QSuper nurses and midwives competition: winners revealed

Frontline health workers are always there and ready to care. Every year, we celebrate our inspiring nurses and midwives. Their dedication doesn’t stop.

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service winner Sarah Ruane (right) with our Commercial Relationships Regional Manager Julie Bates.

International Day of the Midwife on 5 May and International Nurses Day on 12 May are a great time to say thanks. And we do this every year with a special competition.

This year, we asked people to tell us about a nurse or midwife who inspires them.

• Peers nominate someone by writing up to 50 words about their work.
• The best stories win a $100 gift card and morning tea for their team.

Stories came from all over Queensland

We’ve heard about incredible nurses and midwives from Cairns down to the Gold Coast. And from Magnetic Island in the east all the way to Quilpie and Thargomindah in the west.

Their peers praised them for their kindness, energy, and enthusiasm. Many entries told of how they nurture and mentor younger team members, too.

Passion and compassion shine through

All the entries show how much our nurses and midwives mean to their communities.

Here’s some highlights from our winning entries

Debbie Sharp celebrates with winner Shannon Murray.

Shannon Murray from Millmerran Hospital

A nurse in the Darling Downs region, Shannon has an ‘ability to bring calm to chaos and kindness to every patient encounter’. Working by her side ‘is not just a privilege, it’s also a daily reminder of what true care looks like’.

Debbie Kennedy-Barlow from Gold Coast University Hospital

A midwife for 46 years, Debbie has an ‘unwavering commitment to excellence in midwifery care… ensuring the next generation is well-equipped to provide compassionate and skilled care’.

Jeannine Garbutt from Queensland Children’s Hospital

Jeannine is a mental health nurse. Her nomination praised her work with teens and complex mental health difficulties. She does this with ‘intelligence, skill, kindness, a wicked sense of humour and zero ego’.

Isabelle Springall from Quilpie Hospital

Quilpie is a small rural and remote community in far Western Queensland. Working in the local hospital, Isabelle is ‘a natural leader and great teacher... The community love Elle, as do her colleagues, for her care and compassion’.

Our Commercial Relationships Regional Manager Michael Huskisson with winner Taylah Gardner.

Taylah Gardner from Ipswich Hospital

As a midwife, colleagues praised Taylah for her knowledge, saying it ‘surpasses her young age’. They also noted ‘her ability to calm people’.

There were many inspiring nominations. Picking winners was a big challenge for our team!

The list of winners for 2025