For the past five years CEW’s Bonnie Boezeman AO Leadership in Nursing Scholarship has supported female nurses looking to develop their leadership skills to study a Master of Healthcare Leadership at Southern Cross University (SCU).
With our healthcare system still grappling with the challenges thrown up by the COVID-19 pandemic, leadership in nursing has never been more important. However for many nurses finding both the extra time and resources that additional study demands, can be difficult, as 2020 recipient Lisa Vile explains.
“I transitioned into managerial and leadership roles almost organically, based on my clinical skills and experience,” she says.
“And although I was able to use a lot of those skills, and translate them into those roles, there where many areas where I felt underdone.”
Vile had been toying with going buck to study for a few years, and the chance to get a fully supported place pushed her over the top.
SCU’s Master of Healthcare Leadership program equips health practitioners with the skills to meet the challenges thrown up when you’re a leader in complex healthcare settings. Participants learn management, leadership, and clinically applicable research skills. Learning alongside other healthcare professionals, and taught by highly qualified industry experts, the course consists of two years of accelerated part-time study.
Last year’s recipient Amanda Christie had also been considering further study, but found the cost a barrier.
“As a single mother of three children, the decision of paying for further education was one I tossed around for some time. Completing my Bachelor of Nursing – Enrolled Nurse to Registered Nurse Pathway was a massive undertaking for me and along with the commitment of periods of unpaid clinical placement, the financial pressure was very real,” she says.
“I saw countless other women/mothers peeling out of the degree because they couldn’t find a way to fund themselves over the finish line. A tragedy really.”
To be eligible to apply for the scholarship you must:
- Have completed a 3-year Bachelor qualification, or equivalent in nursing.
- Be an Australian woman who is a registered nurse with at least 5 years of nursing experience.
- Intend to complete the course to further your career and move into a leadership role in health.
- Commit to enrol and commence the course in 2023.
Find out more, or apply here.
