Hot on the heels of Flinders University’s international export award win, Dr Amanda Müller of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences has been awarded ‘Best Practice in International Education’ by the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA).

The IEAA awards recognise outstanding contributions to Australia’s thriving international education sector, the nation’s third largest export.

Dr Müller was recognised for her work in creating and managing the Professional Language Development Program in Nursing, which has proven to be an exceptional resource for international students undertaking a nursing degree at Flinders.

The program covers valuable topics including Australian English and pronunciation, clinical explanations, patient role plays, medical terminology and abbreviations, nursing handovers and English test practice.

It’s the result of extensive research and consultation to ensure the needs of international students would be optimally met, including interviews with failed students to understand which areas held them back, consultations with the student body, and reviews of relevant literature.

The impressive program is supported by one-on-one learning plans for international nursing students as needed, combined with extensive online resources to extend class work – such as instructional videos, mp3s and games.

Results of the program were measured over four years and consistently revealed that international students who completed the program achieved higher grade point averages.

In her ardent quest to improve the experience of international nursing students, Dr Müller has led a number of research projects to develop online tools and research how optimal outcomes are achieved for international students.

She received her award on 10 October 2018 at the annual Australian International Education Conference in Sydney. It adds to her numerous awards in innovation, teaching and research.