Brackenfell nurse recognised for excellence at Western Cape awards
From left: MEC of health and wellness Mireille Wenger; speciality nursing winner Shirley Coetzee; head of department Dr Keith Cloete; and provincial nurse manager for nursing education and training Dr Vatiswa Makie.
Image: Supplied
Brackenfell nurse Shirley Coetzee won at the nursing excellence awards of the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness last week.
The awards were held on Wednesday, October 22, and Ms Coetzee took the prize in the specialty nursing category, which the department said is “celebrating the expertise and empathy that turn care into healing.”
Named in honour of Cecilia Makiwane, South Africa’s first registered black professional nurse and a pioneer for women’s rights, the awards celebrate nurses who uphold her legacy of leadership, advocacy, and humanity within the profession.
There were seven categories that included general nursing, midwifery nursing, speciality nursing, community nursing or primary healthcare; nursing education (informal); nursing education (formal); and nursing leadership and management.
Ms Coetzee said: “The heart of nursing isn’t just in healing the body, but in touching the soul and making a difference.”
Dr Keith Cloete, head of the provincial Department of Health, emphasised that caring for patients lies at the heart of health practitioners’ excellence.
"Today, we celebrate the essence of nursing through four simple but profound truths. First, to care about something - this calling. You do not stop caring; it is who you are. Second, to care for others - to be a caregiver, giving care with compassion, often unseen, in those quiet moments between nurse and patient where the true essence of nursing lives.
"And finally, to receive care - because when patients receive care, they receive more than a procedure or medication; they receive warmth, humanity, and dignity restored, often in their most vulnerable moments. This is nursing excellence - lived every day,” he said.
Reflecting on awards, MEC of health and wellness, Mireille Wenger, expressed gratitude to more than 12 000 nurses who serve across the province.
“They truly are the heartbeat of our system and the reason we continue to deliver healthcare with dignity and compassion. We thank each one for their unwavering commitment, courage, and excellence,” she said.