A Clinical Nurse Specialist who created a revolutionary device that helps reduce the fear, stress, pain and anxiety associated with needles has taken out one of the Australian nursing profession’s most prestigious honours.
Today, Sydney’s Lauren Barber MACN was named the 2023 winner of the Health Minister’s Award for Nursing Trailblazers in recognition of her work as Founder and CEO of NeedleCalm.
The innovative medical device was developed to help alleviate the mental and physical problems associated with needle phobia. The award-winning innovation improves patient comfort and safety by reducing the risk of needle sticks and decreasing procedure time.
The Health Minister’s Award for Nursing Trailblazers is a national award recognising nurses whose leadership has led to innovative solutions addressing key challenges facing our health and aged care systems.
The announcement was made at the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) National Nursing Forum in Adelaide by The Hon Mark Butler, Minister for Health and Aged Care.
ACN CEO Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN congratulated Lauren on becoming the fifth nurse – and the first from NSW – to win the Health Minister’s Award for Nursing Trailblazers. Watch the Minister’s video announcement here – https://youtu.be/DDB4bQNHOPw
