Mandurah resident and Murdoch Peel campus nursing lecturer Prue Andrus is a finalist for the 2017 WA Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards.
Ms Andrus, who is an expert in clinical simulation, is responsible for creating and coordinating realistic healthcare training for Murdoch University’s nursing students.
These simulation learning environments ensure optimisation of the student’s clinical practice placement experiences over the three years of their program.
Ms Andrus said she was overwhelmed to be recognised in these awards.
“I have felt privileged to care for others during my nursing career and through teaching I am able to look after our next generation of nurses,” she said.
“By using simulation as a teaching method, I try to immerse students in the clinical healthcare environments that they will experience on placement and therefore help to prepare them to care for others.
“My greatest success is that I love my job and look forward to it each day, and I am supported by an awesome team of exceptional colleagues.”
Murdoch University’s Head of Nursing Associate Professor Cathy Fetherston said Ms Andrus was an outstanding role model for other nursing and midwifery educators, as well as for the future nurses and midwives.
“Ms Andrus places the education of students, the professional standards of the simulation suite and its purpose above all else, providing service to students outside of hours to achieve their requirements,” she said.
“In addition to her teaching, Ms Andrus regularly meets with industry providers to facilitate open communication and evaluative feedback on simulation exercises and education, for students to be industry ready and educative content to be applicable to real world nursing.”
A registered nurse for 32 years, Ms Andrus has brought a huge depth of experience to make learning 'real world' through virtual world scenarios.
She has broadened her scope to include all aspects of practice education and practice based learning for students.
Ms Andrus has won multiple awards for teaching over her career, including a joint Australian Award for University Teaching 2016: Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning and a joint Murdoch University Vice Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence in Teaching.
A total of 33 of Western Australia’s most dedicated nurses and midwives were chosen as finalists for the 2017 WA Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards.
Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer Karen Bradley said the award finalists had been selected from an inspiring field of nominees.
“Awards such as these provide the wider community with an opportunity to recognise and reward our nurses and midwives for the valuable contribution they make to individuals and their organisations each and every day,” she said.
Ms Andrus’ nomination joins nominations for two nurses from Peel Health Campus.
Winners will be announced on Saturday May 6 at the Perth Convention Centre.
