hi my name is Belinda Abbott and I'm the clinical nurse consultant on ward
2C Neurosciences in the division of Surgery at the Princess Alexandra
Hospital in Brisbane
there were other universities that offered courses around nursing
leadership and health management but Southern Cross University online was the
only one that offered the interdisciplinary approach I was looking
for this approach is the actual way of the future in health care in terms of
working together with other departments to provide the best practice and the
best patient and consumer outcomes
blackboard which is the online learning platform was extremely easy to use and
navigate it was fantastic that I could communicate and receive feedback and
support from other healthcare professionals
during the course through the online discussion board
I think online study has become easy-to-use since the last postgraduate
course I did back in 2005 the technology has improved and the experience is far
more straightforward and user-friendly the coursework is interactive dynamic
and engaging for students
I receive support from my very own Student Success Adviser they contacted
me on a regular basis through phone calls and email I always knew that ther
was support wherever and whenever I needed it the academics and tutors were
also very supportive and encouraging throughout the course
I think the biggest challenge of online study for me was to balance family
full-time work and study but I constantly tried to reflect on the
reason why I was undertaking the course which enabled me to remain organised I
believe being self driven and motivated is so important I also had to identify
times where I'd fit in study and assignment work in amongst all my other
commitments I found that some of the work I was undertaking each week could be
transferred over into my own assignments I can strongly state that Southern Cross
University online has been an extremely positive experience and I've gained so
much over the last two years