About the Scholarship Program and Scholarship Recipients
In 2020 the Northcare Foundation donated a total of $90,028.81 of funds to Students working at the Royal North Shore Hospital via the Northcare Foundation Scholarship Program.
Kristine Tan
Kristine Joy Maghanoy Tan has been working at North Shore Private Hospital in the Intensive Care Unit for 2 years now. She is currently pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing specializing in Intensive Care at Charles Darwin University. She is determined to complete the course by December 2020.
Kristine had extensive critical care work experience overseas. She graduated from Chinese General Hospital College of Nursing in Manila, Philippines with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She then worked at the Coronary Care Unit at the Chinese General Hospital for 3 years. She later gained registration in Singapore and worked at the medical ICU of Khoo Teck Puat Hospital for 5 years.
Kristine migrated to Australia with her loving husband and son. She gained AHPRA registration after taking a bridging course at Education Training & Employment Australia (ETEA) where she spent her placement at Shellharbour Private Hospital. She was then later employed by North Shore Private Hospital.
Kristine certainly has come a long way and has gained significant critical care skills and experience across different cultures. With her diverse background, she provides a unique perspective in the department. She is passionate, hard-working, and a team-player. She always finds time to help her colleagues. And most importantly, she strives to provide the best possible holistic care to her patients.
Thea Abe
My name is Thea Abe. I have been working as a general ICU registered nurse in Royal North Shore Hospital for about 3 years. I have completed my training as Registered Nurse in the Philippines in 2009. And I have worked in the critical care in the Philippines, New Zealand and Australia for 10 years. I have always been passionate about critical care nursing and always relished the challenges that arise from this field.
I have always wanted to enhance my skills and knowledge in nursing, and this year I have decided to further my education by enroling to a Graduate Certificate in Advanced Nursing at University Technology Sydney. I hope by achieving my post graduate studies I will be able to develop my clinical judgment skills and broaden my theoretical knowledge, which will enable me to provide outstanding care for my patients and their families.
The support from Northcare Foundation Scholarship will be a great help for me to ease the financial commitment associated with my studies, and will surely help me achieve my professional goals.
Jack Cornish
I am a highly motivated registered nurse at Royal North Shore Hospital, and casual tutor/project coordinator for the University of Technology, Sydney. I am currently working towards further post-graduate education and workplace training to increase my scope of practice and improve my patient’s outcomes on a day-to-day basis.
Shin young Park
My name is Shin young Park and I first started my nursing career as a new graduate at Royal North Shore Hospital in 2013. I began in the respiratory ward then gradually moved to a fast-paced cardiothoracic ward. Thereafter, I continued in the Acute Aged Care ward until I challenged my nursing career by transitioning into the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit in 2015. Finally, this year I decided to pursue postgraduate studies with the University of Technology Sydney to gain further education and knowledge to match the skills that I have acquired in ICU. To be given this generous opportunity by the Northcare foundation would personally ease my financial burden whilst also encouraging me to pursue further education in my aim to providing excellent nursing care.
Benjamin Lewinsohn
My name is Benjamin Lewinsohn, I work in the General Intensive Care unit at Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) since 2018.
I have a great interest in ventilation, mentoring, preceptor-ship and education.
My qualifications include:
Graduate Certificate Advance Nursing – Critical Care
Bachelors nursing UTS
Diploma nursing TAFE
Certificate IV Health services assistant TAFE
I have previously worked as an Endorsed Enrolled Nurse in Short Stay Surgical Unit ( SSSU) at RNSH as well as casually at Prince of Wales Hospital.
Emily Cotterill
I have been working in the Intensive Care unit at Royal North Shore Hospital for the last two and a half years. I am a Registered nurse with 9 years experience in Critical Care and have recently been seconded to the position of Team Leader in a General Unit.
I commenced the Postgraduate course in Advanced Nursing, specialising in critical care in May 2020. I am currently in the process of completing the fourth and final subject. The course has developed my understanding of the patient journey within a critical environment, whilst broadening my knowledge of pathophysiology of the critically unwell patient. It has focused on the safety and quality frameworks in place to ensure we deliver outstanding care, as well as broadening my understanding of suitable evidence based practice.
The Northcare Scholarship will help to ease the financial pressure that can be created by completing further studies. I feel it has allowed me to focus on developing appropriate skills and knowledge that I can then disseminate into the Intensive care unit and develop within my chosen career, which I adore.
I cannot thank the Northcare foundation enough for the opportunity it had provided for me, in allowing me to complete a postgraduate degree and advancing my career.
Rachel Grose
I’m an enthusiastic intensive care nurse pursing post graduate education to better provide patient centered care.
Lara Edwards
My name is Lara Edwards and I have worked in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit at Royal North Shore Hospital since 2016. I was accepted as a direct entry into the New Graduate Intensive Care program in 2016 and have continued to work in the intensive care unit for over 4 and half years. I am currently enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing at the University of Technology Sydney for completion at the end of 2020. I have enjoyed my time in the ICU with the challenges and rewards of caring for the most critically ill. The knowledge obtained from my post graduate studies has empowered and equipped me with the theoretical and practical skills transferred daily through my high quality care. Throughout my time at RNSH i have had the privilege of being a preceptor to new graduates, completion of the clinical accreditation program, numerous study days including CRRT, ventilation and CALS and now I have begun my rotation as Team Leader. I hope that my education learnt throughout this year and practical skills can contribute and be reciprocated to professional development of other junior staff members as was passed on to me from nursing and medical staff.
Thank you to the Northcare Foundation for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship and I would be very grateful to be a successful applicant. I have not applied or received any scholarships from the Ministry of Health and I hope this would ease the financial obligation of continuing my education and in turn allow me to continue to further my studies.
Hannah Webb
I have been working at North Shore Private Hospital in the Intensive Care Unit for two years and I am currently undertaking a Bachelor of Nursing with Professional Honours, specialising in Critical Care. I started the course in semester 2 this year and intend to finish in October 2021.
I love working in intensive care and enjoy learning about how to care for people who are critically ill. I find it a rewarding job as I feel as though I can support people when they are in a vulnerable position and feeling unwell. Receiving a scholarship from the Northcare Foundation would help me further my studies in order to better care for these patients and develop my knowledge in critical care.
Kelly Harbour
My nursing philosophy:
My name is Kelly, I started nursing in Intensive Care 8 years ago and I am now training to become an ICU nurse practitioner at RNSH.
I strive to practice exceptionally every day, and I expect others to strive for the same. Unfortunately I have seen some of the best and most skilled and knowledgeable nurses move away from clinical practice; I would like to be part of the change that allows these nurses to continue looking after patients and have work satisfaction.
The first assessment task I ever wrote in my nursing studies was “the art and science of nursing practice”. Perhaps there was a time where I moved away from this philosophy, closer towards the science, and at times maybe even towards the business. I believe I am now back full circle having developed my skill and knowledge.
The art and science of nursing can be described through curiosity, courage and kindness. These three words encompass my nursing philosophy.
• Curiosity stimulates learning and identifies areas of interest
• I will be curious about the disease processes of the patients I look after
• I will be curious about what we are already doing and what we should do differently
• I will share the knowledge discovered by being curious
• I will be courageous to expand my knowledge and skill
• I will be courageous to speak out when I need, or use silence
• I will be courageous to lead when I need to lead, and to show leadership behaviours
• Use courage to admit to mistakes, encourage others to do the same
• Use courage to push myself to practice skills that frighten me or that are higher risk for the best interest of the patient
• I will be kind to patients no matter their background, beliefs of life outside this episode of vulnerability
• I Use touch and voice to provide kindness; nursing is the gift of close interaction in a world where we communicate so separately
• I will be kind to others in health who provide care, to those who are more skilled and knowledgeable than I, to those who are unhappy at work, to those who have made mistakes
• I will be kind to myself in reflection; recognising that humans are complex, ever learning
Alyce Robinson
My name is Alyce Robinson, I am a currently working in the Neuroscience intensive care unit and I am a clinical nurse consultant for the Organ and Tissue Donation Service. I have been successful with the enrolment into the Advanced Nursing Practice, where I will be able to continue my growth of knowledge and passion in palliative care and intensive care medicine.
Julia Stuart
My name is Julia Stuart, I am a RN with over 10 years’ experience working in critical care. The last two and a half years have been spent here in Royal North Shore Hospital in ICU.
My background is mostly Emergency nursing in major trauma centres in Australia and the UK. I have also spent a year working in the pre-hospital setting and have worked in rural and remote parts of the world, working in 7 different countries. The last 5 years I have mainly been working at RNSH, in ED as well as occasionally on the wards. I have completed my postgraduate studies in emergency and critical care nursing and have studied management of the polytrauma patient, burns management and tropical nursing. All of my training has led me to have a great interest in Trauma and our clinical management of the trauma patient.
In August I commenced a Masters in Traumatology course (Trauma) at the University of Newcastle (AU). I feel the knowledge I am gaining directly contributes to advancing my clinical knowledge, skills and critical thinking and its application to practice within ICU. I also seek to share this knowledge with my colleagues. I would like to put my application forward to the Northcare Foundation for financial support to contribute to my studies. The foundation’s support would be greatly appreciated and help me to continue to be able to fund myself through the entirety of the course.
Maggie Jiawei Zhao
My name is Jiawei Zhao (Maggie); I am a registered nurse currently working in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit at Royal North Shore Hospital.
I started my nursing career in 2003; after a short period of nursing in China, I continued my nursing career in a tertiary hospital in Ireland. During my 8 years of nursing in Ireland, I was passionate and motivated in self-education. I studied post-registration Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing Studies at Trinity College Dublin in 2011, and my final research proposal was presented at the TCD International Nursing Research and Education conference. Nursing is not just a task-orientated job to me. I like challenges and new experiences in my nursing career. After so many years of nursing, I finally found where I belonged when I started working in the intensive care unit. There are many job satisfaction levels, from being patient’s advocate and advanced nursing practice to further education and career development opportunities. Since 2015, I have achieved postgraduate study in critical care nursing and up-skilled in critical care nursing practice. I have become a clinical nurse specialist in cardiothoracic ICU that is actively involved in updating nursing guidelines, training new staff and quality auditing. Currently, I am studying master degree in advanced nursing that will benefit my future career development.