2010 marked Resthaven's 75th anniversary.
We decided to have a special celebration
to commemorate the anniversary.
We focussed on various activities that
we would include, communities that we provide
services within and also key stakeholders
that we work with in providing
outstanding care to older people.
Most students who are at university nowadays are
studying full time and working part time
So of course, when they're on clinical placement
they can't actually work.
The scholarships really provide the opportunity
to be on placement without having to worry about working.
I'm a mother, I'm a wife and I also have a mortgage.
Receiving the scholarship means I can give up a day of work.
Being a recipient of the scholarship certainly assists
with a lot of workshops, placement, in addition
to having to work a lot these days.
It's a brilliant start to my Masters of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner).
I'm raising three boys, so I was studying full time.
So this takes the financial burden off of me quite a bit.
Trying to work to pay for childcare while you're
working full time at a hospital is quite a challenge
so having that money from Resthaven
yeah, it'll be fantastic, it'll help me out a lot.
I'll be able to just focus on my studies.
Providing services to older people
provides an opportunity to make a difference
to the quality of life of people every day.
We see nurses as critical to the quality
of care that older people receive.
Looking after older people requires nurses
who've got really sound theoretical knowledge
and are able to apply that in practice.
Looking after the older individual who might have
chronic disease and comorbidities
requires a level of expertise and knowledge
that I think a lot of other nurses don't actually understand.
So, it's a very challenging career, but a very rewarding one.
What my interest is is vascular access device insertion
for a range of treatments, be they infections or
afflictions that the aged community suffer from,
diabetes related illnesses.
I've actually been an aged care worker since I was eighteen.
I just found that I was working with someone for eight hours a day
and when there was something wrong
I didn't know medically what that was
and I found that frustrating.
So that's why I've decided to do university
and become a registered nurse.
I see myself nursing in the community and helping
aged people stay in their own homes for as long as possible
and have health support so that they can do so.
I do notice a lot of the difference that so many people
are living in the community that perhaps shouldn't.
So by staying in aged care and getting people
to look at it a little differently
hopefully I can make a difference in that way.
We know that when our students graduate
and they're ready for employment
that they've met all of the graduate qualities of the university
That means they know how to work independently
but equally, they're comfortable in a team.
They've got good communication skills
they know where they fit within the team
and within their industry
and also on top of that, they've also met all of the
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council standards
for practice, so they're ready for any industry partner
to take them and to move them forward.
Yeah, I'd like to say thank you to Resthaven for providing
the opportunity for me to continue my nursing studies.
I'd like to thank Resthaven for offering these scholarships.
I congratulate recognising that nurses
are needing assistance and to also having the
opportunity to be able to go back into aged care.
I thank you Resthaven for my scholarship.
It's going to help me out a lot.
I just want to thank them so much for the opportunity to apply.
It really does mean a lot to myself personally
in regards to my circumstances and
I can't wait to represent Resthaven to the best of my ability
and apply what I do to the aged community.