Tamara Bernard is a BSN to PhD student at UNMC’s College of Nursing. She is a Lead Heart and Vascular Research Nurse at UNMC/Nebraska Medicine.
Current credentials and degrees: BSN, RN, MPH, PhDc
Hometown: Louisville, NE
Anticipated Graduation Date: August 2022
Research interest: Caregiver burden of chronic diseases such as heart failure, strokes, dementia, COPD, and diabetes.
Plans after graduation: I have accepted a faculty position at Creighton University – College of Nursing as an Assistant Professor of Med/Surg. I plan to carry over my caregiver research and create an educational intervention utilizing my dissertation findings to decrease caregiver burden and increase patient quality of life and self-management for caregivers of chronic diseases.
Why I chose a PhD in nursing:
As an ICU floor nurse, I was able to be a preceptor for nursing students and grew to love the teaching aspect of nursing and creating a learning environment for our future nurses. The faculty worked with me to find the pathway to a graduate degree that best met my needs, which was PhD in nursing.
Research/professional interests:
My research interests include caregiver education and burden of all chronic diseases.
What I like about UNMC:
I started in 1998 as a secretary for the Liver transplant team and have slowly worked up the career ladder and obtained a Master of Public Health degree and will complete a PhD degree in nursing while being an employee. Along the way, I was mentored by several physicians and administrators who allowed me to grow and take advantage many opportunities. The BSN to PhD program provided coursework to allow me to successfully complete the requirements of the program to graduate.
Professional memberships:
- Heart Rhythm Society – Allied Professional - International
- Public Health Association of Nebraska (PHAN) – RN - Local
- American Association of Critical – Care Nurses -Regional
- The Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA)
- Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS)
- Sigma Theta Tau – Creighton University Chapter
- Gamma Pi – At Large – UNMC chapter
Three things people may not know about me:
- I am a college baseball superfan and take time off to attend the College World Series every year. My bucket list includes going to a college game in each state.
- I love to have a huge flower garden and tend to it every year. This year I have clean slate at a new house and cannot wait to start planting.
- One of my hobbies is crafting unique pieces for my home, this year I am working on creating memorabilia tables with all of our ticket stubs.