The RSA Award

Recent history of the RSA Award

We would like to introduce you to our last three winners and acknowledge their dedication and commitment to our cause. Congratulations to Karin, Kirsten, Paul and Adrian.

Karin Norman, RSA Award Winner 2009
Karin Norman has made a longstanding contribution to the New Zealand renal community for over 23 years. During this time she has made a significant impact on renal services within, initially the Whangarei Renal Service, and more latterly the Waikato Renal Service. Karin has worked in paediatric renal, in-centre haemodialysis, home training haemodialysis and is currently practicing as a clinical nurse educator for the Regional Dialysis Service based at Waikato Hospital. This service covers a large area in New Zealand and Karin is responsible for facilitating both theory and clinical education for staff.

Karin has dedicated her life to renal nursing and is involved across all spectrums of renal care within New Zealand. Karin is the 'wikepaedia' of renal in the Waikato service. She has a large knowledge base and is called upon from all areas for her expert opinion.

She is very involved in many aspects of renal both nationally and internationally. This includes being the New Zealand Branch President for the Renal Society of Australasia, for two terms, which involves being part of the Federal Board of Directors. Karin is the inaugural chairperson of the New Zealand RSA Nursing Advisory Group from 2007; is currently a nurse representative on the New Zealand National Renal Advisory Board. From 2002 to 2007 was on the NZ Board of Nephrology Practice and during some of this time was the deputy chair. She has been an NZNO delegate since 1996. From 2005 to 2007 Karin was on the PHARMAC Dialysis Fluids subcommittee.

Karin has always been very active in further educating herself and is now doing her final paper in completing her Master of Nursing and is looking towards using this to further develop her role in renal nursing.

Karin regularly attends and presents at both national and international dialysis conferences. Karin's long service and outstanding contribution to renal nursing makes her an ideal candidate for recognition by the Renal Society of Australasia.

Karin has been a member of the RSA since 1995. She was the New Zealand Branch President from 2000-2003 and then was re-elected in 2005 and still continues in this role.

Karin was on the New Zealand conference organising committee in 1996 and 2002. She was the convener for both of these conferences.

Karin was the convenor of the 2009 RSA conference which was held at Rotorua.

Karin promotes the RSA in all of her dealings with members of the renal community. She ensures that the branch is consulted whenever ideas or opinions are sought on renal matters. Karin's vast experience helps RSA office bearers and members to work through any number of issues, queries and problems associated with running a conference. She is a resource to other units who have taken on the role of executive of the New Zealand branch. She has a long list of contacts and is a good resource for topics, themes, speakers etc.

In 2007, the New Zealand branch of the RSA formed the Nursing Advisory Group to try and consolidate renal nursing practice, education and standards throughout New Zealand. Karin was instrumental in forming this group and was elected their inaugural chairperson.

Kirsten Passaris (2008) and Paul Bennett (2007)

Adrian Buttimore (2006)

Kirsten Passaris (neé Dermody) (RSA Award Winner 2008)
Clinical Nurse Consultant
Flinders Medical Centre, SA

In Kirsten's current role as Clinical Nurse Consultant of Flinders Medical Centre Renal Unit she has progressed the care of patients not just in the renal unit but in the overall medical centre. Her work in changing and improving CVC practice has been recognised both locally and internationally. Other work related to encouraging exercise and promoting and supporting the role of the enrolled nurse in dialysis has been significant. In addition she has been a driving force behind the very successful South Australian Senior Nephrology Nurses Forum.

Kirsten's research into workforce stress in the dialysis environment, both in-centre and satellite, was recently recognised with a publication in 2008 in the Journal of Renal Care.

In summary, Kirsten Passaris is the exact example of what is great about being a professional in the renal care area. Her patients love her, her colleagues love and respect her and she epitomizes a hardworking tireless campaigner for high quality standards of practice in renal nursing practice.
Kirsten Passaris has made an outstanding and continued contribution to the RSA over the past 10 years. This is in the form of RSA State Office bearer, RSA National Conference Organiser, State and Local Presenter, Presentation Award Winner, DNT Representative and RSA State President.

Kirsten has become a highly skilled presenter at RSA National, State and Local Conferences and meetings. She is always enthusiastic and motivating in her presentations. She has also presented at hospitals and universities and promotes the RSA at these presentations. Kirsten's presentation standard was acknowledged by receiving the “Best Abstract” award at the 2006 RSA Conference. In addition, Kirsten is always willing to provide local and state based RSA presentations which she performs frequently.

Kirsten has been the SA/NT President from 2006. During her presidency there has been an unprecedented attendance at RSA Education Sessions. She has presented at the past three RSA Conferences, and was the promoter, organiser and speaker at the first Northern Territory RSA Workshops (2008) recently held in both Darwin and Alice Springs.


Paul Bennett (RSA Award Winner 2007)
Senior Lecturer
Editor Renal Society of Australasia Journal
School of Nursing and Midwifery Flinders University, SA

Paul's role in developing the RSA Journal has contributed to the dissemination of peer-reviewed information. The increased sharing and access to this information increases the ability of Australian nephrology clinicians to provide high standard, evidence based health care. He devotes a great amount of his own time into providing the Australasian renal community with a high quality journal.

Over the past 15 years Paul has established a leading research profile in the area of Nephrology Nursing. This research profile that has developed internationally and in Australia and has been demonstrated through 4 peer-reviewed publications (2 international) in the past year, Journal Review Panel Memberships, Renal Research Coordinator and numerous conference proceedings presentations (12 in the past 5 years). Research studies that he has driven include: Self Management for Chronic Illness; Haemodialysis Nutritional Assessment Tool; Examination of the effects of an adapted exercise program on the functional abilities of dialysis patients; A Primary Health Care approach to Exercise and Dialysis; Registered Nurses Decision Making In Central Venous Dialysis Catheter Care; Ultrasound Assessment of Vascular Accesses; Dedicated Education Units in Dialysis; Empowerment of people living with ESRD; Buttonhole Cannulation Techniques and Nocturnal Dialysis. An example of the contribution his research has made is the use of the nutritional screening tool research with participation from 13 dialysis units across Australia. Following this the nutritional tool is now being used in Australia and Internationally (UK, Germany, Japan), and has been translated into six languages.

In recognition of Paul's research he was awarded the Research Nurse of the Year at the 2006 South Australian Premier's Awards.
Paul developed and has continued in the role of Renal Research Coordinator for the Renal Society of Australasia (SA Branch) over the past 5 years. He has driven, developed and coordinated many local presentations and workshops. As an outcome of this role South Australia has continued to have strong representation at Renal Society of Australasia (RSA) National Conferences with the SA and NT Branch leading the presentations per head of population of any state at RSA National Conferences.

Paul's development of the RSA Journal has made a significant contribution to the Renal Society of Australasia both nationally and internationally. Although he has had the support of the Renal Society of Australasia at a local and national level he has undertaken or coordinated the vast amount of work that is required to provide a high quality journal. The work has included coordinating industry support, RSA member support, funding mechanisms, coordinating manuscript review, editorial commitments, developing and maintaining publication collaborations, assembling and coordinating the RSAJ Editorial Board, developing Terms of Reference and Job Descriptions, Coordinating CINAHL Indexing, Developing the Web pages and links, generating and encouraging author manuscript contributions.


Adrian Buttimore (RSA Award Winner 2006)
Manager, Dialysis Services, Canterbury District Health Board, NZ

Adrian Buttimore has made a long standing contribution to the renal community for over 25 years and has made a significant impact on renal services. He started as a dialysis technician and has now been the manager of dialysis services at Christchurch Hospital for a number of years. The unit he runs is at the forefront of Home Haemodialysis in Australasia and has a reputation for getting patients of all abilities, ages and backgrounds to successfully dialyse at home.

Adrian is a strong advocate for dialysis technicians and has steered the founding of the NZ Board of Nephrology (formerly Dialysis) Practice. This board is the organization that has been instrumental in ensuring that dialysis technicians are recognized and included under revamped health care workers legislation introduced into NZ in 2003. Adrian is the driving force behind the development of standards of practice, career path development and certification for dialysis technicians in NZ.

Adrian investigated the most appropriate certification process for dialysis professionals and has worked to bring that process to NZ. Now dialysis technicians, HD nurses and PD nurses can all sit a certification exam that is not only recognized in NZ but overseas as well. Adrian continues to be the international advisor to the US board responsible for the certification process and examinations.

Adrian is well respected by all members of the renal community in NZ and overseas. He attends and presents at conferences at home and internationally on a regular basis. He is a member of the National Renal Advisory Board and Chairperson of the NZ Board of Nephrology Practice, he has also sat on government advisory/consultative committees related to renal care.

Adrian was a founding member of the Renal Society NZ Branch back in the days when it was the Dialysis Society. He has supported, promoted and recruited for the society tirelessly since its inception. He encourages all renal staff to join the society and support its goals for all renal health professionals.

Adrian promotes the RSA in all his dealings with members of the renal community. He ensures that the branch is consulted whenever ideas or opinions are sought on renal matters. He encourages branch members to take on committee positions when available and reports back to all branch conferences on all matters related to renal healthcare in NZ and when appropriate from around the world.

Adrian's continued support and active involvement ensures the ongoing success of the NZ Branch of the Renal Society of Australasia and all its activities.