Needlemakers' Bursaries to RCN Foundation - Bursary Winners' Reports

Each year we give bursary awards to nurses and midwives to individuals looking to further their careers in nursing by attending learning and development activities. Individuals are required to submit proposals for funding and these are assessed and the winners are selected to receive a bursary which is match funded by the RCN Foundation.

We frequently receive feedback from the winners of our awards and here is a brief summary from those we helped:

Carolyn McCormack attended a short minor illness course run by two GP’s where she updated her knowledge of pharmacology and increased her confidence to enable her to be more proactive when consulting with patients. Carolyn has been able to update colleagues with the new research and knowledge gained.

Dominik Krzeminski attended two modules as part of his MSc Degree on Contemporary Nursing Practice and Advanced Approaches to Patient Assessment. This bursary enabled Dominik to fully focus on his studies while working full time otherwise he would have found it very hard to find the money to cover the fees.

Deb Panes attended the first academic module in the UK on caring for women with endometriosis. As a result Deb feels much more confident in caring for her patients and making clinical decisions and communicating this knowledge to her team. Deb would not otherwise been able to self-fund this course due to its high cost.

Rianne O’Gara used the funds to pay tuition and housing to complete a Diploma in Tropical Nursing. The course covered topics such as neglected tropical diseases and recognizing signs and symptoms of parasites. It has given Rianne an insight into how cultural factors and social determinants influence health and lifestyle choices, all of which are relevant to nursing practice in the UK. As a result Rianne has much greater confidence and is better equipped to practice in a modern globalised world.

David Smith works at St Luke's Hospice in Harrow. He undertook an Ignite course in Leadership Coaching which helped him be a better team leader and more able to support his team members in their goal of achieving excellent patient care and to support employees. David works for a small independent charity where funding for courses is limited, so without our help David may not have been able to afford or attend this course.

Tristi Brownett is a lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University used the funds to pay for a module to complete a MSc Health Promotion and Public Health. Tristi's study evaluated a workplace wellbeing programme, measuring its effectiveness in reducing absenteeism and people leaving the organisation. Tristi has found a passion for Arts and Health, become a member of a RSPH working group and has arranged two conferences on the subject.