Frontier Nursing University (FNU), located in Versailles, Ky., recently announced its annual award recipients. These awards are presented to FNU alumni who have gone on to make significant contributions to their communities or to the university. Among those honored was Cathy Cook, DNP, MSN, APRN, CNM, of Galesburg, Illinois. Cook was awarded the Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award. This award honors a graduate who has supported Frontier through volunteer efforts and/or donor support.
“We are very proud that so many of our alumni not only go on to play such important roles in their communities but also value the work that Frontier is doing and choose to give back to the university as instructors and leaders,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FAAN, FACNM. “It is amazing how many deserving individuals are nominated for these annual awards, and we extend our gratitude and congratulations to all of this year’s winners.”
Cook earned her MSN from Case Western Reserve. She earned her CNM from FNU in 1998 and DNP from FNU in 2020. She has worked as a certified nurse-midwife in Galesburg since 2016. She specializes in natural childbirth and provides individualized education and prenatal care to expectant mothers.
Cook also has served as a member of FNU’s Regional Clinical Faculty since 2016. She has a long history of service to others as a caregiver, teacher, and preceptor and has graciously shared her time and expertise as a preceptor to more than 260 students. Preceptors serve as the student’s teacher, supervisor, and evaluator during the clinical practicum.
“Students teach us as much as we teach them,” Cook said of precepting. “They help us see things through new eyes. Some of us that have been practicing for a long time may not know the newest items in healthcare. Students can teach us those things if we are open and willing to learn from them.”
