Six Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) Bachelor of Nursing students were given wonderful news at the end of 2025 as the first group of SIT students to receive a Southern Cross Nursing Scholarship
The partnership between SIT School of Nursing (SoN) and Southern Cross Health Trust was formed last August after the healthcare provider had run a successful pilot programme in Auckland. Southern Cross then expanded the pilot to offer scholarships to a further five tertiary providers for 2026, extending its funding to support nursing students throughout the country and amounting to an investment of more than $1m nursing students in the Nursing Scholarship Programme this year.
The scholarship recipients applied when the scheme was launched with SIT in August and were notified of their selection in December. There are two students from each year of the degree who will receive: $500 per week while on clinical placement, a $6200 contribution towards direct material costs over three years of their degree, and $500 per year for general health and wellbeing. The Nursing Council of New Zealand state exam will also be paid for in the final year of study.
The students were invited to Southern Cross Invercargill Hospital this week to have a welcome morning tea and informally meet with Southern Cross Hospital management, along with SIT management: Bharat Guha - SIT Chief Executive, Karyn Madden – Academic Lead, Nursing and Master of Nursing Programme Manager and Julia Russell – Head of Faculty, Health and Humanities.
Year 2 Bachelor of Nursing student, Alana Burgess, who left a career in administration to retrain as a nurse, had always felt a deep calling to nursing, but believed it might be too late to pursue it. The mother of three boys had her life take a profound turn following the birth of her youngest son when she received a heart transplant. The exceptional care and compassion shown by the nurses and medical staff during her time in hospital inspired Ms Burgess to follow her dream. This experience fuels her commitment to giving back and providing the same level of care in nursing that she once received.
Ms Burgess thought the meet and greet was good for putting faces to names within the Southern Cross Hospital management team. “It was really cool, it was casual; we met the General Manager and had a talk. They went over the benefits of the scholarship and mentorship.”
Having a Southern Cross Healthcare nurse as a mentor would be very beneficial as Ms Burgess entered her second year of training. “Last year we covered a lot of the science; this year there is a lot more learning how to be a nurse in different environments.”
She was looking forward to utilising the Southern Cross Clinical Key, a resource asset available online, giving students access to research, tutorials, videos and more.
“You can search up anything medical, for example, diabetes, you can see all the research that has been done; there is proper practice on how to handle it, and in-depth information on the condition and treatment. This year we will carry out more research.”
Ms Burgess noted there was a strong focus on nurse wellness and wellbeing. “There’s a staff member who manages that, so we’ve got that mental support too. They were
all so lovely; we got a couple of hugs at the end.”
Scholarship recipients will also receive priority clinical placements in Southern Cross hospitals. “I’m very excited, having the opportunity for part-time work to fit with our
placements: to have that is invaluable,” Ms Burgess said.
Fellow scholarship recipient, Claudia Parkinson, is a Year 1 Māori nursing student (Ngāpuhi and Kāi Tahu), who was inspired to pursue a career in healthcare by her mother, who works as a mental health nurse.
A single mother to a two-year-old, Ms Parkinson says she’s settling in well to her studies. “So far, it’s been pretty full-on, but it’s doable. My mum’s a good support.”
Ms Parkinson says gaining the Southern Cross scholarship has made her think more positively about herself.
“It’s made me think I can do anything… To be honest, getting the scholarship means everything to me. This has been the biggest academic achievement of my life,” she says. “It’s a good motivator; it just makes me want to work harder towards my goals.”
Passionate about supporting minority groups and underserved communities, Ms Parkinson wants to advocate for those that don’t have a voice. “I’m really enjoying the programme, I can’t wait to go on placements.”
SIT Academic Lead (Head) of Nursing, Karyn Madden, pointed out that beyond the financial assistance, the partnership with Southern Cross gave their nursing students access to a wider variety of healthcare options when deciding what they might want to pursue in the sector. “It showcases other avenues of healthcare. It’s a great opportunity for the students to get involved with Southern Cross.” She reiterated that SIT SoN was committed to getting students into the best possible positions in nursing, removing financial barriers for nursing students, and promoting equity. “We’re setting them up to be successful,” she said.
Southern Cross Invercargill Hospital General Manager, Jo McLeod, acknowledged the significance of the collaboration between Southern Cross Health Trust and SIT. “It’s a really important partnership and we’re proud to support that locally in Invercargill; we warmly welcome the scholarship students; the whole team are excited about having them here.”
It is a significant investment that the future potential is supported at this stage of the students’ training. Ms McLeod remarked SIT delivered excellence in their nursing programmes; alongside that, Southern Cross Invercargill Hospital offered a high-quality experience for the students’ clinical training.
“We have a team of excellently skilled staff here who are very excited about taking on the mentoring roles with the students. I think that it’s important to create that network of peers for the students involved. We’ve started with Year 1, and they’ll have that consistency all the way through their training.”
“It’s such a great opportunity to support our nurses of the future.”