A nurse who works with homeless people on the streets of Sydney has been awarded the Nurse of the Year in the 2011 HESTA Australian Nursing Awards.

Paul Esplin, a nurse with The Michael Project for Medibeat, a Mission Australia program run in partnership with St Vincent’s Hospital Homeless Health Service, received the award on the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birthday at a gala awards ceremony in Melbourne.

Mr Esplin has spent the past four years working with clients on the street – in laneways, parks, drop-in centres and in crisis accommodation.

His role ranges from checking clients’ health and ensuring their basic needs are met to arranging medical appointments and referrals, and dealing with guardianship and court matters.

Mr Esplin said some clients had been homeless for 30 or 40 years.

"They have very complex needs and organisations don’t always know what to do with them," he said.

"These clients don’t have the right forms or fit into services’ criteria. Some are illiterate, often without a valid Medicare card, and they need a lot of help to get through this to reach a better, healthier place in their lives."

Mr Esplin took home $10,000 in travel and education grants for taking out the top prize.

The Innovation in Nursing Award was presented to The Geriatric Flying Squad from War Memorial Hospital in New South Wales, for its work with elderly patients who are struggling to live at home.

The Graduate Nurse of the Year award was presented to Zena Coffey from Austin Health in Victoria, for her dedicated work in palliative care.

HESTA CEO Anne-Marie Corboy said more than 480 people had been nominated for this year’s awards, complete with a $25,000 prize pool.

"The HESTA Australian Nursing Awards highlight three extraordinary nurses but they are also a tribute to the many thousands of nurses engaged in lifesaving work every day," she said.