Esther Bernhofer
2011-2012 Winner | Doctoral Degree
Whittaker scholarship winner, Esther Bernhofer, has combined a diverse nursing career with the raising of 8 children. Graduating with her BSN from the University of Akron in 1981 and went on to work at various institutions in the Cleveland area. After joining the Cleveland Clinic as staff nurse on a respiratory unit, she renewed her interest in nursing research and education and returned to school in the BSN to PhD program at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. She has one more full time year to complete her dissertation “light, Sleep, Mood and Pain in the Medical Inpatient”. Her passion for pain management led her to take on a full time position as the Pain Management/Education Coordinator for the Medicine and Digestive Disease Institutes.
Support Graduate Nursing Education
Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. (NEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established by nurses for nurses in 1912, and since then, the organization has awarded over 1,500 scholarships to support the pursuit of advanced degrees in nursing.
NEF’s named scholarships, created with a minimum donation of $50,000, honor and memorialize nurse leaders, from Isabel Hampton Robb to Thelma Schorr to Susan Bowar-Ferres. 100% of donations help to keep NEF scholarships funded in perpetuity; organization expenses are covered by prudent management of NEF’s investments.