BNI, a worldwide business and professional networking organisation, has supported hospice throughout New Zealand over the past six years with donations in the region of $500,000 NZ dollars (400,000 US dollars). This is the fifth year BNI have funded the scholarship programme which has seen 62 people working in a variety of roles in palliative care funded to undertake further study or training.
According to Hospice NZ the scholarships “provide an important and unique opportunity for the hospice workforce to continue in their professional development. This opportunity is especially important for allied health disciplines involved in palliative care.”
The impact of the scholarship goes further than the recipient. A condition of the scholarship is providing colleagues with written or verbal feedback on their study within six months of the completion.
Many recipients hold in-service meetings with their colleagues, presenting at national meetings and engaging with other organisations in their communities.
A 2011 scholarship recipient commented “Every step of my studies has had an impact on my practice and will continue to do so. I am gaining knowledge about the wider palliative care community both nationally and internationally. I can see the ‘bigger picture’ outside of my immediate workplace and I am able to share some of this learning with my colleagues.”
More information on the scholarships is available on the Hospice NZ website.
The deadline for applications is 10 December 2012.
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