Shane Hagen, DNP (Class 36), is an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP-BC), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC), and Major in the U.S. Army Reserves. He also owns Valor Wellness and Aesthetics in Overland Park, Kansas. He recently took the time to answer our questions about his unique and impactful life in service to others.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Watertown, South Dakota, but my family moved to Garden City, Kansas, when I was a baby. We later relocated to the Kansas City area, specifically Peculiar, Missouri, when I was in fifth grade. Aside from my military assignments worldwide, I have considered the Kansas City area home ever since.
What interested you in becoming a nurse?
My path into nursing was driven by a passion for helping others and a desire to work in a field that is both dynamic and intellectually challenging. Early on, I recognized the impact that nurses have on patient care, from bedside support to advanced practice roles. Nursing offered me the opportunity to combine clinical expertise with leadership, problem-solving, and advocacy, which ultimately led me to pursue advanced training and military service as a healthcare provider.
Please share your education, training, and military experience.
I have completed multiple advanced degrees, including a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Frontier Nursing University, along with dual board certifications as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP). Additionally, I have an MSN degree with an emphasis on Nursing Education and Administration.
My education, combined with over two decades of clinical experience, has provided me with a diverse skill set that spans primary care, emergency medicine, critical care, and case management.
My military career in the U.S. Army Reserves, where I hold the rank of Major, has vastly expanded my scope of practice beyond traditional civilian settings. In combat environments, such as during my deployment to Iraq, I adapted to the Army’s evolving medical needs, providing care in high-intensity and resource-limited settings for both service members and local nationals.
The ability to think critically, act decisively, and balance both patient care and operational responsibilities has been instrumental in shaping my approach to medicine. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have had incredible mentors who helped me navigate the complexities of advanced practice while maintaining the highest standards of patient care.
Have you experienced any pushback from patients or colleagues as a male nurse?
I have been welcomed into this field with open arms by my peers, physicians, and patients. However, there have been occasional instances where patients have requested not to have a male nurse. I fully respect a patient’s right to request a provider of a specific gender, as much of what we do in healthcare is sensitive in nature. I believe that as long as patients receive quality care, they should have autonomy in choosing their healthcare providers.
Tell me about your current practice, scope of practice, etc.
I own Valor Wellness and Aesthetics, a practice that blends my clinical expertise, military experience, and passion for healthcare, located in Overland Park, Kansas. We offer primary care, aesthetic medicine, wellness services, and VA community partnerships for various military veteran services.
My goal was to create a practice that reflects the diverse healthcare experience I’ve gained over the years, allowing me to serve patients in multiple capacities, from preventative care to regenerative treatments.
One of the advantages of practicing in Kansas is that Nurse Practitioners have Full Practice Authority (FPA), allowing me to practice autonomously. This independence enables me to not only treat patients without physician oversight but also choose my own mentors and collaborators, fostering strong professional relationships that enhance patient care.
What are your long-term goals for yourself and your practice?
My long-term goal is to continue growing Valor Wellness and Aesthetics into a leading integrative healthcare practice, bridging the gap between traditional medicine and innovative treatments. I also remain committed to veteran advocacy, ensuring that service members receive the healthcare they deserve.
Beyond clinical practice, I am passionate about mentoring future healthcare professionals and advancing the field of nursing education. Having served as a professor and program director in multiple nursing institutions, I plan to stay engaged in shaping the next generation of nurse practitioners.
What role did Frontier Nursing University play in preparing you?
Frontier Nursing University provided me with a strong academic foundation and the practical skills necessary for both clinical practice and business ownership. The curriculum emphasized evidence-based practice, leadership, and rural healthcare, which directly translated into my ability to manage a practice, optimize patient outcomes, and navigate the complexities of independent practice. The university’s emphasis on community-focused care also reinforced my commitment to providing high-quality, patient-centered services at my clinic.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in both civilian and military healthcare settings. My experiences have reinforced the importance of adaptability, lifelong learning, and mentorship in shaping a successful career. Whether in a combat environment, a university classroom, or my own clinic, my goal has always been to provide exceptional care, advocate for patients, and contribute to the advancement of healthcare.
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).