Alice Hannam
I am currently completing my Post Graduate in Critical Care Nursing at the Australian College of Nursing. I started at Royal North Shore Intensive Care in 2013, with a background in Gen/Med and Coronary Care. Royal North Shore ICU is where I started my Intensive Care journey and have since developed a life-long passion for caring for the critically ill patient. The Northcare Foundation is an amazing opportunity that will assist me with completing my post graduate studies and reducing the financial burden. The postgraduate degree in Critical Care has enhanced my knowledge and skills, arming me with more confidence to care for the critically ill patient as well as enabling me to pursue other roles within the Intensive Care Unit. The Northcare Foundation offers Nurses the chance to pursue further education that they may not have previously attempted due to the financial burden. The development of knowledge and skills are then brought back into the workplace for the benefit of the patients. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for the grant, it is a fabulous opportunity that is very much appreciated.
Emily Larkin
The Northcare Foundation Scholarship’s support to complete the PGGCert in Critical Care at the Australian College of Nursing will provide me with a crucial opportunity to; transform the learning culture, consolidate best practice and promote the highest standard of patient care within a team I already take pride in. Together this further study has consolidated the theory underlying clinical experiences gained from both the UK, Australia and most recently Tonga through working with Open Heart International. The ability to further my own educational developments allows me to spread evidence based critical care nursing not only nationally, but on a global scale.
Esther Samual
My name is Esther Samuel and I have been working in Royal North Shore Hospital General ICU for 7 months. Prior to this, I was working in HDU/CCU in Ryde Hospital for 3 years. I recently completed the Clinical Accreditation Program (CAP) in 2016 where I rotated to RNSH general ICU and Mona Vale ICU, which increased my passion for critical care nursing and prompted my move to RNSH ICU. I am currently enrolled in the Graduate certificate in Critical Care Nursing in University of Technology, Sydney which has allowed me to gain immense knowledge and competence in critical care, and in turn apply it while caring for critically ill patients. I have gained confidence in providing evidence based practice, as well as interacting in the multi-disciplinary team and encouraging junior nurses through support and education. The Northcare Foundation has enabled me to further my education in postgraduate studies and pursue my career goals. I am grateful for their assistance as it encourages me to further my professional development in different nursing roles in intensive care such as team leading and education.
Grace Allan
My name is Grace Allan and I am a Registered Nurse. I have worked at Royal North Shore Hospital for seven years now. Four years ago I started in the Intensive Care Unit, where I have had the privilege to care for patients at some of the toughest times of their lives. This inspired and motivated me to continue my studies, and in 2015 I completed my Postgraduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing. In 2016 I started the journey towards gaining a Masters of Health Service Management. This formal education has broadened my knowledge greatly on contemporary management practice relating to health care issues, and is developing both my personal and professional skills in leadership. This has strengthened my role in not only educating new staff members and team leading but also participating as an effective and valued team member, and providing the best care possible to patients in the dynamic environment that is the Intensive Care Unit. Thank you to the generous Northcare foundation, with the financial support of this scholarship it has provided me the opportunity to achieve my goals and it is immensely appreciated.
Katelyn Davis
My name is Katelyn Davis and I have been a Registered Nurse within the Neuroscience Intensive care for the past 5 years. I have completed a six-month secondment as the nursing team leader in Intensive Care and as of November 2015 I have been a member of the Rapid Response Team since 2016. In 2015 I completed a Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing.
I decided to continue my own personal and professional development by studying a Graduate Certificate in Health Services Management at UTS. The Australian health care system is constantly evolving and I understand how it is important for registered nurses to continually develop professionally to increase their clinical skills and knowledge within the critical care specialty. I believe there are many career opportunities available to registered nurses within intensive care and by completing this degree I will use this knowledge and confidence to apply for more senior roles and take on more responsibility within ward. So far this degree has allowed me to tackle practical challenges at the cutting edge of health service design and management. I have been exposed to real-life and professionally relevant action-orientated projects along with rapidly developing and refining my knowledge of the major structural and functional components of healthcare systems. Through completing this Graduate Certificate, that has been partially funded by the Northcare Foundation Scholarship I have been able to secure a secondment as a part time CNC for Organ and Tissue Donation at Concord Repatriation General Hospital Intensive Care while maintaining my role as a CNS at RNS ICU.
I see that the Northcare Scholarship will not only benefit me but also the colleagues that surround me. I am very grateful for receiving the Northcare Scholarship and thank those who have the time and money to support its existence.
Jiawei Zhao
My name is Jiawei Zhao (Maggie), I am a registered nurse currently working in cardiothoracic intensive care unit at Royal North Shore Hospital. Employee No. 60017539.
The Northcare Foundation scholarship not only will give me an opportunity to plan my future studies, but also creating a foundation for getting me closer to my career goals. I am planning to take a senior position in the critical care setting after completion of the course. I am also willing to share my knowledge with my junior nursing colleagues to promote better and safer patients’ care. The scholarship will certainly reduce stress over financial pressure so that I can focus more on my studies. It has been a tough year to be organised around a full-time job, part-time study and settling in a new home. Receiving the scholarship will remove my financial barrier to plan my future studies and personal living.
Kristen Graham
My name is Kristen Graham and I am currently working as a Registered Nurse in the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at Royal North Shore Hospital. I started in this position as a new graduate in 2010 and immediately grew a strong passion for intensive care nursing. Over the past eight years I watched my mentors become great leaders with in intensive care and have inspired me to so the same. This year I have decided to undertake the Graduate certificate in health service management to enhance my knowledge and skills. The Northcare foundation will help ease the financial burden of undertaking such a course and enable me to continue to study in order to create ne career opportunities with the Intensive care.
Kelly Harbour
My name is Kelly Harbour and I am currently working as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at Royal North Shore Hospital. I started in this position as a new graduate in 2013 and immediately grew a strong passion for intensive care nursing. Exposed to both nursing and medical excellence in the intensive care unit, my goals became to practice each working day based on evidence, with sound pathophysiological knowledge and superior nursing skill.
The Northcare Foundation has contributed tremendously to the finalization of my Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing and eased the financial burden to continue studies post graduation. I am finishing my final year in a Masters in Advanced Nursing Practice with a hope to become a mentor and advanced practice nurse similar to those who inspired me when I began my role at RNSH. I am sincerely grateful for the support Northcare has provided to me.
Madeleine Ohlback
My name is Madeleine Ohlback and I am a fourth year registered nurse working in RNSH General Intensive Care Unit. I started my nursing career in 2014 and did my New Graduate year on the wards at RNSH. Since starting in ICU in 2015, I have developed a passion for and understanding of intensive care nursing. I am currently undertaking my Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing through UTS thanks to the support of the Northcare Foundation scholarship. The scholarship has allowed me to further my career through the development of skills and knowledge enabling me to deliver safe and effective nursing care, without the financial burden associated with fees for post graduate study.
Mel Owen
Hello I’m Mel and I work in the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit – which I find to be such an interesting area of healthcare. In 2016, I completed a graduate certificate in Critical Care Nursing. I have been empowered by the knowledge and experience gained, with new opportunities arising as a result, including my current role as a Nursing Team Leader. In 2017, I am continuing with studies towards a Masters of Advanced Nursing. The Northcare Foundation scholarship has eased the financial burden of postgraduate studies, allowing me to gain expertise, in turn contributing to the shared knowledge and skills of the RNSH ICU, ultimately benefiting our patients and the community.
Rhiza Jane Cruz
My name is Rhiza Jane Cruz and I currently work in the intensive care unit at Royal North Shore Hospital. I had been in ICU since the completion of the new graduate program in 2013. Prior to this, I had performed a 6-month rotation in a surgical ward and a 6-month rotation in a medical ward. I have always been passionate in critical care nursing and always enjoyed the challenges that arise from this field.
Therefore, in order to enhance my skills and knowledge, I had decided to continue my studies through enrolling to a post graduate certificate in critical care nursing at the Australian College of Nursing. Through the support from the Northcare Foundation, it will allow me to pursue my further studies by supplementing the fees associated with the course. The support from the Northcare Foundation will go a long way in achieving my goals, as well as for my continued personal and professional development in order to provide quality and evidenced-based care to critically ill patients. I will be able to apply the critical thinking and knowledge that I am learning, and incorporate this in my nursing practice.
Nick Adam
My name is Nick, I’m a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit, where I have worked since 2012. Since completing my Graduate Certificate in Critical Care I have been able to undertake a number of opportunities including becoming a CNS, rotating as the Team Leader in 6E and joining the Rapid Response Team, taking the expert critical care found in the ICU to patients requiring our services in the rest of the hospital. This post-graduate qualification was pivotal to my practice and inspired me to undertake further study and I have started a Masters in Advanced Nursing this year to increase my knowledge and skills to improve patient care in our ICU.
Sarah Murphy
My name is Sarah Murphy and I have been working in critical care areas for the past 6 years. I developed a passion for intensive care nursing early in my career as a new graduate in cardiothoracic intensive care. I then went on to diversify my experience by working in both emergency and general intensive care units of community and tertiary referral hospitals.
I have found my place now at RNSH general ICU and relish in the support of the unit in working towards completion of the Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing. Nurses need to maintain and continually update and evaluate their clinical skills, practice and knowledge, to deliver optimum patient care. Furthering my education at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) means I can continue to provide my patients and their families with quality care and better anticipate their needs and illness trajectory. I hope that completion of my graduate certificate in critical care will allow me to practise at an advanced skill level and to share this in my workplace and engage with other staff members to promote an environment of education and research.
Rosalie Burns
I hold the position of Rotational After-Hours Nurse Unit Manager in the Intensive Care at Royal North Shore Hospital and I am currently undertaking a Postgraduate certificate in Health Service Management which will be completed mid 2018. The course structure has close relevance and application to my immediate work in ICU where I share responsibility for the coordination, supervision and management of staff and critically ill patients within the Intensive Care Unit. In order to demonstrate this nexus between the subjects studied and current and future workplace benefits I have provided some examples.
Many of the subjects studied have proved greatly beneficial in that the acquired knowledge can be specifically transferable to the workplace. For example, the subject ‘Managing Quality Risk and Cost’, I feel have provided me with greater insight, professionalism and continual improvement opportunity in delivering best evidence based practice and clinical bedside teaching. The investment here will be ongoing
Tyson Perrin
My name is Tyson Perrin and I am currently a permanent full-time employed registered nurse working within the neurosurgical ICU of RNSH since March 2014. The core drive behind my chosen career path commenced during a critical care undergraduate placement during my third and final year of my nursing bachelor degree in 2011 where I was placed in the previous RNSH 6C Neurosurgical ICU for a 4-week period. This planted the seed for what has evolved my speciality in intensive care nursing.
I have immersed myself within this specific field of healthcare since April 2012 when I gained initial nursing employment in the RNSH neurosurgery ward chasing my keen interest in neuroscience. My progression from endorsed enrolled nurse to registered nurse consisted of a confirmed position in the transitional registered nurse program with NSW Health – NSLHD. Following completion of the 12-month program, a successful interview and confirmed employment within RNSH ICU has boosted my development towards my goal of Clinical Nurse Specialist in Neurosurgical Intensive Care.
By committing to and accomplishing postgraduate study, I will develop my critical care nursing skills to benefit the health of the public population. Successful completion in 2016 of a Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing through UTS, is just one example of study that has directly benefitted my current critical care nursing practice. The Northcare Foundation scholarship has already provided me with significant financial relief and assistance in achieving these career goals. These generous contributions have been received with tremendous appreciation as I continue to progress with my studies in my specialty area. RNSH ICU is an exceptional department to be a part of and I am proud to be making beneficial contributions to the care of critically ill patients.
Shany Abraham
My name is Shany Abraham, I have been working in RNSH ICU since June 2015. I am a graduate nurse from India with 11 years of experience. Further education in my career has always been a dream due to personal and financial issues. When I joined RNSH, I heard about the educational support provided by Northcare Foundation. The scholarship provided by Northcare Foundation is a motivation for many of the nurses to undertake different courses in their areas of skills. Currently I am doing a Post graduate certificate in critical care nursing, a step towards my dream. It’s a great opportunity for professional growth by broadening my skills and knowledge. This qualification also opens ways to resume different roles in the clinical setting like a team leader, Rapid Response Team member, Nurse Educator, Research team member and so on. I am really thankful to the foundation for the continuing support and for being a motivation for all of us. It’s a greate opportunity for nurses those who want to take further studies but are held back because of financial issues. I hope many more staff will be benefited from Northcare Foundation.