Clinical placement nursing bursaries

At the University of Southern Queensland, we are acutely aware of the financial pressures faced by our nursing students, which are exacerbated by attending clinical placements away from home. A rural or remote clinical placement for a nursing student provides substantial benefit for the student, for the health service providing the placement and indeed for the rural or remote community.

However these are challenging placements for students. A significant number of students on these crucial placements must pay for their accommodation and meals, as well as travel to and from rural and remote areas. When this happens they are away from their normal part-time work, unable to earn an income and still have to pay their bills and sometimes support families. This can put enormous financial pressure on students, and hence is a disincentive for many nursing students, who otherwise would welcome the valuable professional and life experiences achieved when on placement in rural or remote areas.

Conversely, many USQ nursing students live in regional settings around our two campuses offering Nursing (Toowoomba and Fraser Coast), and benefit from the opportunity to experience a clinical placement in a busy metropolitan hospital. Again, these students face significant travel, accommodation and other costs associated with being away from home while on placement.

USQ thanks the generous industry, private donors and community supporters who have contributed to this initiative. Further information can be found at Nursing Clinical Placement Support.

PURPOSE OF BURSARIES

The principal purpose is to provide bursary assistance for USQ nursing students attending rural or remote clinical placements away from their usual place of residence. Financial assistance is provided to assist students in financial need to undertake their studies, specifically for rural and remote placement areas but also to assist regional students complete a placement in a large metropolitan hospital.

BURSARY VALUE

Each Bursary will have a maximum value of $500. This will be paid after the semester census date. Four week (160 hours) placement payments have a value of $500.

For enrolled students, applications detals are available on the BNUR Studydesk.