Individual Education Scholarship

Individual Education Scholarship is sponsored by Hospice & Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF). Provides financial assistance for hospice/palliative care nurses or nursing assistants pursuing new nursing licenses or academic degrees.

HPNF | Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation HPNF | Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF) has been a catalyst of education, innovation, and professional development for nurses caring for our nation’s most vulnerable patients since 1998.

Donations at every level enable the non-profit organization to impact the careers of thousands of nurses, provide grants and scholarships to increase education and certification, and support initiatives and research that strengthen our communities and advance our profession. Every gift helps our mission become a reality.

From awarding scholarships and grants to funding resources and initiatives, HPNF works to identify and respond to mission-centered opportunities.

Judy Lentz Leadership Development Scholarship January 30, 2026 – Application Deadline 2026 HPNA Annual Conference Scholarship January 30, 2026 – Application Deadline ELNEC Train-the-Trainer Scholarship March 15, 2026 – Application Deadline HPNF Diversity in Health Care This video series for hospice and palliative care professionals explores fundamental considerations for end-of-life care of patients who identify as Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, or Buddhist.

Leave a legacy by investing in the future of hospice and palliative nurses. Reach philanthropic and marketing goals by partnering with HPNF. Donors who demonstrate their passionate commitment to quality, end-of-life care by pledging $10,000 to HPNF over the course of a maximum of five years.

Give a gift in honor or in memory of a loved one. Creating lifelong learning opportunities for hospice and palliative nurses is crucial to the future of the profession and the patients they care for every day. To help meet this need, HPNF provides funding for academic scholarships, continuing education, certifications, and evidence-based research to advance the practice.

Thanks to the generous support from our donors, HPNF is proud to invest in the professional development journey of the dedicated hospice and palliative nurses we serve. This scholarship means a great deal to me because it gives me a chance to be certified in the field that I love.

I am a Hospice RN and love what I do, so being able to be certified in palliative care and hospice gives me a sense of accomplishment and confidence that I can carry over to my patients! Education is never ending and important, especially in nursing. It’s an honor to care for patients right down to their very last breath.

Thank you for this opportunity and for choosing me! — Randi Davis – Sandra Lee Schafer Certification Scholarship Recipient, 2025 “Patients and their caregivers shape our practice through patience, love, and resilience. They help us recognize the beauty of their lives even as we struggle at times.

They give beyond measure and overflow with kindness. Through the Florence Wald Champion program, we can honor our patients by ensuring that Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association remains a dominant leader as we welcome future generations of nurses into the discipline.

” — Tracy Fasolino, PhD, FNP-BC, ACHPN, FPCN — Florence Wald Champion, I am grateful to be able to join the other dedicated professionals who have become HPNF Florence Wald Champions for many reasons. This opportunity allows me to give back to HPNF and HPNA for the many years it has supported me in my palliative care education as well as my research.

Secondly, knowing the funds will be used to help the next generation of hospice and palliative care nurses advance the field makes this commitment rewarding. Finally, it is an honor to celebrate the life of our very own leader, Florence Wald and her legacy. Thank you HPNF for helping to keep her vision alive and for encouraging nurses to advance palliative care nursing practice, education, and science.

— Polly Mazanec, PhD, ACNP-BC, AOCN, FPCN, FAAN — Florence Wald Champion, I have been working in the hospice field since 2002 and I have been involved with HPNA as well as certified as a CHPN since 2004. Hospice is near and dear to my heart. I have been honored to serve on the HPNA board in the past and am now serving on the HPCC board.

I am thankful that I have the ability to support HPNF and the many wonderful ways they support hospice and palliative professionals. This has been a desire of mine and fulfilling this desire is an honor and a privilege. — Susan S.

Cox, RN, MSN, CHPN — Florence Wald Champion, Having given more than 25 years of my career to the field of palliative and hospice nursing, it has become not just my work – but also my “home” and my passion. I believe supporting other nurses and clinicians in the specialty is critical for our future and am committed to doing my part.

It’s been a privilege to walk in the footsteps of so many palliative and hospice nursing giants and leaders. If I can give back just a little, then I feel honored to do so. I am proud to be a Florence Wald Champion and am thrilled to renew my pledge.

— Denise Stahl, MSN, FPCN — Florence Wald Champion, HPCC is an organization I have been deeply involved with for many years, and we have family and friends who have benefited from the care provided by hospice and palliative professionals. The dedication and excellence of HPNA/HPCC/HPNF staff and volunteers is inspiring!

We are especially proud to help support the scholarships in honor of two former outstanding leaders in the profession, Sandra Lee Schafer and Judy Lentz, who became more than colleagues, but also dear friends. Finally, HPNF receives excellent scores on stewardship of funds, which is an important consideration for us when making charitable contributions. — Lawrence J.

Fabrey, PhD and Gloria J. Fabrey, MBA — Florence Wald Champions, I cannot imagine a better steward of resources than HPNF and I feel so blessed to be one of the first non-nursing Florence Wald Champion. These champions are truly amazing ambassadors to the field, and I have been so impressed with the vision and collegiality.

— Florence Wald Champion, Receiving this scholarship will assist me in my goal of achieving a master's degree in nursing education. By educating new nurses, I hope to inspire new nurses to pursue a career in hospice, and continue to grow the number of nurses dedicated to providing excellent end of life care.

— Audrey Arrowood, RN, CHPN — Individual Education Scholarship Recipient – Bachelor's Scholarship, This scholarship means I can continue pursuing my MSN in Nursing Executive Leadership where my goal is to continue to integrate palliative care in every area of the hospital. I'm very thankful for the opportunity and for being given this scholarship.

— Ansley Little, RN, BSN, CHPN — Individual Education Scholarship Recipient – Master's Scholarship, Thank you so much for this honor- I am thrilled to receive the Individual Education Scholarship to continue my doctoral education. I am grateful for the ongoing support HPNA and HPNF have provided me throughout my journey from nursing student to nurse researcher.

— Margaret Root, PhD(c), MSN, RN, CPNP-AC, CHPPN — Individual Education Scholarship Recipient – Doctorate Scholarship, It is with tremendous appreciation that I was a recipient of a scholarship to attend the 2022 Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care. Although this year’s meeting was held remotely, I feel I was able to connect to peers and network, one of our professional privileges.

I found this year’s presenters robust with knowledge and an eagerness to share. I also found this year’s content limited in representing hospice and palliative nursing. I synthesized many of my medical colleagues’ research and am thankful for their continued work in our profession.

As a doctor of nursing, I hope to one-day share a contribution to the research within hospice and palliative nursing. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my insight and even more grateful for this year’s experience, and I look forward to many more.

— Rebecca Souza, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, ACHPN — Annual Assembly Scholarship Recipient, I loved all of the sessions I was able to attend during the Annual Assembly for Hospice and Palliative Care. I wanted to attend all of them live but since I could not be in all of them at once, I am watching them as on-demand sessions. I learned so much and am continuing to learn more as I complete more sessions.

My favorite live session was with Dr. Adam B Hill. His honest approach to sharing all that he had been through was refreshing. The rate of suicide among doctors and nurses is astounding to me.

As a rule, healthcare professionals are passionate about caring for people and want to do whatever they can to help, often to their own detriment. It was uplifting to hear someone say that it is okay to say “I’m not okay” and to say no to taking on too much in order to protect and preserve our own mental health.

— April Jeffries, BSN, RN — Annual Assembly Scholarship Recipient, I am grateful for the opportunity to attend this year’s Annual Assembly of Hospice of Palliative Care, thanks to the Cynthia Stutzer Memorial Scholarship from HPNF and APHON.

The assembly allowed me to learn about a wide range of palliative care topics related to addressing the physiologic, psychosocial, and spiritual needs of patients with serious illnesses and their caregivers. I have already been able to start putting into practice what I learned from the many impressive presenters, and I will continue to use this valuable knowledge to better serve my pediatric and AYA hematology/oncology patients.

— Jennifer Toth, MSN, CPNP-AC, CPHON — Cynthia Stutzer Scholarship Recipient, I feel honored to be a recipient of this prestigious scholarship. It will allow me to share the most up-to-date, vital palliative care and hospice information among colleagues, patients and their families.

I feel incredibly fortunate to work in such an important specialty and this scholarship will enhance my practice to continue to provide exceptional care to patients. — Aubrey Wolfe, MSN, FNP-BC — Sandra Lee Schafer Certification Scholarship Recipient, I am so grateful to be able to maintain my CHPN and to be awarded a scholarship for renewing it.

Pursuing excellence in hospice and palliative care is extremely important and invaluable to our profession and our patients. Being given this scholarship makes it even more exciting and rewarding. — Nena Hart, MSN, RN, CDONA, CHPN®, CLHP, RAC-T — Sandra Lee Schafer Certification Scholarship Recipient, I am so grateful and honored to be selected as a 2022 Sandra Lee Schafer Certification Scholarship recipient.

This scholarship is a financial blessing. It is an investment to my future and growth with hospice and palliative care services. — Talitha Harris, MSN, RN — Sandra Lee Schafer Certification Scholarship Recipient, I was thrilled to find out that I was a recipient of the Sandra Lee Schafer Scholarship.

This scholarship enabled me to renew my ACHPN certification with ease during a difficult time. In life, Sandy was one of my first mentors in palliative care and encouraged me to pursue leadership opportunities. Even after she is gone, she is still paving the way for me to continue my work in this specialty.

Many thanks to the HPNF committee. — Jeanna Ford, DNP, APRN, ACNS-BC, ACHPN®, FPCN, FCNS — Sandra Lee Schafer Certification Scholarship Recipient, The Sandra Lee Schafer Certification Scholarship allowed me to advance my practice of hospice nursing care. I have a better understanding of symptom management, which I share with my patients and colleagues.

The scholarship made certification more attainable. I look forward to maintaining my certification with continued education through the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation. — Courtney A.

Celotti, BNS, RN — Sandra Lee Schafer Certification Scholarship Recipient, The Sandra Lee Schafer Certification Scholarship means so much to me as a Palliative Care and Hospice nurse practitioner serving our Veterans. Achieving a more solid foundation of knowledge through certification will allow me to provide exceptional Veteran centered care.

I am most excited about sharing my knowledge and passion for Palliative Care with my facility and community partners. — Amber Bell, MSN, APRN, FNP-C — Sandra Lee Schafer Certification Scholarship Recipient, The Annual Assembly showcased experts in hospice and palliative care through engaging discussion and presentations that provided the latest evidence-based practice.

I gained knowledge from practice areas across many different clinical settings, which allowed me to reflect on how I can implement change in my own practice. I would recommend this conference to all nurses caring for patients with serious illness. The Judy Lentz Scholarship provided an exciting opportunity to learn innovative practices from experts and incorporate their knowledge and experiences to improve outcomes in oncology patients.

— Marco Fajardo, BSN, RN, OCN — Judy Lentz Scholarship Recipient, I am very honored to have been selected as a recipient for the 2022 HPNF Emerging Leaders Award. Hospice is the heart and purpose of my nursing career, and I am grateful to HPNA and HPNF for supporting my hospice education and ongoing professional development.

As an educator, I enjoy sharing the benefits I have reaped through certification, ELNEC training, and HPNA resources. I often experience coworkers being inspired and encouraged by what I have to offer, and I know that sharing this honor with them will positively affect our whole hospice organization. I look forward to continuing to engage with and depend on HPNA and HPNF as my hospice nursing career moves forward.

— Kari Hill, BSN, RN, CHPN® I am honored, and a bit in shock, to receive the Emerging Leaders Award. I am grateful to be able to contribute to patient care and strive to be a positive and productive palliative leader. I am mindful and excited to support and encourage our next generation of leaders.

Thank you for acknowledging all that I have contributed to palliative care. — Katherine E. DeMarco, DNP, MSHS, FNP-BC, APN, ACHPN® As a PhD-prepared nurse scientist, with research, teaching, and clinical experiences in palliative care, I have a deep commitment to improving care for people affected by serious illness.

Being selected as a 2022 HPNF Emerging Leader represents recognition of the work I have done and the potential of the work I intend to do on behalf of this population. I am inspired by my fellow award recipients and look forward to working together to transform our system of care to prioritize the needs and experiences of individuals and families navigating serious illness.

— Elise Tarbi, PhD, MBE, AGPCNP-BC, ACHPN® HPNF is a 501(c)(3) organization, and your donation may be tax deductible. Please contact your tax professional for more information. No goods or services were provided in exchange for your donation.

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