Interview
Stella Penders made a conscious choice for further study Stella Penders Nursing Alumna and Master of Health Innovation and District Nurse at Envida
More in forma tion about fur the r s and a tudy Maste r at Zu can be yd found on page.2 2→
Stella Penders did it. In February, she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Zuyd and went on to study for a Master’s in Health Innovation. She’s also a district nurse at Envida, an organization that provides at-home care. She especially likes the combination of studying and working. Why did she choose to continue studying straight away? And what tips does she have for you?
‘If, like me, you’re practice-oriented but want in-depth knowledge, then studying and working is the perfect combination. If you want to continue studying after your Bachelor’s, my advice is to go and find out more: go to Open Days, information evenings, and experience days. Talk to someone at your research university or university of applied sciences to see what options you have.’ Further study, but not overly academic As a fairly recent course that Zuyd has been offering for a year now, the Master’s in Health Innovation is aimed at a very diverse target group: physiotherapists, dieticians, nurses, and occupational therapists. ‘Some students even have their own practice,’ says Stella. ‘The programme is unique in that it allows students to tackle practical situations from their work based on assignments, methods, and analyses. That’s what I 24 / voorbij zuyd
enjoyed right from the beginning.’ Being able to continue studying at Zuyd is a big plus for Stella: ‘Although you go up a level, the working method – both online and offline – is the same. The programme is also more practice-oriented than most Master’s programmes, which I’m totally fine with, as I didn’t want my further study to be overly academic.’ Further study: Stella’s tips Tip 1: ‘If you know what you want and are going to study for a Master’s at Zuyd, be open. See if it suits you, and if you really like it, the rest will come naturally. Tip 2: If you want to continue studying but don’t know in which direction yet, ask to see one of Zuyd’s career advisors – you’ll soon find out what’s right for you.’ Nominated for a thesis award Stella’s method of directly applying her innovative ideas in practice has already got her
a nomination for an eHealth thesis award. ‘As part of our graduation assignment for our Nursing programme, I joined forces with fellow student Natasja Kitzen to research the influence of Qwiek.up, a mobile image projector for people with dementia. This is a non-drug therapy that shows sound-supported images to people with dementia when they’re in distress. Although the professional jury put us in first place, the vote from the public meant we ended up in second.’ Stella expects to complete her Master’s programme at the end of the academic year. She is curious about what added value it will have: ‘I think every workplace has some sort of innovation process, care especially, so I expect to be able to use my knowledge wherever I end up.’
