'Inspiring' care leads to nursing awards

ACHIEVERS: Hawke's Bay nursing and midwifery excellence was celebrated at the Hawke's Bay Nursing and Midwifery Awards. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Fiona Unac is a Nursing Hero, winning one of 10 awards to celebrate recent International Midwives and International Nurses Days.

Hawke's Bay chief nursing officer Chris McKenna said the work of midwives and nurses was often taken for granted, but recipients deserved their awards for work that was "still inspiring to me, even after all the years I have been involved".

She said winners and wider staff had a "continual drive to upskill and be better at what they do."

Ms Unac has more than 20 years nursing experience across a variety of specialties and settings in primary and secondary care. She has been a staff nurse, nurse educator, nurse manager, quality advisor and clinical nurse specialist. Since 1999 she has worked in rehabilitation, medical, coronary care and radiology settings.

She is the only nurse practitioner in Australasia to work across radiology and vascular services.

Ms McKenna said Ms Unac's key role was providing advanced nursing care for interventional radiology and vascular patients.

"She performs outpatient first specialist assessments, conducts pre-angiography assessments and post procedural follow-ups, inpatient vascular reviews and performs technical skills such as ascites and pleural drain insertions.

"Fiona's advanced nursing services are collaborative and complementary within the health care team. She believes that having dedicated access to clinical mentorship and supervision is imperative for enhancing personal and team performance."

Her current roles include: chair of the Perioperative Nurses College of NZNO, the New Zealand representative on the International Federation of Perioperative Nurses, a radiology expert nurse for International Accreditation New Zealand and a committee member for the HBDHB Nursing and Allied Health Credentialing Committee

"Fiona believes that nursing is well positioned to influence health policy at a local and national level. She leads or contributes to submissions, developing knowledge and skills frameworks within her specialty area, and setting professional nursing standards."