At the heart of Frontier Nursing University is a talented and diverse community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, Couriers and preceptors. Spotlight blogs feature members of our FNU community that are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality health care to underserved and rural populations.
Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumni Kaitlyn Rychlowski, MSN, PMHNP-BC, PMH-C, is working to develop and provide psychiatric care for underserved populations in rural Wisconsin. A resident of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Rychlowski graduated from FNU earlier this year (Class 191), earning her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP).
Rychlowski’s decision to attend FNU was inspired by her previous role as a Neonatal ICU (NICU) nurse at Aurora West Allis Medical Center in West Allis, Wisconsin, where she worked from January 2018 to March 2020. While in this role, she developed an understanding of the mental health care needs among NICU patients and families in her region. She developed a screening and support program to screen all families, provide them with local support resources, and connect them to the care that they need. She also developed a NICU Family Support Group.
Rychlowski said many families in the NICU have to wait an average of several months to be seen by an outpatient mental health provider. Given the many unknowns and long journeys in the NICU, families need to be supported throughout this process to have access to timely and compassionate mental health care.
“This lack of access, combined with my passion for mental health, drove me to go back to school and become a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner to fill this important need,” she said.
In April, Rychlowski began working as a Behavioral Health Nurse Practitioner at the Marshfield Medical Center in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Previously, the clinic location did not provide behavioral health services. Together with a psychiatrist and a therapist, Rychlowski has worked to bring compassionate behavioral and mental health services to the clinic.
“This community is rural with limited access to psychiatric providers,” she said. “Together, the psychiatrist, therapists, myself, and support staff are eager to bring this access to quality care for patients through the lifespan and create a medical home.”
Rychlowski said she hopes to use her experience as a NICU nurse in her new role. She has advanced training and is certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International.
“I have also taken several cognitive behavioral therapy courses and am interested in utilizing some of these techniques with my patients to incorporate into medication management appointments,” she said.
Outside of her work at the Marshfield Medical Center, Rychlowski also volunteers for Postpartum Support International as a Coordinator for the surrounding Fox Valley region in Wisconsin. In this role, she provides mothers and families with support, education, and resources, and connects them to care from perinatal-trained providers to navigate perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
Rychlowski said she chose to study at FNU due to its rich history, dedication to underserved populations, and flexibility with online classes. She said she also was inspired by and formed many great relationships through Frontier Bound, an enriching three-day orientation offered by FNU.
“Through Frontier, I met incredibly knowledgeable faculty and fellow students who truly want you to succeed and help you achieve your goals,” she said. “I always felt supported by faculty who shared their passions and wisdom with us.”
– Kaitlyn Rychlowski, MSN, PMHNP-BC, PMH-C, FNU Alumni
“Through Frontier, I met incredibly knowledgeable faculty and fellow students who truly want you to succeed and help you achieve your goals,” she said. “I always felt supported by faculty who shared their passions and wisdom with us.”
Outside of her career and volunteer work, Rychlowski is married to her husband, who is currently studying to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). She has a pet bearded dragon and enjoys yoga, crafting, watching motocross races with her husband, and all things Disney.
Thank you, Kaitlyn, for choosing FNU as the stepping stone for your next journey in providing compassionate care for underserved populations.
Are you interested in becoming a Psychiatric Mental-Health Nurse Practitioner? Here are 4 things you should consider before becoming a PMHNP.
Carrie Belin is an experienced board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and a graduate of the Johns Hopkins DNP program, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Georgetown University School of Nursing, and Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She has also completed fellowships at Georgetown and the University of California Irvine.
Angie has been a full-scope midwife since 2009. She has experience in various birth settings including home, hospital, and birth centers. She is committed to integrating the midwifery model of care in the US. She completed her master’s degree in nurse-midwifery at Frontier Nursing University (FNU) and her Doctorate at Johns Hopkins University. She currently serves as the midwifery clinical faculty at FNU. Angie is motivated by the desire to improve the quality of healthcare and has led quality improvement projects on skin-to-skin implementation, labor induction, and improving transfer of care practices between hospital and community midwives. In 2017, she created a short film on skin-to-skin called 
Justin C. Daily, BSN, RN, has ten years of experience in nursing. At the start of his nursing career, Justin worked as a floor nurse on the oncology floor at St. Francis. He then spent two years as the Director of Nursing in a small rural Kansas hospital before returning to St. Francis and the oncology unit. He has been in his current position as the Chemo Nurse Educator for the past four years. He earned an Associate in Nurse from Hutchinson Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bethel College.
Brandy Jackson serves as the Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs and Assistant Educator at Wichita State University and Co-Director of Access in Nursing. Brandy is a seasoned educator with over 15 years of experience. Before entering academia, Brandy served in Hospital-based leadership and Critical Care Staff nurse roles. Brandy is passionate about equity in nursing education with a focus on individuals with disabilities. Her current research interests include accommodations of nursing students with disabilities in clinical learning environments and breaking down barriers for historically unrepresented individuals to enter the nursing profession. Brandy is also actively engaged in Interprofessional Education development, creating IPE opportunities for faculty and students at Wichita State. Brandy is an active member of Wichita Women for Good and Soroptimist, with the goal to empower women and girls. Brandy is a TeamSTEPPS master trainer. She received the DASIY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty in 2019 at Wichita State University. 
Dr. Sabrina Ali Jamal-Eddine is an Arab-disabled queer woman of color with a PhD in Nursing and an interdisciplinary certificate in Disability Ethics from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Dr. Jamal-Eddine’s doctoral research explored spoken word poetry as a form of critical narrative pedagogy to educate nursing students about disability, ableism, and disability justice. Dr. Jamal-Eddine now serves as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in UIC’s Department of Disability and Human Development and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities (NOND). During her doctoral program, Sabrina served as a Summer Fellow at a residential National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) Summer Institute at Arizona State University (2023), a summer fellow at Andrew W. Mellon’s National Humanities Without Walls program at University of Michigan (2022), a Summer Research Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Othering & Belonging Institute (2021), and an Illinois Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) trainee (2019-2020).
Vanessa Cameron works for Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nursing Education & Professional Development. She is also attending George Washington University and progressing towards a PhD in Nursing with an emphasis on ableism in nursing. After becoming disabled in April 2021, Vanessa’s worldview and perspective changed, and a recognition of the ableism present within healthcare and within the culture of nursing was apparent. She has been working since that time to provide educational foundations for nurses about disability and ableism, provide support for fellow disabled nursing colleagues, and advocate for the disabled community within healthcare settings to reduce disparities.
Dr. Lucinda Canty is a certified nurse-midwife, Associate Professor of Nursing, and Director of the Seedworks Health Equity in Nursing Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Columbia University, a master’s degree from Yale University, specializing in nurse-midwifery, and a PhD from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Canty has provided reproductive health care for over 29 years. Her research interests include the prevention of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, reducing racial and ethnic health disparities in reproductive health, promoting diversity in nursing, and eliminating racism in nursing and midwifery.
Dr. Lisa Meeks is a distinguished scholar and leader whose unwavering commitment to inclusivity and excellence has significantly influenced the landscape of health professions education and accessibility. She is the founder and executive director of the DocsWithDisabilities Initiative and holds appointments as an Associate Professor in the Departments of Learning Health Sciences and Family Medicine at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Nikia Grayson, DNP, MSN, MPH, MA, CNM, FNP-C, FACNM (she/her) is a trailblazing force in reproductive justice, blending her expertise as a public health activist, anthropologist, and family nurse-midwife to champion the rights and health of underserved communities. Graduating with distinction from Howard University, Nikia holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in public health. Her academic journey also led her to the University of Memphis, where she earned a master’s in medical anthropology, and the University of Tennessee, where she achieved both a master’s in nursing and a doctorate in nursing practice. Complementing her extensive education, she completed a post-master’s certificate in midwifery at Frontier Nursing University.
Dr. Tia Brown McNair is the Vice President in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in Washington, DC. She oversees both funded projects and AAC&U’s continuing programs on equity, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, and student success. McNair directs AAC&U’s Summer Institutes on High-Impact Practices and Student Success, and TRHT Campus Centers and serves as the project director for several AAC&U initiatives, including the development of a TRHT-focused campus climate toolkit. She is the lead author of From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education (January 2020) and Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success (July 2016 and August 2022 Second edition).