Frontier Nursing University (FNU), the oldest and largest continually operating nurse-midwifery education program in the U.S., has launched a national search for a diverse pool of candidates to apply for the Department Chair of Midwifery and Women’s Health position. This certified nurse-midwife leader must demonstrate a commitment to FNU’s mission and values while leading a department of 60+ faculty members. There is a strong preference for applicants residing in central Kentucky, but remote location with the ability to do frequent travel will be considered. FNU encourages applications from underrepresented/underserved groups, women, the disabled, protected veterans and all other qualified applicants.
More than 50% of FNU’s 150+ doctorally prepared advanced practice nursing faculty members are certified nurse-midwives, and over half of them still actively practice. Our faculty members live all across the United States and have an average of 11 total years of graduate-level teaching experience.
FNU has been a leader in distance education for more than three decades and pioneered the first community-based nurse-midwifery distance education program in the nation. Today, graduating nearly 40% of the nation’s nurse-midwives, FNU utilizes this distance learning model with online didactic coursework and a clinical experience in the student’s own community. Students attend 1-2 brief on-campus sessions during their education program. Despite this distance model, there is nothing “distant” about the FNU community. As students learn and provide care in their home communities, FNU faculty are committed to being present and providing consistent support throughout the educational journey.
For a full list of the Department Chair of Midwifery and Women’s Health responsibilities and duties, visit the job posting.
“We are seeking a certified nurse-midwife leader and changemaker to guide our flagship program forward and join our talented department of 60+ faculty and more than 900 nurse-midwifery students.”
Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM, FAAN
Dean of Nursing
To qualify for this position, the applicant must be a licensed Registered Nurse in the United States; hold current certification by the American Midwifery Certification Board; hold a Doctoral Degree in Nursing or related area; have experience in graduate nursing andragogy, administration, clinical practice, and scholarship; knowledge, skills, and attitude for curriculum development and educational technology; strong analytical, organizational, and interpersonal skills; as well as experience working with diverse populations. There is strong preference that the person reside in central Kentucky, but remote location with frequent travel to campus will be considered.
FNU is the oldest and largest continually operating nurse-midwifery education program in the U.S. and has more than 2500 students enrolled and over 400 nurse-midwifery and women’s health graduates each year. It is a leading distance-learning institution and was recognized for this by the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) in November. FNU was named a “2021 Great College to Work For”, winning honors in ten categories: Job Satisfaction & Support; Compensation & Benefits; Professional Development; Mission & Pride; Supervisor/Department Chair Effectiveness; Confidence in Senior Leadership; Faculty & Staff Well-being; Shared Governance; Faculty Experience; and Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging.
For the fourth consecutive year, INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education, awarded FNU the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. FNU is committed to emphasizing and valuing diversity and inclusion. The mission of FNU is to provide accessible nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner education to prepare competent, entrepreneurial, ethical, and compassionate leaders in primary care to serve all individuals with an emphasis on women and families in diverse, rural, and underserved populations.
Are you interested in joining a top distance-learning university as the Department Chair of Midwifery and Women’s Health? Learn more about this position today.