ADEA members among recipients of inaugural scholarships honouring wartime nurses

Two ADEA members are among the first recipients of new scholarships honouring the memory of Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel and 21 of her dedicated nursing colleagues during World War II.

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) Foundation recently awarded the inaugural Bullwinkel Scholarships in Canberra on the 82nd anniversary of the massacre of the brave Australian nurses on Bangka Island, Indonesia, on 16 February 1942.

The scholarships, under the ACN Foundation’s Bullwinkel Scholars Program, are valued at up to $10,000 each and carry the names of the fallen nurses and Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel, the only survivor.

Recipients of the Australian College of Nursing Foundation’s inaugural Bullwinkel Scholarships.

Among the recipients are ADEA members Mrs Amy Cowan and Dr Giuliana Murfet.

Mrs Cowan’s scholarship is in honour of Sister Janet ‘Jenny’ Kerr while Dr Murfet’s is in honour of Sister Dorothy Gwendoline ‘Buddy’ Elmes.

The ACN Foundation stated that Mrs Cowan, the ADEA Victorian CDE of the Year in 2018, ‘draws inspiration from Vivian Bullwinkel’s unwavering sense of purpose and pride in the nursing profession’.

‘Her passion lies in motivating and inspiring the next generation of nurses through dedicated support, mentoring, and authentic leadership,’ the ACN Foundation stated.

‘Through her journey, Amy exemplifies unwavering dedication to personal and professional growth, making her a guiding light for nurses at all stages of their careers.’

Dr Giuliana Murfet and Mrs Amy Cowan in front of the statue of Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel.

For Dr Murfet, whose accolades include being awarded the Jan Baldwin National CDE of the Year in 2022, the ACN Foundation stated that she was ‘immensely proud to become a Bullwinkel Scholar as an acknowledgement of her passion, perseverance, and dedication to nursing care to improve the lives of others’.

‘She believes the scholarship will benefit her nursing career by improving her executive leadership skills to become more dynamic and promote creative and innovative solutions,’ the ACN Foundation stated.

The scholarships were announced to coincide with the unveiling of the statue of Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel at the Australian War Memorial in August 2023.

‘These new scholarships for registered nurses, funded by The Bullwinkel Project, will allow future generations of nurses to lead their contemporary journey in providing exceptional skilled health care for all Australians,’ the ACN foundation stated.

Read the full story on the ACN Foundation website.

More about the ACN Foundation’s Bullwinkel Scholars Program.

ADEA members among recipients of inaugural scholarships honouring wartime nurses

Two ADEA members are among the first recipients of new scholarships honouring the memory of Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel and 21 of her dedicated nursing colleagues during World War II.

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) Foundation recently awarded the inaugural Bullwinkel Scholarships in Canberra on the 82nd anniversary of the massacre of the brave Australian nurses on Bangka Island, Indonesia, on 16 February 1942.

The scholarships, under the ACN Foundation’s Bullwinkel Scholars Program, are valued at up to $10,000 each and carry the names of the fallen nurses and Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel, the only survivor.

Recipients of the Australian College of Nursing Foundation’s inaugural Bullwinkel Scholarships.

Among the recipients are ADEA members Mrs Amy Cowan and Dr Giuliana Murfet.

Mrs Cowan’s scholarship is in honour of Sister Janet ‘Jenny’ Kerr while Dr Murfet’s is in honour of Sister Dorothy Gwendoline ‘Buddy’ Elmes.

The ACN Foundation stated that Mrs Cowan, the ADEA Victorian CDE of the Year in 2018, ‘draws inspiration from Vivian Bullwinkel’s unwavering sense of purpose and pride in the nursing profession’.

‘Her passion lies in motivating and inspiring the next generation of nurses through dedicated support, mentoring, and authentic leadership,’ the ACN Foundation stated.

‘Through her journey, Amy exemplifies unwavering dedication to personal and professional growth, making her a guiding light for nurses at all stages of their careers.’

Dr Giuliana Murfet and Mrs Amy Cowan in front of the statue of Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel.

For Dr Murfet, whose accolades include being awarded the Jan Baldwin National CDE of the Year in 2022, the ACN Foundation stated that she was ‘immensely proud to become a Bullwinkel Scholar as an acknowledgement of her passion, perseverance, and dedication to nursing care to improve the lives of others’.

‘She believes the scholarship will benefit her nursing career by improving her executive leadership skills to become more dynamic and promote creative and innovative solutions,’ the ACN Foundation stated.

The scholarships were announced to coincide with the unveiling of the statue of Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel at the Australian War Memorial in August 2023.

‘These new scholarships for registered nurses, funded by The Bullwinkel Project, will allow future generations of nurses to lead their contemporary journey in providing exceptional skilled health care for all Australians,’ the ACN foundation stated.

Read the full story on the ACN Foundation website.

More about the ACN Foundation’s Bullwinkel Scholars Program.