Brisbane Waters Private Hospital is offering two fully funded scholarships for local nursing students in a bid to maintain a nursing workforce across the Coast.
The Healthe Care scholarship program works on a two-tier basis: a placement opportunity at the hospital to work with mentors, and funding to support studies.
CEO and Director of Clinical Services at the Brisbane Waters Private Hospital, Debbra Ritter, said the hospital had big plans for the future.
“We really need to start training up our next generation of nurses, so we can make sure that our experts have the opportunity to pass on their knowledge to new nurses,” Ritter said.
The program is also being offered at Gosford Private Hospital following its successful trial this year with nine placements and one funded scholarship.
Gosford’s 2020 scholarship recipient, Emily Crawford, said that she would recommend the program to anyone who has an interest in going into nursing.
“The whole experience has been really rewarding so far, with everyone at the hospital being so helpful, always offering support and motivating me,” Crawford said.
The model also provided Crawford with an additional guarantee to work in the hospital for a further two years.
Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch, said the program is exactly what the Coast needs due to its ageing population, especially on the Peninsula.
“It’s vital that we start to proactively think about the future of our community and how we can guarantee that Central Coast hospital care won’t be compromised,” Tesch said.
“This program is exactly what we need and the masterminds behind it are so passionate, working to make our community stronger and healthier and also provide opportunities for our youth.”
Local students will be able to apply for the scholarship early next year with more information to be made available soon.
Source:
Media release, Nov 26
Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch