2026 Graduate of the Year
Georgia De Graaf
Georgia is an exceptional early‑career Registered Nurse whose dedication, maturity, and compassion have already made a profound impact at Royal Perth Hospital. Completing her graduate year in Orthopaedics and Spinal Trauma, she has excelled in one of the busiest and most complex acute environments, consistently demonstrating capability and leadership far beyond her experience.
Throughout her graduate year, Georgia became known as a nurse who not only delivers safe, evidence‑based care, but who also brings warmth, empathy and genuine human connection to every shift. Her advocacy for patient‑engaged handover has influenced practice across the ward, role‑modelling the importance of involving patients and families in their own care. This commitment has led to meaningful improvements in communication, safety, and patient experience.
Georgia’s leadership qualities became evident early. She embraced mentorship roles with student nurses, identifying their learning needs, offering thoughtful feedback, and nurturing their confidence. Her proactive pursuit of her own professional development such as mastering traction application and then teaching others, reveals her initiative, curiosity, and dedication to clinical excellence.
Her calm, capable presence shines brightest in high‑pressure situations. As a graduate, she confidently applied the LUKAS mechanical compression system during a medical emergency, communicating clearly with the team and supporting both staff and family with maturity well beyond her years. Her contributions have earned multiple patient commendations and culminated in her receiving the Royal Perth Bentley Group Early Career Nursing Award.
For Georgia, nursing feels natural, a reflection of her kindness, patience and deep desire to help others. One of her most touching memories is supporting a young man newly paralysed after an accident, helping him regain dignity and hope in one of the darkest weeks of his life. Georgia is a compassionate clinician, a generous team member, and an emerging leader who will continue to uplift patients, families, and colleagues throughout her nursing career.
Peta Hargrave
Peta is an exceptional early‑career Registered Nurse whose professionalism, maturity and compassion have made her an outstanding emerging leader at Royal Perth Hospital. Beginning her career in one of the most complex specialty areas, the Dialysis Unit, Peta excelled as part of the inaugural graduate cohort undertaking the Haemodialysis Intensive Program. She rapidly mastered advanced clinical skills traditionally reserved for experienced nurses, showing resilience, curiosity and clinical capability well beyond her experience.
Her dedication to growth led her to seek additional acute medical exposure in the Acute Medical Unit before returning to dialysis, where her leadership potential continued to flourish. Peta now undertakes Patient Navigator shifts, coordinates the unit, and has been appointed Acting Clinical Nurse. A remarkable achievement so early in her career, and one she approaches with humility, determination and a deep sense of responsibility.
Peta’s practice is grounded in compassion and relationship‑based care. Dialysis patients often see nurses more than their own families, and Peta views it as a privilege to walk beside them on such a life‑changing journey. One of her most meaningful experiences was supporting a patient from his very first dialysis session through to his final treatment, forming a therapeutic bond that brought him comfort, trust and dignity in his final days.
Peta is also a committed mentor, guiding new staff and graduate nurses through the complexities of dialysis with patience, clarity and encouragement. She models calmness during emergencies, supports colleagues through challenging behaviours, and champions comprehensive care planning to improve patient outcomes.
Widely respected for her integrity, kindness and strong clinical judgement, Peta embodies excellence in nursing. She is a true team player, an inspiring educator, and a compassionate advocate for every patient she meets, and she is already shaping the future of dialysis nursing through her leadership and dedication
Skye Ludlam
Skye is an exceptional Graduate Enrolled Nurse whose compassion, maturity and natural therapeutic presence have made her an invaluable part of the Esus Centre, Australia’s first private eating‑disorder day hospital for adolescents and adults. Working in a highly complex and emotionally demanding specialty, Skye consistently demonstrates clinical excellence, warmth and a remarkable ability to build trust with some of the most vulnerable young people and adults in care.
Across both the adolescent and adult programs, Skye provides comprehensive nursing care, supports meal plans, facilitates therapy groups, conducts de‑escalation and safety interventions, and collaborates closely with the multidisciplinary team. She communicates with clarity and empathy, ensuring every patient and family feels heard, supported and understood. Her therapeutic communication skills, particularly her ability to guide patients through crisis moments and deeply distressing emotions, are well beyond what is typically expected of a graduate nurse.
Skye is a natural mentor and role model. She confidently orients new staff, including Registered Nurses, contributes to quality and safety processes, and offers thoughtful, innovative suggestions that have been incorporated into routine practice. Her creativity enriches the therapeutic environment, from organising engagement activities to enhancing rapport‑building within adolescent groups.
Her dedication extends beyond her clinical role. Skye is undertaking further studies to become a Registered Nurse, driven by a genuine passion for mental health recovery. She chooses to remain at Esus during her studies because, as she says, “Working here makes my heart sing”, a sentiment that perfectly reflects the authenticity she brings to her work.
Patients gravitate toward her empathy; colleagues respect her professionalism; the service benefits daily from her initiative, insight and positivity. Awarded the Esus Centre’s 2026 “Most Valuable Player,” Skye has already become a cornerstone of the service—uplifting patients, strengthening teams, and reflecting the very best of mental health nursing.
