Serco proudly sponsors the Vivian Bullwinkel Project

Serco is proud to be a Silver Sponsor of the Vivian Bullwinkel Project, an initiative by the Australian College of Nursing Foundation to commemorate Australian nurses who have served in war and support mid-career nurses undertaking further study with scholarships.

Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel was the sole survivor among a group of 22 nurses who lost their lives at the Bangka Island Massacre in 1942 in one of the worst atrocities of World War II.

Through the Vivian Bullwinkel Project, scholarships have been established in the names of Vivian’s 21 Australian nurse colleagues who did not survive massacre and a bronze sculpture has been commissioned to stand in the Australian War Memorial – the first ever to commemorate the service of an individual woman or nurse in the Memorial’s grounds.

Serco’s Managing Director - Citizen Services, Jeannine Biviano, said the Project is significant on many levels.  

“Serco has a long and proud history of delivering healthcare services and supporting the Australian Defence Force. In partnership with Bupa, we provide health services on behalf of the Australian Defence Force which brings these two essential industries together.

“We employ more than 900 nurses in Australia and are committed to providing fulfilling, exciting and diverse career opportunities in whichever area of nursing people choose with opportunities in defence base settings, community health, telehealth, corrections and in corporate environments.

These scholarships aimed at mid-career nurses are perfectly timed to enhances the capacity and capability of nurses who are moving into leadership roles.”

Serco has so far supported two nurses to advance their education, through the Matron Irene (Melville) Drummond scholarship and Esther Sarah Jean (Stewie) Stewart scholarship.

The two scholarships valued at $2,500 each, support costs associated with postgraduate study, such as course fees and textbooks.  

Kristin Yates, a Registered Psychiatric Nurse at the Mental Health Hospital in Geelong, received the Matron Irene (Melville) Drummond Scholarship which was available to enrolled or registered nurses who work in the mental health sector or military sectors and enrolled in a postgraduate course.

Kristin is completing a Graduate Diploma in Counselling through Deakin University.

“I am a passionate nurse who has always strived to further educate myself in order to deliver the best possible care to the most vulnerable mental health clients of our region. This scholarship has allowed me to undertake the “Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling” at Deakin University,” Kristin said.

“I plan to then be eligible to train in EMDR therapy mid-2023. EMDR is a life changing therapy for trauma victims but is only available to those in our region who can enter the private system to receive it. I am determined complete my studies to make EMDR therapy accessible to all those who will benefit from having their trauma processed, especially those who cannot afford to enter the private system.”

Nurses who would like to know more about the scholarships can complete the ACN’s EOI form and more information will be provided by the ACN as soon as it is available.

Image L-R: Dr Robb with ACN CEO Adjunct Prof. Kylie Ward in the studio with the statue of Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel, AO, MBE, ARRC, ED, FNM, FRCNA (in progress)

(Photograph courtesy of the Australian College of Nursing, Photographer Xavier Montaner)