The history of Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. (NEF) is a testament to the
power of professional nurses and their visionary leadership. Rooted in
legacy funds established in 1912 and 1914 to honor foundational nursing
trailblazers, NEF was officially incorporated in 1954 to unite these
efforts under a singular, profound mission. Today, as an independent
non-profit sustained entirely by the generosity of nursing leaders,
corporations, and the public, NEF continues its century-long tradition
of empowering advanced nursing scholars to lead, educate, and innovate.
A fund for graduate nursing was established by the colleagues of Isabel Hampton Robb, following her accidental death in 1910. Isabel Hampton Robb was a visionary leader of modern American nursing: an American nurse theorist, author, nursing school administrator, and early nursing leader.
Hampton was the first Superintendent of Nurses at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She wrote several influential textbooks and helped to found the organizations that became known as the National League for Nursing (NLN), the International Council of Nurses (ICN), and the American Nurses Association (ANA).
Mrs. Robb had engendered such respect and admiration through her leadership that her colleagues raised funds to establish a memorial scholarship in her honor.
Two scholarships were awarded in 1912 and 1913.
During the early 1900s, nursing education entered a new era of professionalization. In 1912, the American Society of Superintendents of Training Schools for Nurses adopted the name National League of Nursing Education (NLNE), reflecting a growing emphasis on standardized nursing education.
That same year, the National Organization for Public Health Nursing (NOPHN) was established under the leadership of Lillian Wald, expanding the profession's role beyond hospitals into communities.
The creation of the Isabel Hampton Robb Fund aligned with this national movement to prepare nurses through advanced education and professional leadership.
A second educational loan fund was established through the estate of Isabel McIsaac, who was twice president of the American Journal of Nursing Company and who also served as president of the Society of Superintendents, which later became the National League for Nursing (NLN).
Three more scholarships were awarded this year.
As the Isabel McIsaac Fund was established, the outbreak of World War I in Europe catalyzed a massive demand for professional, organized nursing.
The American Red Cross began rapidly mobilizing a reserve of trained, credentialed nurses, forever cementing the necessity of formal, standardized nursing preparation on a global, clinical scale.
Approximately 180 more scholarships were awarded from 1915 to 1953.
The Isabel Hampton Robb and McIsaac Memorial Funds, along with the Nurses' Scholarship and Fellowship Fund established in 1952, merged and incorporated as a non-profit organization to form Nurses' Educational Funds, Inc. (NEF).
106 more scholarships were awarded over the next decade.
During this period, seven national nursing groups merged to form the modern ANA and NLN.
Concurrently, associate degrees addressed post-World War II shortages, theorists such as Hildegard Peplau redefined nursing as an academic science, and NEF incorporated to fund faculty for these new university programs.
80 more scholarships were awarded from 1965 to 1969.
Nursing took major steps toward higher education and advanced clinical practice. The American Nurses Association endorsed a landmark position paper recommending the baccalaureate degree as the minimum preparation for professional nursing practice. That same year, nurse educator Loretta Ford and pediatrician Henry Silver developed the nation's first nurse practitioner program at the University of Colorado, creating a new advanced nursing role designed to expand access to healthcare.
137 more scholarships were awarded from 1970 to 1978.
Doctoral nursing education expanded significantly as nursing strengthened its foundation as an academic and research discipline. Nurses increasingly pursued PhDs and nursing science doctorates, preparing a growing generation of nurse researchers, scholars, educators, and academic leaders. The number of doctoral programs housed in nursing schools and departments grew rapidly during the decade.
95 more scholarships were awarded from 1979 to 1982.
Case Western Reserve University established the first Doctor of Nursing (ND) program, an early practice-focused nursing doctorate and a predecessor to today's Doctor of Nursing Practice model.
47 more scholarships were awarded in 1983 and 1984.
The original landmark study by the American Academy of Nursing, Magnet Hospitals: Recruitment & Retention of Professional Nurses, identified the core organizational traits that attract and retain professional nurses. NEF Board Member Margaret McClure was one of three researchers who conducted the Magnet Hospitals study.
21 more scholarships were awarded this year.
Board Member Margaret McClure was one of the key figures involved in first recommending (via the American Nurses Association) that nurses should hold a baccalaureate degree in nursing. It did not come to be until 2010 with the Future of Nursing report.
56 more scholarships were awarded from 1986 to 1989.
The National Center for Nursing Research was established at the National Institutes of Health, giving nursing research a dedicated home within the nation's premier biomedical research agency. The milestone elevated nursing science and expanded federal support for nurse researchers and research training.
148 more scholarships were awarded from 1990 to 2000.
Based on the Magnet Hospitals study, the Magnet Recognition Program for Excellence was officially established and approved by the American Nurses Association. Since the first designation in 1994, more than 649 hospitals nationally and internationally have been credentialed as a Magnet Hospital.
17 more scholarships were awarded this year.
The University of Kentucky opened the nation's first Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, marking a new era in doctoral education focused on advanced nursing practice and clinical leadership.
Kathleen Dirschel became President of the Board and served through 2008.
22 more scholarships were awarded in 2002 and 2003.
The Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing's Future launched to combat a critical national nursing shortage, boosting the public image of nursing and nursing school enrollment across the country.
32 more scholarships were awarded in 2004 and 2005.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) voted to recommend moving the level of preparation for advanced practice nursing roles—including NPs, CNSs, CRNAs, and CNMs—from a master's degree to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
The Columbia University–Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association Inc./J. Margaret Ada Mutch Scholarship was initiated.
51 more scholarships were awarded in 2006 and 2007.
The Eleanor C. Lambertsen, M. Elizabeth Carnegie African American, and Margaret Gould Tyson Scholarships were initiated.
Joan Arnold became President of the Board and served through 2012.
39 more scholarships were awarded in 2008 and 2009.
The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) project expanded nationwide, embedding competencies around safety, patient-centered care, informatics, and evidence-based practice into nursing curricula.
22 more scholarships were awarded this year.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) published its landmark report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, recommending that 80% of the RN workforce hold a BSN by 2020 and calling for nurses to lead interprofessional teams.
The Barbara L. Tate Scholarship was initiated.
22 more scholarships were awarded this year.
Federal HITECH Act incentives accelerated the widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) across U.S. healthcare systems.
As nursing documentation and clinical workflows became increasingly digital, nursing informatics emerged as a critical specialty, expanding opportunities for nurses to lead healthcare technology, quality improvement, and data-driven patient care.
The Cynthia Davis Sculco Scholarship was initiated.
Susan Bowar-Ferres became President of the Board and served through 2017.
19 more scholarships were awarded this year.
The Mathy Mezey Scholarship was initiated.
78 more scholarships were awarded in 2013 and 2014.
The Henry B. Spencer, M. Louise Fitzpatrick Nursing, and Miriam M. Powell Scholarships were initiated.
23 more scholarships were awarded this year.
An increasing number of states adopted Full Practice Authority laws, allowing qualified Nurse Practitioners to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients independently under state law.
The Philip D. Raso Scholarship and the Geraldine Labecki Scholarship Fund were initiated.
Jerelyn Peixoto Weiss became Executive Director.
23 more scholarships totaling $120,000 were awarded this year.
Joan M. Marren became President of the Board and served through 2026.
24 more scholarships totaling $135,000 were awarded this year.
The Jane Eleanor Knox Scholarship and the Madeline A. Naegle Scholarship for Mental Health Nursing were initiated.
The American Journal of Nursing Scholarship was renamed to honor Thelma Schorr.
26 more scholarships totaling $135,000 were awarded this year.
29 more scholarships totaling $149,000 were awarded this year.
The Margaret L. McClure Scholarship and the Rita Reis Wieczorek Scholarship for Maternal-Infant and Pediatric Nursing were initiated.
23 more scholarships totaling $149,000 were awarded this year.
The World Health Organization (WHO) designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, coinciding with the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vital leadership of nurses on the front lines:
- Innovation: Rapidly accelerated telehealth and virtual care models to maintain patient access.
- Public Recognition: Elevated national awareness surrounding the necessity of nurse retention and workforce safety.
The Allison Adams Wieczorek, Charles Hamlin, Georgette Viellion, and Mary V. Insall Scholarships were initiated.
24 more scholarships totaling $165,000 were awarded this year.
The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) released The Future of Nursing 2020–2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity , focusing on addressing social determinants of health and expanding nurse-led leadership models.
The Joanne V. Pontier and Terry Fulmer Scholarships were initiated.
32 more scholarships totaling $200,000 were awarded this year.
The M. Janice Nelson and Susan Bowar-Ferres Scholarships and the Francine Bono-Neri Scholarship Fund were initiated.
42 more scholarships totaling $257,000 were awarded this year.
The following scholarships were initiated:
- Columbia University–Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association Inc./Penny Hund West Scholarship
- Joan L. Conroy Scholarship
- Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing, New York Alumnae Association/Edith G. Ryan and Joan Herman Bilder Scholarship
46 more scholarships totaling $300,000 were awarded this year.
Healthcare organizations increasingly began integrating artificial intelligence into clinical documentation, workflow support, predictive analytics, and virtual nursing programs.
As workforce shortages continued, health systems expanded technology-enabled care models while nursing education incorporated AI literacy and digital health competencies into curricula.
The following scholarships and funds were initiated:
- Martha Rodriguez Scholarship Fund
- Maxine E. Elkan Scholarship
- Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing, New York Alumnae Association/Sylvia Barker Memorial Scholarship
37 more scholarships totaling $300,000 were awarded this year.
The Bea Goodwin Scholarship and the Robert V. Piemonte Memorial Scholarship Fund were initiated.
Edwidge Thomas became the current President of the Board.
Jerelyn Peixoto Weiss retired, and Virginia "Ginger" Berman became Executive Director. NEF hired a second employee for the first time, Executive Assistant Kelly Gonsalves.
34 more scholarships totaling $317,000 were awarded this year.
