Welcome

Welcome to the University of Sydney Nursing School

A warm welcome to those who are new to the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery (University of Sydney Nursing School) in 2016 and to returning staff and students – thank you for all the good work you do and my best wishes for a great year. I am delighted that we will be offering our Master of Nursing (Graduate Entry) program at the Westmead Precinct campus of the University of Sydney for the first time in 2016. While many of our staff and students already study and work within the Westmead Precinct, I am excited about expanding the excellent work of Sydney Nursing School in education, research and scholarship more visibly within this region. I applaud the innovation and creativity of our staff and students as we work with our clinical and professional partners on exciting new developments in health and health care that focus on people and their communities across the globe.

At Sydney Nursing School, we aim to create and sustain a vibrant environment of enquiry that emphasises the indivisibility of nursing and midwifery research, education, practice and policy. We are proud to be educating nurses and midwives who are confident and competent to work in communities near and far, and to be undertaking research that influences future trends in treatment, person-centred care and illness prevention. Situated within a research-intensive university, our academic staff are among the leading researchers in their fields. Their work is directly translated into your education and into improving care for others through practice. With nursing and midwifery research units located within two major Sydney hospitals, and a number of clinical professors and joint research appointments across the Sydney area, we value the development of a strong research community and our clinical partnerships.

Students who study with us have many opportunities to access teaching and research across all of the health disciplines. Learning from world experts and studying alongside students from other health professions will not only give you a unique educational perspective, but introduces you to inter-disciplinary practice that reflects upon the complexities, challenges and rewards you will face working in health and health care. We have designed our programs to develop the knowledge, skills and experience necessary for you to establish and grow a rewarding career in clinical or community practice, and in nursing and midwifery research. Our programs continuously undergo academic and industry review to ensure that they remain current and relevant. You will learn in an academically rigorous environment which, at the same time, is stimulating and supportive. The values we hold at Sydney Nursing School ensure that our work is carried out in a culture of transparency, respect, inclusiveness, collegiality and cultural safety. This culture relishes constructive, critical debate and intellectual challenge.

Through our teaching, research and scholarship, Sydney Nursing School aims to be the premier research-intensive nursing and midwifery school in Australia, respected and highly regarded nationally and internationally. We are committed to cross-disciplinary, collaborative research and scholarship that has a focus on improving health, the quality of care, and the health-related experience of people across the lifespan, including the end of life. There are so many fabulous things you can do as a nurse or midwife and many opportunities await you as a student of the University of Sydney. I encourage you to explore these experiences. Whether you are just beginning your path to become a nurse, or are joining us to advance your career, Sydney Nursing School is a great place to study. You are most warmly welcomed.

Please accept my best wishes for a successful year.

Professor Donna Waters
Dean
Sydney Nursing School
The University of Sydney