Midwife’s advocacy focus

A Katanning midwife has been recognised as one of the State’s top healthcare professionals at the 2020 WA Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards.

WA Country Health Service’s Larissa McInerney was named a finalist in the excellence in midwifery category for her advocacy and dedication to improving the lives of rural families.

Starting her career as an intensive-care nurse, Ms McInerney moved to Katanning 13 years ago to pursue a new chapter in midwifery.

“I never intended to become a midwife but was exposed to it through working on the ward and assisting in Katanning,” she said.

“When I assisted with my first birth it was just breathtaking and I thought ‘wow, that’s what I wanted to do’.”

When the region’s maternity service was scrapped in 2012, Ms McInerney was among a group of resilient nurses who fought to establish a community midwifery program.

The program has since expanded to service women across the central Great Southern.

“This award I see as recognition for our team because each one of us contributes in different ways to make our service what it is,” she said.

“It is a great journey that you get to share and a very special side of nursing, so we are quite lucky.”

Ms McInerney was one of two Great Southern nurses to be recognised as a finalist in the awards.

Winners will be announced at a ceremony later in the year.