Jenny Kohlhardt’s dedication to improvement, progressing initiatives that benefit both patients and staff, and her overarching respect for the cultural and community values for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families who interact with her clinical home in the Geriatric and Rehabilitation Unit are the foundation for her receiving the L.O.V.E. Award for 2022.

In strong tradition, the winner of the L.O.V.E. Award has had an overwhelming emotional response to the announcement and Jenny, who is the Clinical Nurse Consultant in GARU, didn’t disappoint.

“I feel very privileged that people have recognised me with this award,” she said. 

“I stand on the shoulders of giants at GARU with the amazing team there.  I couldn’t achieve any of this without them and I’m just so blessed that I have the privilege to work with them.”

The PAH Jan Kitchener L.O.V.E. Award (Living Our Values Everyday) presented during International Nurses Day celebrations is an enduring and meaningful award with a long history founded in Jan’s dedication to the profession of nursing and the everyday values that make a great nurse.

In her nomination, Jenny is celebrated for living our values everyday across a broad portfolio of patient care, staff training and education, innovation, commitment to quality and safety, caring for her team and investing into the comfort of First Nations Peoples.

“Jenny is a transformational leader!  She is always looking for innovative ways to educate staff and patients and she is dedicated to her educational displays which reinforce falls prevention activities as well as her representation at ARNA and Grand Rounds for this portfolio.”

Staff describe Jenny as honest, open and caring and she has the respect of many thanks to her knowledge and capability building within the nursing workforce in her specialty area of geriatric nursing.

But it is her compassionate projects to improve the non-clinical spaces in GARU and her orchestrated activities to celebrate the culture of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community within GARU that have had a lasting impact on both staff and patients.

“Jenny is respectful and particularly values the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and community, and her partnership approach with elders and indigenous artists is improving our connection to country in the midst of clinical demands.”