Caitlin Young

Caitlin now holds a Graduate Certificate of Nursing Practice (Cancer and Palliative Care) from the University of Melbourne and is due to commence her Master of Nursing Practice here in 2019.


The Patricia Eileen Hyams Scholarship has allowed 2018 to be a very successful year for me both personally and academically.

I was excited to be accepted into the Graduate Certificate in Nursing Practice (Cancer and Palliative Care) at the University of Melbourne but was daunted by the prospect of completing it while living in rural Tasmania. I knew the cost involved in travelling regularly to Melbourne would be significant, and that I would have to spend a lot of time working to afford it, taking me away from my studies.

Thankfully, I was awarded a scholarship to support me through my studies. The scholarship helped me cover the cost of frequent travel to Melbourne for classes and alleviated my financial stress. I was also able to reduce my shift work, giving me more time and energy to focus on my studies and getting the most from this wonderful learning opportunity.

Thanks to the extra time the scholarship afforded me, I was able to excel in my studies and have received an offer to further my studies in the University of Melbourne’s Master of Nursing Practice, which I will commence in 2019.

Completing the Graduate Certificate in Nursing Practice (Cancer and Palliative Care) has given me so much exposure to treatments and gold standard practices that I can take back to my workplace as the cancer care system there continues to grow. Gaining more specialised knowledge throughout the year has led me to be considered a more senior member of staff in my workplace. With this extra responsibility and leadership, I have found myself guiding and supporting junior staff, which has helped me to realise my second passion in nursing – educating. Upon completing my Masters degree I hope to take up a more senior role in junior staff education, be this as the ward’s Nurse Educator or as coordinator in the graduate nurse program.

I am certain my grades and ability to apply myself to my studies this year would not have been nearly as strong were it not for the generous scholarship I received. The ease at which I was able to study interstate at an esteemed university has inspired some of my colleagues to also apply and work towards post graduate qualifications as well.

Nursing scholarships truly change lives and make a difference – both for the studying nurse and then the patients they go on to care for. Thank you.