2024 MooGoo Postgraduate Cancer Nursing Scholarship WINNERS!

Belinda

'16 years ago I commenced my nursing career after a career change to better suit my family. After about 4 years of consolidating my skills and experiencing the vast array of nursing roles, cancer care nursing grabbed my attention.

I had just relocated from the suburbs of Adelaide and saw first-hand the inequities in the health care rural cancer patient experience. This was the origin of my passion to establish and build a cancer care service that provides care as close to home as safely possible for my community.

I have spent the last 12+ years advocating for appropriate service provision which has ensured the service has continually developed in line with the needs of my community. Originally established to support just a handful of oncology patients, the current service provides nursing and specialist medical care to hundreds of local oncology and haematology patients. The service was the first in SA to transition the chemotherapy unit from a low to moderate chemotherapy unit and was nominated for an SA Health award. The clinical team has received awards and commendations for clinical excellence and service to the community over the years. 

As a Nurse Consultant - Cancer Care Coordinator, I have completed my Master of Nursing - Advanced Practice and I am now completing my Master of Nurse Practitioner to further enhance and develop the cancer care services available to patients of the Fleurieu Peninsula South Australia.'

Martina

'My name is Martina O'Neill, I am currently a Nurse Practitioner Candidate (NP in training) at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital within The Adem Crosby Centre, I have a special interest in Upper Gastrointestinal cancers - specifically Oesophageal Cancers.

The prevalence of UGI cancers is increasing exponentially and remains a malignancy that very much needs new treatment breakthroughs. I am incredibly honoured and privileged to have the opportunity to care and improve the cancer treatment trajectory for this cancer cohort. The support of the MooGoo Nursing Scholarship will facilitate the completion of my Master of Nursing Practitioner and enable the opportunity to explore and expand research opportunities that will enhance the care and treatment of UGI patients.'

Natasha

'My name is Natasha Keir and I’m a Nurse Practitioner in Breast Oncology for GenesisCare. I was inspired to establish a nurse practitioner-led Breast Cancer Wellness Clinic in Queensland to provide ongoing supportive care to people with breast cancer and their families.

I have regular consultations with patients during their first-year post treatment, to not only assist them transition out of acute care but also help with the management of side effects. Issues with sexual health and intimacy is one of the long-term adverse effects of breast cancer treatment. With the generous scholarship provided by MooGoo, I will be undertaking further postgraduate studies in this area, so that I can gain the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively counsel and provide comprehensive sexual health care to the patients I have the privilege of supporting.'

Kirstin

'I serve as Australia’s first dedicated Pleural Clinical Nurse Consultant in Australia and work within the Pleural Medicine Unit at Northern Hospital in Victoria. Recognising the profound impacts of cancer and the existing gaps in care, I have dedicated my career to enhancing the lives of those with malignant pleural disease, a particularly disabling and burdensome condition.

With the generous support of the MooGoo scholarship, I am pursuing a Master of Nurse Practitioner degree, which I will complete in mid-2025. Pursuing the Nurse Practitioner degree will allow me to further develop my clinical expertise and research capabilities, enabling me to work at the top of my scope and bridge the gap between evidence and practice. I envision playing a pivotal role in the healthcare system, driving initiatives to improve cancer care delivery, enhance patient outcomes, and promote health equity. My ultimate goal is to prioritise dignity, autonomy, and quality of life, thereby significantly improving outcomes for individuals living with cancer.'

Julie-Ann

Julie-Ann Martin is an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Outreach Nurse Consultant at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (PMCC), and Monash Health. Currently she is completing a Master of Advanced Nursing Practice (Nurse Practitioner [NP]) at the University of Melbourne (UOM), and a NP Candidacy at PMCC. Julie-Ann is an Australian Resuscitation Council, Advanced Life Support 2 Instructor, a member of the UOM NP Advisory Course Committee, and Australian College of Critical Care Nurses’ (ACCCN) NP in ICU Advisory Panel, and in 2023 was awarded a Rosemary Norman Scholarship from the Australian Nurses Memorial Centre for her distinguishable commitment to the nursing profession.

As a NP Candidate in ICU, Julie-Ann’s focus is on the early recognition and response to acute changes in the clinical condition of critically ill patients ‘within and beyond intensive care’. She has a keen interest in the delivery of analytical, evidenced-based, and patient-centred compassionate care. Most discernible is her advocacy and promotion of delirium care for critically ill patients, and the use of point-of-care cardiac and lung ultrasounds for differentiating major pathologies shock states and care, in emergency situations.

Julie-Ann’s eminent service to highly qualified and skilful critical care nursing and clinical leadership has been exemplified by a multiplicity of accomplishments including a Master of Nursing (Research), Graduate Diploma in Advanced Nursing in Critical Care and Emergency, and Bachelor in Nursing; as a nursing clinician in emergency and trauma, intensive care, remote nursing in Indigenous communities, and the completion of international deployment contracts for the Australasian Defence Force.

As a successful recipient of the MOGG scholarship, the benevolent funds will assist Julie-Ann to complete further ultrasound training to strengthen her knowledge, skills, confidence, and capacity to perform and interpret diagnostic ultrasound images in critically ill cancer patients at PMCC. The MooGoo Scholarship acknowledges  and commends her aspirational commitment and enduring service to the needs of critically ill patients.