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An Endeavour Hills nurse who has been crowned Australia’s best says she has the “best job”.
Tania Green was awarded Nurse of the Year at the 2020 HESTA Australian Nursing and Midwifery Awards for her stellar support of more than 500 child patients with cleft and craniofacial conditions.
There were 132 nominations for the award.
As coordinator at Monash Medical Centre’s Cleft and Craniofacial Unit, a humble Ms Green was recognised for her efforts to improve the care of cleft-affected babies and families.
She’s passionate about helping babies with cleft lip and palate – which are the most common congenital deformities.
“Nursing is more than just a job for me, it is a part of who I am,” she says.
“I have the best job in Monash Health and the opportunity to work with the expert
health professionals that make up the multidisciplinary team is exciting.
“But it’s our cleft patients and families that make my work so rewarding, and I look forward to continually striving to develop the best cleft service.”
Ms Green has played a large part in developing protocols to improve the confidence and education of special-care nursery and neonatal staff.
She also set up antenatal consultations for parents expecting a baby with a cleft lip or palate, which reduced the number of hospital visits required.
It saved families, particularly from regional areas, much time and expense.
A mother of two, Ms Green also volunteers for CleftPALS, a not-for-profit group that supports cleft-affected people and their families.
She will use her $10,000 prize money to further improve her unit’s service by networking with and exploring cleft services in Australia and aboard.
