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 who are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality healthcare to underserved and rural populations.
FNU graduate Dr. Cheyenne Allen, DNP, PMHNP-BC, serves as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) in private practice while also lending her expertise as undergraduate nursing faculty at Pennsylvania Western University. Her dual role allows her to not only provide direct care, but also to mold the next generation of mental health nursing professionals.
In her practice, Dr. Allen serves rural and underserved populations, filling crucial gaps in mental health care access. In addition, her consultancy work reaches across multiple facilities to improve patient outcomes, including facilities that serve those with intellectual disabilities, geriatric needs and substance use issues.
Dr. Allen’s dedication to advancing mental health care is evident in her scholarly contributions. Her research, highlighted by her article “Improving Patient-Centered Care for Veterans with Treatment-Resistant Depression Using Shared Decision-Making Tools,” underscores her commitment to patient empowerment and holistic treatment approaches. The article was published in the Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association in 2023, and she presented it at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association conference last October.
Reflecting on her journey, Dr. Allen said she sees her vision of success as a continuous pursuit of growth and service.
“My idea of success is to continue to learn, work, and evolve to be the best version of myself possible,” she said. “I want to be able to pass on this principle, so I pursued my Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) to be a positive influence on the next generation of nurses, my students!”
Dr. Allen’s path to mental health advocacy was serendipitous, shaped by the guidance of mentors and her own evolving interests. Initially drawn to obstetrics, she found her calling in psychiatry—a field she felt compelled to destigmatize and elevate through her work.
Her experience at Frontier, she notes, was transformative, characterized by a sense of community and personalized support—a culture she seeks to replicate in her own teaching approach.
“Frontier is much more of a community-based school than many of the larger schools my colleagues attended,” she said. “I had an opportunity to know my professors on a more personal level and I try to connect with my undergrad students in the same way, knowing how supported I felt.”
Beyond her professional endeavors, Dr. Allen finds solace in nature, tending to her hobby farm, exploring the outdoors, and enjoying activities such as gardening, camping and kayaking. She also enjoys attending dog shows.
Thank you, Cheyenne, for your unwavering commitment to advancing mental health services and for leaving an indelible mark on the future of nursing.
To read more alumni stories, visit the FNU Alumni stories page.
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Frontier Nursing University Offers
Course on Caring for Veterans
Frontier Nursing University has created a continuing education course to prepare healthcare professionals to provide culturally sensitive care to veterans within their community. Developed by military-connected faculty at FNU, the “Care of the Veteran” program is a self-paced module that will guide clinicians through understanding military culture, service-connected health concerns, and developing a plan of care utilizing military service benefits.