At the heart of Frontier Nursing University is a talented and diverse community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, Couriers and preceptors. Spotlight blogs feature our FNU community members that are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality healthcare to underserved and rural populations.
Born and raised in Jamaica, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) preceptor Mrs. Phyllis Lynn first became a certified midwife in 1967 while working as an RN staff nurse on a postpartum unit.
“In Jamaica, to move up in my career, I had to become a certified midwife. I didn’t want to do it, but my superior insisted I would be a great midwife and pushed me to get certified. I was young; it turns out she knew what I needed better than I did,” Lynn said.
A few years later, Lynn relocated to the United States, where she was recertified as an American nurse-midwife in 1974.
Lynn spent nearly 25 years at her first post in the United States at Interfaith Medical Center, where she worked her way up and spent many years as the supervisor of labor and delivery. In 1993, Lynn spearheaded and opened a new labor and delivery service within the Maimonides medical network in Brooklyn.
Maimonides Midwifery Practice has since served thousands of families and grown to a team of 14 licensed midwives who have completed their master of science in nursing. Since opening the midwifery practice, Lynn has made a point of precepting students, especially nurse-midwife students, whenever possible.
“It is our job as midwives to continue to grow the profession. If we don’t advocate for ourselves, who will? Many people don’t understand what midwifery is or why it’s such a valuable profession. As midwives, we must work every day to help them understand,” Lynn said.
Lynn also encourages all of the students she precepts to continue their education and get their doctorate.
“Schools like FNU make continuing your education very obtainable. I always tell my students that if this is truly something they love, why not go as far as you can with it to help as many patients as possible?” Lynn says.
Lynn doesn’t only believe in a better education for current nursing and nurse-midwife students but is also a strong advocate for patient education. She believes the best way to get a patient to follow necessary health measures is to educate them and provide them with a thorough explanation.
“We have all had patients that, despite our best efforts, don’t follow through on the things we’ve advised. I have found that the best way to encourage action is through constant education. Do not only tell them the ‘what,’ but you also have to explain the ‘why’.” Lynn said. “Then after educating, I break things down into simple steps so that lifestyle changes seem easier to reach.”
Lynn also has another secret for encouraging stubborn expecting mothers to follow health and diet changes- explain the impact of these changes to the husband or boyfriend.
“Women often have cravings and might ask their partner for a cheeseburger or a plate of chili fries, or something else that is not good for the baby. If I tell the father of the effect these foods could have on the mother and the baby, he becomes much less likely to get those foods. Instead, he will encourage healthy choices. I truly believe education is everything.” Lynn said.
Every day, Lynn is delighted to have spent nearly 60 years supporting mothers, families and students in a profession that she loves.
“I am 78. Over the years, there have been days where I’ve been tired, but I have never felt burnt out. I have found my life’s purpose, which is something I wish for everyone. I will retire someday, but I will probably still volunteer. Nursing and midwifery mean so much to me. I can’t imagine working in a more wonderful profession with more wonderful people,” Lynn said
Thank you, Mrs. Lynn, for your continued dedication to nurse-midwives and the nursing profession as a whole. You have made a significant impact on our community, and we are grateful for your continued service.
To read about previously recognized preceptors or to nominate a preceptor, click here.
Are you interested in becoming a Frontier preceptor? Learn more here.
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).