Bachelor of Nursing

When Sarah Hunstead stepped onto the Monash University Peninsula campus, she could not have predicted that her nursing journey would eventually transform paediatric emergency education for thousands of families across Australia. Today, as the Founding Director of CPR Kids, Sarah leads a social enterprise dedicated to empowering parents, carers, and healthcare clinicians with lifesaving skills. Her trajectory, from emergency department nurse unit manager to healthcare innovator, demonstrates the real-world impact of a Monash nursing degree grounded in clinical excellence, leadership, and human empathy.

Sarah’s pathway into healthcare began with a pivotal realisation during an initial degree in biotechnology: her true passion lay in direct human connection. Realising she wanted to work face-to-face with people to make a meaningful difference, she transferred to Monash to pursue a nursing degree at the Peninsula campus. Monash provided rigorous practical training while instilling a deep philosophy of person-centred care. Beyond mastering clinical procedures, Sarah learned to understand the "why" behind every intervention, a principle that would later become the bedrock of her career and teaching practice today.

"One of our lab tutors said something that stayed with me forever: 'Do not ever forget that there is a human in this bed in front of you who deserves respect and care.' Monash didn't just teach us practical skills; it gave us that extra layer of empathy, human connection, and the critical reasoning behind everything we do."

After graduating in 2001, Sarah secured a graduate placement at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. Placed in the Emergency Department (ED), she thrived in the fast pace, high acuity, and unpredictability of acute paediatric care. Over the following decade at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Sarah progressed to Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Nurse Unit Manager. On the ED frontline, she recognised a critical gap: the decisive difference immediate, confident first aid makes in those crucial minutes before an ambulance arrives.

Driven to close this gap, Sarah launched CPR Kids with a few training mannequins and a mission to teach families essential emergency skills. Today, 14 years on, the organisation employs around 40 nurses delivering paediatric CPR, first aid, and sick child recognition training across major maternity hospitals and community venues in New South Wales and Queensland. Through Sarah's vision, paediatric first aid has become a standard part of antenatal education for expectant parents.

"Seeing parents come into a class anxious about choking or fever, and leaving confident, saying, 'If something happens, I know what to do '- that is the best feeling in the world. Being part of a movement that empowers families and directly impacts child survival is an absolute privilege."

Reflecting on her career pivot into entrepreneurship, Sarah emphasises that the critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills developed during her Monash degree and emergency nursing career were vital to building a thriving health enterprise.

"The interpersonal, management, and analytical skills you gain in nursing are a powerful foundation for anything, even running an enterprise. Don't be afraid to step out of traditional roles, trust your clinical instincts, and remember that a nursing degree can take you anywhere."

Sarah's story exemplifies the diverse pathways open to Monash nursing graduates. Whether at the bedside, leading clinical teams, or pioneering new models of preventive health education, Monash alumni continue to shape the future of health and make a lasting impact in their communities.

Learn more about the Bachelor of Nursing and the Monash Peninsula Campus here.