Award winners were selected by nurse leaders, from 125 nominations submitted by colleagues from across Peter Mac.
