Parliamentary Secretary for Regional and Rural Health, Leslie Williams, today announced that Aboriginal people seeking financial support in their studies to become a nurse or midwife can now apply for a NSW Aboriginal Nursing and Midwifery Scholarship.“The scholarships provide up to $1,000 per subject for Aboriginal students studying a Bachelor of Nursing or Bachelor of Midwifery degree and up to $15,000 for Aboriginal registered nurses or midwives undertaking postgraduate studies,” ...

Parliamentary Secretary for Regional and Rural Health, Leslie Williams, today announced that Aboriginal people seeking financial support in their studies to become a nurse or midwife can now apply for a NSW Aboriginal Nursing and Midwifery Scholarship.

“The scholarships provide up to $1,000 per subject for Aboriginal students studying a Bachelor of Nursing or Bachelor of Midwifery degree and up to $15,000 for Aboriginal registered nurses or midwives undertaking postgraduate studies,” Mrs Williams said.

Applications have also opened for the NSW Aboriginal Nursing and Midwifery Cadetship, which offers the opportunity to study an undergraduate nursing or midwifery degree in 2018, and receive mentoring and additional clinical support.

Renee Bani, a current Bachelor of Midwifery student at the University of Technology Sydney, said the scholarship has opened new doors for her.

“I was very keen to study midwifery, but also hesitant about being a mature-aged student and how I’d balance studying with parenting responsibilities,” Ms Bani said.

“Midwifery is a massive change for me after having worked as a radio announcer for the better part of a decade. Thankfully, the program has provided a lot of support and reassured me that age is just a number.

“I encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are thinking of studying nursing or midwifery to take this great opportunity and apply for a scholarship.”

Jay Hughes, a recent graduate of the cadetship program at the University of Wollongong, said the opportunity enabled him to realise his dream of becoming a nurse after a career as a youth worker with homeless people.

“Nursing is something I’ve always wanted to do but circumstances prevented me from studying it straight after high school,” Mr Hughes said.

“The mentoring provided through the cadetship was incredibly helpful. Being able to talk to someone who cared about how I was doing really boosted my confidence.

“The financial support also made a huge difference and meant I didn’t need to stress about working to provide for myself while studying – through the Cadetship I was able to work a few days each week at Wollongong Hospital to put what I was learning into practice.”

The NSW Aboriginal Nursing and Midwifery Cadetship Program offers:

“The NSW Government is committed to providing opportunities for Aboriginal people across NSW, and I encourage potential applicants for this fantastic cadetship program to apply,” Mrs Williams said.

Applications for the cadetship program close on 19 January 2018 and applications for the scholarship close on 16 February 2018. Applicants must live in NSW.

To apply, visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/aboriginal-scholarships and http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/aboriginal-cadetships or call 1800 155 325 or email aboriginalnursing@doh.health.nsw.gov.au