(Left to right: St Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney CEO, Tim Daniel, a portrait of Nan Kearins, and Ray White Taylor & Partners Director Walter Burfitt-Williams.)
EVEN after her passing at the age of 101, nurse Anne Elizabeth “Nan” Kearins was still able to make one final act of service to her community.The former St Vincent’s Private Hospital nurse of 70 years left the proceeds of her 77/11 Yarranabbe Rd, Darling Point home to the private hospital with the wish that it be used to support nursing.To honour her service and generosity, the St Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney plans to establish a range of programs to train and nurture nurses now and for generations to come. These include a Nurse Call System with improved technology for nurse communications, the ‘Nan Kearins Nurse Education Facility’ to support ongoing training, and an endowed fund to provide nursing scholarships in perpetuity. There will also be funding for new positions, including a dedicated prostate cancer nurse to support patients through their journey and provide a central point of contact and coordination between patients, specialists, support services and treatment regimes. The sale of Ms Kearins’ apartment will help fund this bequest.Inspired by Ms Kearins’ contribution, selling agent and Ray White Taylor & Partners Director Walter Burfitt-Williams will also be donating his selling fee to the St Vincent’s Private Hospital. Mr Burfitt-Williams said he had been a supporter of the hospital for over a decade.“My extended family has had a close association with St Vincent’s for many decades, both as supporters and medical staff. Being able to further add to Nan’s generous bequest is the very least I can do,” Mr Burfitt-Williams said.“Completely untouched from new, this is a rare opportunity to refresh what may well be the last completely original apartment in the landmark Glenhurst Gardens.”
Ms Kearins bought the unit (the view pictured above) brand new in 1959 after leaving her home in Central Western NSW in 1936 at the age of 18, to train as a nurse under Sr Loyola at St Vincent’s Hospital Training School, Darlinghurst.Throughout her lifetime, Nan was an advocate for nurse education. In 2014, she made a gift of $200,000 to establish a fund for nurse education at St Vincent’s Private Hospital. She wrote that the gift was to enable future generations of nurses to extend their knowledge and training, for the benefit of the nurses at the hospital.CEO of St Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney, Tim Daniel, said Nan’s lifetime of service to St Vincent’s was as a nurse, an educator, a valued member of the St Vincent’s Private Hospital Ladies Committee, and finally as a volunteer for 40 years.“Devoting more than 70 years of service to St Vincent’s Private, Nan was dedicated to the mission of the Sisters of Charity. Hers was truly a long and devoted life of service.” Mr Daniel said.“Nan understood the importance of continuous learning and established the ‘Nan Kearins Nursing Education Fund’ at St Vincent’s Private in 2014.“Her bequest will enable the Private to continue training future generations of nurses in perpetuity through annual scholarships, as well as capital projects and equipment to improve nursing quality, safety and patient care.“Nan made an enormous contribution during her lifetime and this continues after her death. Her generosity will be truly transformational for our nurses.”The Darling Point apartment will go to auction on Saturday, April 10 at 9:45am. The total bequest includes other investments and should exceed $6 million.
