Kelli Hardin


Kelli Hardin, a NEF Scholarship recipient, received her bachelor of nursing degree (BSN) from Kennesaw State University, Georgia. Following her graduation she worked as a registered nurse in the emergency department in a rural setting. Despite loving the fast pace she was distressed by the lack of primary care services provided to many of her emergency patients. She noted that the absence of primary care correlated with poor outcomes due to in part to home medication mismanagement and patient limited self care knowledge. This realization prompted her to pursue her MSN at the University of Alabama in Birmingham with the goal of practicing as a family nurse practitioner (FNP) focusing on patient education especially guiding patients’ in the benefits, risks, and side effects of all medications taken at home.

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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.


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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.