She received her undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees at Stony Brook University and her PhD was obtained at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She has taught in the adult health graduate program for over 17 years and her clinical experience enriches her academic contribution to nursing. Dr. Bruckenthal is also a nurse practitioner in pain management at the Pain Management and Headache Center of the North Shore/Long Island Jewish Health Care Systems. She is a member of the Long Island Geriatric Education Consortium and teaches pain management of older adults to various heath care team members. She also teaches pain management strategies to nursing and medical students.