Kevin Brunacini, APRN, FNP-C doesn’t have IV bags, electric beds, or machines to work with in his practice. Instead, he uses his computer, and through the screen is able to serve vulnerable and rural populations.
Kevin, a Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice student at Frontier Nursing University (FNU), owns and operates a virtual consultatory medical and nutritional practice called The Diet Doc in Northern Kentucky. The aim of the practice is to transform patients from the inside-out as they become their own best nutritionist through empowered health behaviors.
A little over three years ago, Kevin noticed a problem in several of his patients: weight maintenance. Having lost and kept off 121 pounds himself, he set out to help patients achieve the same kinds of feats without the same kind of resources or education that he had.
The Diet Doc is Kevin’s solution, a way to teach the true psychology of eating through curriculum and one-on-one appointments, so that patients can have enduring weight loss success.
Kevin is working towards his DNP so that he can better advocate for his patients.
“Ultimately, it will lead to better care delivery, improved patient outcomes and further autonomy, and strengthen the credibility of the profession,” said Kevin.
He currently serves his community, a mix of rural and urban populations, by presenting nutrition and health education seminars through local health advocacy groups. He also submits written contributions to these groups and others, and provides one-on-one nutrition consultations with especially vulnerable populations. Kevin was the recipient of the Residential Partner of the Year Award of the Life Learning Center in 2017.
He chose Frontier for its highly-regarded DNP program, as well as its history and prestige.
“Due to my unique practice focus, Frontier encouraged an entrepreneurial focus in order for me to learn about the DNP essentials and apply them towards improving my practice and clinical skills,” Kevin said.
Throughout the first half of his DNP, Kevin has already found the Frontier network to be a strong force in his education.
“It can be alienating on your own, but to be surrounded by others who have succeeded before me and believe I can succeed encourages me even more to be part of the Frontier legacy,” he said.
Thank you, Kevin, for your dedication to serving a unique and vulnerable population! We are proud to have you as an FNU student.
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 health care to underserved and rural populations.
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).