You are required to submit an essay in support of your application. The essay should be written to a standard which is commensurate with the level of study being undertaken. This includes relevance to the topic, format, spelling, grammar and clear articulation of thoughts and ideas.

Essay requirements and marking criteria are outlined per category for each level of qualification:

Scholarship categories

1. Category 1 – Clinical Studies
2. Category 2 – Education
3. Category 3 – Management
4. Category 4 – Postgraduate study leading to registration as a midwife

Category 1 – Clinical Studies

The course being studied should relate to your current role or role being sought. Applicants in other roles must be able to provide evidence of requiring the clinical expertise.

Graduate Certificate - Clinical Studies

Question: Examine how the qualification will benefit your nursing practice and enhance your longer term goals. Illustrate how these will improve the care of the patient.

Length: 300 words

Marking criteria

• Provides introduction to essay and outlines issues: 10
• Identifies ways the qualification improves knowledge and technical skills: 35
• Illustrates how patient care is improved: 35
• Provides links to relevant research, reports and policies/guidelines: 10
• Academic writing style reflects level of course being undertaken, spelling, grammar: 10

Graduate Diploma - Clinical Studies

Question: Examine how the qualification will enhance your theoretical and technical knowledge and skills. Illustrate how this will improve the care of the patient.

Length: 400 words

Marking criteria

• Provides introduction to essay: 10
• Identifies ways the qualification improves knowledge and technical skills: 35
• Illustrates how patient care is improved: 35
• Provides links to relevant research, reports and policies/guidelines: 10
• Academic writing style reflects level of course being undertaken, spelling, grammar: 10

Masters - Clinical Studies

Question: Identify an emerging issue within your specialty and its impact upon clinical practice. Using a solution focused approach, describe opportunities available to attend to the issue and how to support the solution/s within your area of practice.

Length: 500 words

Marking criteria

• Provides introduction to essay and identifies contemporary issue: 15
• Identifies a solution focused approach to issue: 15
• Identifies why solution is appropriate and how the solution may be supported at a local and service level: 35
• Provides links to relevant research, reports and policies/guidelines: 10
• Academic writing style reflects level of course being undertaken, spelling, grammar: 25

Category 2 – Education

Priority will be given to:

• applicants who are currently employed or acting as a nurse/midwifery educator or clinical educator without prior tertiary education qualifications
• applicants in other roles who can provide evidence or requiring the educational knowledge.

Graduate Certificate - Education

Question: Examine how this qualification will benefit your capabilities to provide education within the clinical environment.

Length: 300 words

Marking criteria

• Provides introduction to essay and outlines issues: 10
• Demonstrates how higher level knowledge is applied in practice setting: 35
• Relates to workplace change: 35
• Provides links to relevant research, reports and policies/guidelines: 10
• Academic writing style reflects level of course being undertaken, spelling, grammar: 10

Graduate Diploma - Education

Question: Identify how this qualification will develop your higher level practice.

Length: 400 words

Marking criteria

• Provides introduction to essay and outlines issues: 10
• Demonstrates how higher level practice is achieved: 35
• Relates to workplace change: 35
• Provides links to relevant research, reports and policies/guidelines: 10
• Academic writing style reflects level of course being undertaken, spelling, grammar: 10

Masters - Education

Question: Provision of education in multiple modalities is an important component of adult education. Identify differing modalities and how these educational modes can be applied in the complex and evolving practice to nursing and midwifery.

Length: 500 words

Marking criteria

• Provides introduction to essay and outlines issues: 10
• Demonstrates understanding of adult education and different adult learning styles: 35
• Relates approaches to support clinical development of colleagues and workplace change: 35
• Provides links to relevant research, reports and policies/guidelines: 10
• Academic writing style reflects level of course being undertaken, spelling, grammar: 10

Category 3 – Management

Priority will be given to applicants who are currently:

• employed or acting for a minimum of three months in a nursing or midwifery management position without prior tertiary management qualifications
• employed or acting as a nurse or midwifery manager for a minimum of three months and seeking to upgrade an existing tertiary qualification
• employed and working as a registered nurse or registered midwife with at least three years' experience in nursing/midwifery.

Graduate Certificate - Management

Question: Explain how this qualification will improve your capability in leading and managing change in NSW Health.

Length: 300 words

Marking criteria

• Provides introduction to essay and outlines issues: 10
• Identifies change management principles: 35
• Demonstrates how this applies to leadership/management: 35
• Provides links to relevant research, reports and policies/guidelines: 10
• Academic writing style reflects level of course being undertaken, spelling, grammar: 10

Graduate Diploma - Management

Question: Explain how you enhance your skills and professional capability in leading and managing in NSW Health.

Length: 400 words

Marking criteria

• Provides introduction to essay and outlines issues: 10
• Identifies change: 35
• Demonstrates how this applies to leadership/management: 35
• Provides links to relevant research, reports and policies/guidelines: 10
• Academic writing style reflects level of course being undertaken, spelling, grammar: 10

Masters - Management

Question: Organisational change is a common topic and discussion point at multiple levels of health services. Describe the challenges for managers in supporting organisational change and suggested approaches to successfully transform health care service delivery and workforces of the future.

Length: 500 words

Marking criteria

• Provides introduction to essay and outlines issues: 10
• Demonstrates understanding of organisational change and its place within health services: 35
• Relates approaches to supporting health care delivery and workforce development: 35
• Provides links to relevant research, reports and policies/guidelines: 10
• Academic writing style reflects level of course being undertaken, spelling, grammar: 10

Category 4 – Postgraduate study leading to registration as a midwife

Graduate Diploma/Masters - Midwifery

Question: Identify an emerging issue within the profession of midwifery or midwifery as a public health initiative.

Length: 400 words

Marking criteria

• Provides introduction to essay: 10
• Identifies emerging issue within midwifery or midwifery as a public health initiative: 35
• Demonstrates an ability to synthesis evidence and related evidence on the topic chosen: 35
• Provides links to relevant research, reports and polices/guidelines: 10
• Academic writing style reflects level of course being undertaken, spelling, grammar: 10