15 May 2025

CNSA Members Honoured at 2025 HESTA Nursing & Midwifery Awards

We are thrilled to celebrate two remarkable members of CNSA who were recognised at the prestigious 2025 HESTA Nursing & Midwifery Awards, held last night in Melbourne. Ty Simpson, CNSA member and Clinical Nurse Consultant for CAR T-cell therapy at The Alfred, was named HESTA Nurse of the Year, while fellow member Professor Marion Eckert was honoured as the Director of the Organisation of the Year, the Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre. These honours not only spotlight the individuals behind these achievements, but also shine a national spotlight on the excellence, innovation, and leadership within the cancer nursing profession.

Ty Simpson – 2025 HESTA Nurse of the Year

As a clinical nurse consultant in clinical trials, Ty Simpson has been instrumental in expanding the reach and quality of CAR T-cell therapy in Australia. Ty leads a nurse-led program that has grown to include over 120 nurses across Australia and New Zealand, supporting colleagues in regional and remote communities to deliver cutting-edge care.

"I'm proud that we now have, as a nurse-led group, over 120 nurses across Australia and New Zealand that get to upskill and support nurses in regional and remote communities. We're really proud of upskilling the nurses so that when patients return home, they have that expert care at home and they don't have to come back."

Ty’s initiatives — from CAR T study days to protocol reviews — have transformed care delivery, ensured patients receive expert care closer to home, and positioned nurses at the forefront of advanced cancer therapies.

Currently completing his nurse practitioner training, Ty is preparing to begin a PhD on supportive care for nurses and patients, further advancing the field. We look forward to hearing more in his upcoming presentation at the CNSA and ICCN Joint Congress in Adelaide this June, with a talk titled: Unlocking the Mind’s Defence: Exploring the Brain Behind the CAR-T Service.

In his acceptance speech, Ty shared:

“This is an incredible opportunity for everyday nurses like us to get to show the rest of Australia what we do. So thank you. I'd also like to thank my whole family...my incredible fiancé David – I can't wait to marry you – and of course, my amazing manager and mentor Ellen Heywood, who every day pushes me to be my best. I am a huge believer that passionate people need to be mentored and managed by passionate people, and I absolutely have that in you every day. And the last thing, which is the most important, is thank you to clinical trial participants for participating in clinical trials, because without that we wouldn't have CAR T, which is currently curing people from cancer.”

Professor Marion Eckert – Director of the Outstanding Organisation of the Year

Another CNSA member, Professor Marion Eckert, was also honoured — this time as the Director of the Organisation of the Year, awarded to the Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre, where she serves as Inaugural Director.

A partnership between the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (SA Branch) and the University of South Australia, the Centre is recognised for its innovative, nurse-led research focused on improving access to care — particularly in rural and remote areas.

One standout initiative involved training rural nurses in advanced skin assessment and AI-assisted education, then launching Australia’s first free nurse-led skin cancer screening pop-up clinics, where over 500 people were screened using cutting-edge AI technology.

In her acceptance, Marion recognised:

“The award highlights the impact the Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre is having when it comes to the importance of nurse-led innovation in improving healthcare access. We’re motivated to continue developing sustainable solutions that improve patient outcomes and workforce efficiency, ensuring every Australian – regardless of location – has access to quality care that can save lives.”

The Centre will use its prize money to expand the skin cancer detection program by purchasing dermatoscopes and training more nurses in this life-saving work.

Celebrating Cancer Nursing – Strong, Skilled and Specialised

These wins mark a significant moment for cancer nursing and reaffirm the strength of our community.

Ty Simpson is now the third CNSA member in six years to win the HESTA Nurse of the Year award, following in the footsteps of Sue Hegarty (2022) and Shannon Philp (2021).

These honours showcase the strong, skilled, and specialised expertise cancer nurses bring to some of the most complex areas of health care — leading innovations in treatment, education, research, and equitable care delivery.

From all of us at CNSA, congratulations to Ty and Marion — and thank you for inspiring a generation of nurses to lead with compassion, care and clinical excellence.