Leading the way for patient care

For nurses, no two shifts are the same and patients always come first. It can be hard to imagine taking time out to travel abroad for an independent study tour. That’s where The Alfred Health Nursing Scholarship comes in. 

Proudly sponsored by Bank First, this scholarship aims to advance nursing through research and leadership experiences. For Kellie Easton, a Clinical Nurse Consultant working in Heart Failure, receiving the Scholarship in 2024 made her long-held dream of learning from heart failure clinics in the UK a reality. 

Bringing ideas to life 

'I’d known about the clinics for a long time. In over 30 years of nursing, I’ve never received an opportunity like this – I’m very grateful,’ said Kellie. 

After receiving the scholarship, Kellie attended the European Society of Cardiology Conference and presented on the service that Alfred Health provides for advanced heart failure patients who are waiting for transplants. ‘We talked about how these patients are now self-managing their inotropes in their own homes. We’re one of the first programs to do this.' 

Kellie then visited two hospitals in London to see how nurse practitioners were working with patients to improve heart function while on cancer treatment.