Two Graduate Nursing Students at the Berkley School of Nursing Named NEF Scholars

(November 4, 2025) — The Nurses Educational Funds Inc. (NEF) selected two Berkley School of Nursing graduate students as 2025-2026 NEF Scholars. The students were recognized during an online ceremony on October 23.

Briana Jimerson, RN, BSN, in the Nurse-Midwifery/Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Program, and Jennifer Spezza, RN, BSN, CWOCN, in the Family Nurse Practitioner Program, were each honored with scholarships.

The NEF “promotes leadership and health equity through scholarship support for professional nurses seeking master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing education, practice, service and research.”

Briana Jimerson

Jimerson is the recipient of the Lucy C. Perry Memorial Scholarship. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of South Carolina–Aiken in 2016 and later completed her Bachelor of Science in nursing from South University in Columbia, South Carolina, in 2019.

“Receiving the NEF scholarship is both an honor and a lifeline,” she said. “It affirms my commitment to advancing equitable, evidence-based care in women’s health and helps me focus on clinical training and community outreach without the burden of financial strain”

As a teenager, she witnessed the care her mother received during a high-risk pregnancy. The nurses who cared for her family during that time left a lasting impression — demonstrating the power of presence, skill and compassion during vulnerable moments. This experience planted the seed for Jimerson’s lifelong passion for women’s health.

After completing her BSN, Jimerson worked as a labor and delivery nurse, including serving as a travel nurse, which gave her the opportunity to work with diverse patient populations across the country. These experiences deepened her understanding of maternal health disparities and strengthened her desire to return to graduate school. She chose Georgetown University and the NM/WHNP dual program because it offers the flexibility and breadth to care for individuals across the reproductive lifespan — before, during, and after pregnancy — while also preparing her to address broader reproductive health needs.

Jimerson currently works part-time with a maternal-fetal medicine team as an antepartum nurse, caring for patients with high-risk pregnancies. This role has provided her with valuable insight into the systemic gaps and challenges that contribute to adverse maternal outcomes. She is especially passionate about closing the gap in preventable causes of Black maternal morbidity and mortality. Jimerson is committed to promoting culturally responsive, evidence-based care and ensuring that all birthing people are treated with dignity and respect.

With her advanced degree, Jimerson plans to provide full-scope midwifery and women’s health care in both clinical and community settings. She also wants to contribute to maternal health research, policy advocacy, and education for future healthcare providers.

Jennifer Spezza

Spezza received the Barbara Tate Scholarship awarded in recognition of her dedication to advancing the specialty of wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nursing, academic excellence, professional leadership and strong commitment to shaping the future of health care.

“The Barbara Tate Scholarship means far more than financial support,” she said. “It is an investment in nursing leadership, collaboration and innovation. It allows me to dedicate myself fully to advanced clinical training and to continue building care models that strengthen the bridge between specialty practice and community health.”

Spezza has more than 15 years of specialized experience providing care across hospital, clinic and home health settings. She currently works with Providence Home Health in Portland, Oregon, and anticipates graduating from the Georgetown FNP Program in December 2025.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Linfield University in 2003 and became board-certified in WOC nursing in 2010. Since then, she has built a strong clinical foundation in complex wound, ostomy, and continence care, particularly for patients who are homebound or have limited access to traditional health care settings. Her career has been marked by innovation and leadership, including the development of virtual consults within home health to support nurse case managers and primary care providers. She has also participated in e-consults to help bridge gaps in wound management within primary care.

Spezza aims to integrate her WOC expertise with her future role as a family nurse practitioner to serve vulnerable and underserved populations more comprehensively. Her long-term goal is to develop sustainable, accessible care models that reach patients in their homes and communities — especially those who have historically struggled to access specialized or consistent health care.

A committed educator and mentor, Jennifer has provided ongoing training to nursing staff and colleagues on best practices in WOC care. She presented a detailed case study to professional peers on the wound management challenges of a patient whose DIEP flap breast reconstruction failed after mastectomy — an example of her clinical depth and collaborative spirit.

Spezza is passionate about meeting patients where they are — both physically and emotionally — by providing holistic, patient-centered care that aligns with individuals’ values and goals. Her clinical philosophy emphasizes access, equity and empowerment.