Monique wins big at the 2025 WANEMA Awards

Congratulations to 25-year-old Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) Clinical Nurse Monique Carbone who was the sole recipient from South Metropolitan Health Service to bring home a prestigious win at the 2025 WA Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards (WANMEA)!

Following a successful year in 2024 where she was named winner of the Excellence in Clinical Practice, and Nurse of the Year at the FSFHG Nursing and Midwifery Caritas Awards, Monique was awarded the 2025 Excellence in Registered Nursing award on Saturday evening for her work on the FSH Spinal Cord Injury Unit.

In recent months, undertaking secondments into specialist roles as a urology and prostate clinical nurse and a spinal inpatient patient educator, Monique has been making a huge impact on her speciality teams involved in spinal cord injury rehabilitation.

During this time, Monique implemented a sexual health program for spinal cord injured patients, created a ‘Spinal Guide’ to support staff with lesser used procedures, and presented in the Australia and New Zealand Spinal Cord Injury Society Conference on ‘Enhancing Sexual Health Post Spinal Cord Injury: Initiatives and Innovations’. 

Speaking to Sunshine FM Radio earlier this week, Monique said she didn't think she would win the award.

"It's been a very special weekend winning the Excellence in Registered Nursing award, and then two days later it was International Nurses Day," she said.

Nursing for just four years, Monique explained how she ‘stumbled’ into her career.

"I loved human biology in school, and thought ‘why not do nursing?'

"My first job was on the FSH Spinal Unit and that is when I soon realised that this is what I want to do."

When asked what she thinks makes a great nurse, Monique said it’s the ability to listen.

"Being in the hospital as a patient can be scary, especially on the spinal unit. Just being able to sit there, listen and understand what they’re going through can make the biggest difference to so many patients.

"You're able to make them feel comfortable in an uncomfortable environment."

Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group A/Executive Director Luke Dix said Monique should feel extremely proud for all the hard work she is doing for our spinal patients.

"Taking home this prestigious award so early on in her career is as outstanding achievement, I look forward to watching Monique's nursing career develop."

Congratulations Monique!

Read Monique's full nomination for the 2025 Excellence in Registered Nursing online.

View the full list of winners in the 2025 WANMEA Awards online.

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