The Karen-Leigh Edward Medal

Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following story may contain images of deceased persons.

Karen-Leigh Edward believed that nursing was, at its heart, about people.

She believed in showing up fully for students finding their confidence, for colleagues building something meaningful together, and for communities who deserved care delivered with compassion, dignity and respect. Those who knew her remember not only her intelligence and leadership, but also her warmth, her generosity and her deep belief in the potential of others.

It is this belief in people, in nursing, and in the power of human connection that the Karen-Leigh Edward Medal was created to honour.

When Karen-Leigh Edward joined Victoria University in 2022 as Professor of Nursing and Head of Nursing and Midwifery, she quickly became a defining presence within the University’s health disciplines.

She was an outstanding scholar, teacher and leader, recognised internationally for her expertise in mental health, resilience, gender‑specific healthcare and practice‑based research. Her academic achievements were significant, but they were never the measure by which she defined success.

Karen-Leigh brought a deeply human approach to her work. Students and colleagues alike remember her vibrancy, her kindness and her ability to connect. She listened, encouraged and brought out the best in those around her. Through her leadership, she strengthened internal teams and built meaningful partnerships across industry and community organisations, leaving behind a nursing program shaped by collaboration, integrity and care.

Her academic contribution was substantial. Karen-Leigh authored more than 180 publications, secured over $3 million in research funding, and contributed to the profession nationally and internationally through roles including Board Member of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council and Adjunct Professor at the University of Huddersfield in the United Kingdom.

It was through an unwavering commitment to people, her students, her colleagues and the broader nursing community, that most defined her legacy at Victoria University.

Those who worked alongside Karen-Leigh consistently describe the same qualities: compassion, resilience, excellence and human connection.

She believed nursing was both an academic discipline and a deeply human practice, and that care, integrity and respect mattered just as much as knowledge and skill. This ethos is captured in the words now closely associated with her life and legacy:

Be proud of the work you do, the person you are, and the difference you make.

The inaugural recipient, David Schreurs who was awarded the Karen-Leigh Edward Medal in 2025, describes it as a legacy grounded in integrity, kindness and strength. These are values he aspires to carry forward in his own nursing career.

Following Karen-Leigh’s passing, the Edward family sought a meaningful way to honour her life and to continue the work she was so deeply committed to. They wanted to ensure that her belief in nursing, and in the people who choose it as a profession, would continue to shape future generations.

My mum believed deeply in the power of nursing to change lives. She cared just as much about the kind of person you became as the skills you developed, and she always encouraged people to be proud of the difference they made. This medal is our way of honouring those values and keeping her spirit alive through the next generation of nurses.

The establishment of the Karen-Leigh Edward Medal provides a lasting tribute that connects Karen-Leigh’s personal legacy with the students she cared so deeply about.

The medal was created to:

• commemorate Karen-Leigh Edward’s contribution to the nursing profession
• provide the Edward family with a meaningful and enduring way to celebrate her life
• inspire and recognise excellence in nursing students at Victoria University.

Funded by the Edward family through a defined and directed gift, the medal is awarded annually over an initial ten‑year period. The family has also expressed openness to welcoming additional contributions through their networks to mark significant milestones and anniversaries in Karen-Leigh’s life.

As a family, we wanted to create something that truly reflected my mum and what mattered most to her. Supporting nursing students at Victoria University felt like the most meaningful way to honour her life, her work, and her commitment to compassion, excellence and care.

For the family, the medal is not only about celebration, it is about continuity and ensuring that Karen-Leigh’s values remain visible, lived and passed on within the Victoria University nursing community.

Presented as part of the annual VU Nursing Awards, the Karen-Leigh Edward Medal recognises students who demonstrate outstanding potential early in their nursing studies. It celebrates those who combine academic promise with compassion, integrity and care for others.

In recognising these students, the medal serves as both a tribute and a call to action. It encourages recipients to pursue excellence while staying deeply connected to the human values at the heart of nursing, just as Karen-Leigh Edward did throughout her career.

Through this legacy, her influence continues, actively carried forward by the next generation of nurses she so deeply believed in.

Victoria University is a place where my mum found purpose and community, and where she was able to make a real impact. This award recognises students who share her values, and we hope it encourages them to be proud of the work they do and the difference they make.