We are pleased to be able to introduce the most recent recipient of Arrow’s Masters Scholarship: Cristina Lucas.

Cristina was a surgical nurse before joining Xavier 9 South, one of the acute inpatient cancer services wards covering the specialties of haematology and bone marrow transplant at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney. Initially, Cristina had reservations about whether she would be able to meet the emotional toll of working in the field of haematology and bone marrow transplant, but once she transferred to the ward in August 2021 during the COVID-19 lockdown period, she quickly rose to the challenge. She now loves her work with this cohort of patients, describing them as incredibly resilient, and crediting them with giving her the passion to continue her academic training in this extremely technical field of nursing.

Her colleagues describe her as being incredibly patient-centric, always going the extra mile for her patients, like the time she had a young boy in her care who was a fan of the local football club. Cristina had a personal connection to one of the football players, and asked him to record a quick video message for her patient. Of course, technical skill and knowledge are paramount in the field of haematology nursing where patients are often critically ill, but it’s these little ‘extra’ things that can have such a big impact on patients’ mental and emotional outcomes.

It seems it’s not only the patients who benefit from Cristina’s passion: As well as being highly focused and engaged with the patients and families, Cristina has become a real asset to the staff on the ward and to the broader health care community. She has taken on clinical lead roles in the ward, and is proactive in sharing her knowledge with junior nurses. She has been part of panels discussing career pathways for women in health, and she has also returned to her high school where she was part of a forum about careers in nursing.

We’re looking forward to watching Cristina continue to excel in her career as she embarks on The Master of Cancer and Haematology Nursing through the University of Sydney with the support of Arrow’s Masters Scholarship, and we wish her all the best with her studies.

Arrow offers several academic scholarships for nurses working in the field of haematology and bone marrow transplant, as well as travel scholarships to help nurses and allied health professionals attend conferences and scientific meetings. You can read more about them on our scholarships page. Be sure to sign up to our newsletter to be informed when applications open.