Lieutenant Colonel Kylie Hasse has been awarded the 2023 Bonnie Boezeman AO Leadership in Nursing Scholarship to pursue her studies at Southern Cross University.
The scholarship, awarded by Bonnie Boezeman AO in partnership with Chief Executive Women (CEW), supports a female nurse to study the Master of Healthcare Leadership.
Kylie is a nurse and Senior Health Officer in the Australian Army who has been deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. During her deployment in the Middle East she witnessed extensive trauma cases as a result of conflict, treating and coordinating mass casualty events. She was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal for outstanding leadership and dedication to duty as a Nursing Officer.
“Working in a male-dominated environment like the Army has its challenges. I am often the only female in the room and I have worked hard to build my confidence by seeking out education opportunities wherever I could.
“Being a role model for nurses within the defence force and assisting with the growth and development of the profession is something I really value. You can’t be what you can’t see,” she said.
In addition to her stellar defence force career, Kylie is also mother to two young girls and mentor to young women leaders. “I am part of a STEM group mentoring young Indigenous female leaders. It’s impressive to see how they take on the challenges they face – they inspire me to be a better leader.”
Receiving the scholarship felt ‘a little surreal,’ said Kylie, but she is looking forward to beginning her studies in healthcare leadership later this year at Southern Cross University.
“Often as a nurse within the Australian Army you have little understanding about where your merits sit amongst our civilian counterparts. It’s an honour to be part of a network focused on supporting nurses to build and achieve their leadership potential,” she said.
“Nursing has far reaching responsibilities such as critical care, nursing homes, pandemics as well as nursing within the Defence Forces. The resilience shown by this year’s outstanding winner, in her varied and successful career, makes Kylie Hasse a worthy candidate for her next step along her leadership path,” said Bonnie Boezeman AO, Scholarship Benefactor and founding member of CEW.
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