Blog

  • FNU PRIDE Program Wraps up a Busy Year

    It’s been an exciting year for the Frontier Nursing University (FNU) Diversity PRIDE program, an initiative designed to promote diversity in nursing and midwifery. FNU is proud to recruit and retain underrepresented students who have the goal of becoming nurse-midwives or nurse practitioners. Here’s a quick summary of the exciting events that our PRIDE students have participated in throughout 2016:

     

    American College of Nurse Midwifery (ACNM) Annual Conference

    The summer kicked off in May when two PRIDE ambassadors were selected to attend the ACNM Annual Conference. FNU PRIDE students Michelle Gragg and Ximena Rossato-Bennett represented the university and the diversity program at the conference as recipients of the annual ACNM Student Ambassador essay contest. The essay contest is an initiative aimed at fostering student leadership retention, professional networking and continued nursing education. Michelle and Ximena attended sessions on race, socioeconomic disparities and cesarean epidemic delivery rates in the U.S. Click here to read more about the ACNM Conference and here to see the PRIDE summary of the conference.

     

    American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) Annual Conference

    In June, two other FNU PRIDE ambassadors, Elena Prendergast and Rachel Koransky-Matson, were selected to attend the 31st AANP Annual Conference. Elena and Rachel were also winners of the annual AANP Student Ambassador essay contest. The conference offered an opportunity for FNU students to enhance their skills and experience the clinical side of providing innovative care to patients. To read about Elena and Rachel’s experience at the conference, go here.

     

    National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) Annual Conference

    In July, FNU Diversity PRIDE Program Coordinator Wilvena Bernard, along with PRIDE Student Ambassador Adriana Hernandez, traveled to Chicago to attend the NAHN Annual Conference. Wilvena and Adriana met several nurses and shared information on FNU’s distance education program and specialty tracks. During the conference, attendees participated in a variety of workshops focused on healthcare issues facing the Hispanic population, the role of new technology in improving care for Hispanic patients, how to use outcomes-based research, the value of advanced and continuing education for nurses, and how to develop a professional leadership development plan. Go here to read more about the conference.

    National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) Annual Meeting and Exhibition

    In August, the 44th annual NBNA Meeting and Exhibition convened in Memphis, Tenn., with thousands of attendees. FNU Diversity PRIDE Program Coordinator Wilvena Bernard along with PRIDE Student Ambassadors Essence Williams and Homecia St. Clair, attended the conference. Conference workshops focused on multifaceted opportunities in nursing and healthcare, as well as advocacy for a diverse and inclusive workforce to improve the health of citizens living in diverse communities.

     

    American Assembly for Men in Nursing (AAMN)

    In September, the The 41th American Assembly for Men in Nursing (AAMN) annual meeting and exhibit was held in Miami Fla.  FNU Students, Julian Williams and Thomas George represented FNU and the Diversity PRIDE program. The overall conference goal of AAMN focused on supporting the professional growth of men in nursing. The theme centered on promoting diversity and inclusivity to increase gender diversity, where currently male nurses make up 9% of the overall nursing profession.  See the students’ video summary here.

     

    These events were not only great experiences for our students, but also great opportunities to share FNU’s diversity intiative PRIDE program. We are excited to finish out the year by sending two PRIDE ambassadors to two additional conferences hosted by the American Association of Birth Centers and the American Assembly of Men in Nursing. Stay tuned for updates on the PRIDE program throughout the year! Learn more about FNU’s Diversity PRIDE program here.

     

    See more from our PRIDE ambassadors on our YouTube channel! 

  • American Association of Nurse Practitioners: 51st Anniversary Recap

     

    FNU faculty, alumni, students, staff and preceptors, along with over 5,000 other nurse practitioners, traveled to San Antonio, Texas, June 21-26 for the 51st anniversary of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). The conference was held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and offered great networking and educational opportunities for attendees.

     

    ANNUAL RECEPTION

    FNU hosted its annual reception at the conference on Thursday, June 23. More than 50 members of the FNU community attended the breakfast, which was an omelet party celebrating Kitty Ernst’s 90th birthday. Many students and alumni were excited to hear about the launch of FNU’s new Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program. Go here to see photos from the reception.

     

    FNU EXHIBIT BOOTH

     

    The FNU exhibit booth was very interactive this year as FNU hosted a photo booth in celebration of Kitty Ernst’s 90th birthday. Attendees were invited to dress up and share their photo with the hashtag #KittyTurns90 to be entered to win exclusive FNU prizes.  FNU also created a lot of excitement as they introduced the new Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program to attendees.

     

    STUDENT AMBASSADORS

    FNU’s diversity PRIDE program invites students each year to submit essays for a chance to represent the university at the AANP conference. PRIDE ambassadors Elena Prendergast and Rachel Koransky-Matson won this year and participated in clinical activities and sessions, attended the FNU reception, and assisted at the FNU exhibit booth. The PRIDE ambassadors also submitted video diaries of their experience during the conference. See their videos here. For more details on the PRIDE program, visit www.frontier.edu/prideprogram.

    Click here to view photos and videos from 2016 AANP conference.

  • Staff Spotlight: Debra Turner

     

    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 that are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality health care to underserved and rural populations.

     

    Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has always been a part of Debra Turner’s life. Debra was born at Hyden Hospital in Hyden, Ky., the home of FNU’s historic campus. FNU Founder Mary Breckinridge opened the hospital in 1928 to provide health care to mothers and babies in rural Eastern Kentucky. Known as Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) at the time, Debra grew up under the care of FNS nurses. Today, she is the student services coordinator at Frontier.

     

    “FNU is a part of my heritage,” said Debra. “When the student services coordinator position opened up nine years ago, I knew I wanted to apply. Coming back to Hospital Hill after so many years for my interview was like coming home. Memories came rushing back like rewinding a tape.”

     

    Debra “Answers The Call” by helping students begin their FNU journey with a positive orientation experience and planning commencement. She maintains Pre-Bound materials and webpages and was essential in the creation of a Pre-Bound course in CANVAS.  Debra works behind the scenes to make sure the classrooms are stocked with supplies and works closely with Student Council representatives to ensure all students have proper representation.

     

    According to Debra, the best part of her job is seeing students progress from orientation to successfully completing their programs. She also works hard to make sure FNU employees feel appreciated and keeps them informed of community involvement opportunities. Debra wrote the proposal for a $1000 scholarship for a Leslie County High School senior who is pursing nursing as a career. It was approved and Debra now presents the award each school year on awards day.

     

    Debra serves on a number of FNU committees and represents FNU at monthly Hyden-Leslie  County Chamber of Commerce meetings & other community events. She serves  as secretary of the Mary Breckinridge Festival planning committee, which is a community ran event. In her free time, she volunteers for the Trails of Leslie County Initiative Program. In the past, she has assisted with a Bible Study program for inmates in the Leslie County Detention Center and taught Sunday School as well as Vacation Bible School at her church.

     

    According to Debra, her greatest accomplishment has been raising two boys and seeing them mature into men and leaders. She is looking forward to meeting her first grandbaby January 2, 2017. Debra also manages a small home-based business and enjoys traveling to historical sites, seeing new places and researching her family genealogy. She even finds time for one trip to the beach each year!

     

    Debra has a bachelor’s degree in Human Services & Counseling from Lindsey Wilson College and an Associate of Arts and Certificate in Business and Office Technology from Hazard Community College.

     

    “I love that FNU is still carrying on the mission that started it all,” said Debra. “It’s a privilege to work for a organization with a mission to serve the rural and underserved population.”

     

    The FNU community is thankful to have hardworking staff members like Debra!

     

  • Alumni Spotlight: Tiffany Jackson, MSN, CNM

    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 that are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality health care to underserved and rural populations.

     

    Tiffany Jackson graduated from Frontier Nursing University (FNU) in 2007. In her early career, she worked as an obstetrics nurse in a hospital, but there weren’t any nurse-midwives present. It was earlier, during clinical training in nursing school, that one patient had opened her mind to another way of thinking about birth.  

     

    The patient she observed chose to go through labor without the common types of support. Tiffany typically saw most mothers at the hospital hooked up with IVs and epidurals, but this mother was laboring with only the support of her husband, Tiffany, and Tiffany’s nursing preceptor on the unit.

     

    Tiffany describes the mother as being “very Zen–just breathing through her contractions,” which inspired her. She wanted to provide care for women who would have relationships with their providers and options for how they would give birth. Tiffany envisioned a relationship where she would offer expert guidance and provide information, while the woman would make informed choices about her own body and her baby. Tiffany decided that as a nurse-midwife she could reach more women and help them have better birth experiences.

     

    Tiffany chose FNU because the distance education model worked well for her as an independent learner. She explored different options, but was drawn to the heritage and the strong history of FNU–and the amazing Kitty Ernst. Tiffany says of her career choice, “It’s not for the faint of heart. You do it because you have a passion, not to get rich. You have to love women, and sometimes it’s hard, emotionally demanding and exhausting.”  

     

    In 2014, Tiffany accepted a position with MomDoc, a privately-owned obstetrics practice in Arizona that was started by physicians. They started with physician assistants and women’s health nurses in the clinics. The practice has grown to 20 branches, three of which now have certified nurse-midwives. The nurse-midwives practice with hospital privileges to offer full-scope midwifery care to women.

     

    Since becoming a nurse-midwife, Tiffany has attended more than 1,000 births. She respects each mother’s choice and believes women should have personalized birth experiences. She recently attended a birth with a family having their seventh child. The parents brought in their 12-year-old daughter to assist with the delivery and welcome the new baby into the world.

     

    MomDoc nurse-midwives precept midwifery students in the clinics, and some of Tiffany’s colleagues are also FNU alumni. She says they joke about getting t-shirts that say, “Team FNU.”

     

    MomDoc has a mentoring program for new midwives who join the practice, which transitions them through what is called the “Circle of Safety.” In the mentoring stage, each new midwife must complete 30 deliveries. They have an additional three months where they can call their mentors for help and advice. Tiffany credits one of her FNU preceptors, Dr. Kim Couch, for helping her make that transition earlier in her career.

     

    “Some midwives may have been expert nurses, but they are new to the role of nurse-midwifery,” said Tiffany. “So, they have to ‘hang in there’ and not be afraid to ask for help in their new role.”

     

    Tiffany is considering pursuing a doctorate when her children are older, and possibly opening a birth center business with a friend and colleague who is also a certified nurse-midwife. Tiffany’s mother has an MBA, and Tiffany imagines her mom handling the business affairs of the practice.

     

    “Someday, I would love to be in a birth center and attend out-of-hospital births,” Tiffany said. “That’s what FNU trains us for, and I’d love to be able to support home or birth-center deliveries.”

     

    The FNU community is proud to have alumni like Tiffany who are passionate about helping women make informed choices that lead to better birth experiences. Go Team FNU!

  • FNU Clinical Program Director Dr. Jane Houston Visits Students in Guam

    Dr. Jane Houston and Adrian Medina with Nursing Professor Guam Uni.

    Clinical Program Director Jane Houston, DNP, CNM recently traveled to Guam to complete a mid-clinical site visit for FNU student Adrian Medina. After 24 hours of traveling, Jane spent a rewarding five days following and observing Adrian as he delivered nurse-midwifery care to patients. Mid-clinical site visits are a requirement at FNU – regardless of where the student is located – to maximize the student’s learning experience.

     

    “Our distance education model allows us to reach communities and educate nurses around the world,” said Jane. “Students can live anywhere and succeed at FNU.”

     

    Adrian, now a graduate, came to FNU as a labor and delivery nurse. He first became interested in nurse-midwifery as a nursing student caring for women in labor during his hospital rotations. When he decided to pursue a specialty degree in nurse-midwifery, Adrian wanted to attend a top-ranked university that allowed him to study in his home community. FNU was a perfect fit, and he was fascinated by the school’s rich history.

     

    “When I learned more about the school, I quite enjoyed that FNU is deeply community focused, which is an area of midwifery that I am passionate about and an area that I focused on during my clinical clerkship,” said Adrian.

     Adrian Medina pictured with FNU alum Teresa Anderson and birth center nurses.

    Adrian was fortunate to have several preceptors and mentors, including an FNU nurse-midwifery graduate and a naval midwife who was the third trained male nurse-midwife in England, James (Jim) Finch. His clinical study included training at both Guam Memorial Hospital and Northern Regional Community Health Center. Guam has a large migrant minority population, and Adrian had always wanted to work there.

     

    During Jane’s time in Guam, she attended a Case Reflection presented by Adrian to a group of 20 people discussing the Kidd Blood Group and how it can cause problems to a fetus. She also had an opportunity to share information on FNU and the school’s mission with those who attended.

     

    Jane toured hospitals, a birthing center and a public health center as well. One of her favorite parts of the trip was getting to know local nurse-midwives, doctors and other medical workers. According to Jane, women in Guam have several choices in health care providers. She also had a chance to visit another FNU student, Jin Cody, who is originally from Saipan.

     

    Jane’s international travel isn’t over, yet. She’ll be visiting two FNU students in Asia soon! The FNU community reaches across the globe thanks to our amazing student, faculty, preceptor and alumni networks.

     

  • Alumni Spotlight: Aliceson Stroub, FNP Class 70

     

    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 that are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality health care to underserved and rural populations.

     

    Aliceson Stroub had been an ICU RN at the University of Kentucky for four years when she decided she wanted to pursue a new direction in nursing. She learned about nurse-midwifery in college when a representative from Frontier Nursing University (FNU) spoke to her class and piqued her interest in the specialty. Ultimately, however, she decided that pursuing a family nurse practitioner degree was a better fit and graduated from FNU in 2012.

     

    “I chose FNU because of the wonderful history and because of the flexibility that fit my family and my lifestyle. I felt like it was a place I wanted to be,” said Aliceson. “I enjoyed being on campus and feeling connected to the history, the founder (Mary Breckinridge) and the students who attended before me.”

     

    After graduation, Aliceson worked in a federally qualified primary care clinic in Maysville, Ky. She later moved to a Kroger Little Clinic and is now with MD2U, providing primary care to homebound and home limited individuals. She values being in a position that allows her to focus on rural and underserved populations.

     

    Aliceson enjoys educating patients, spending time with them and knowing she is making a difference in their lives. She focuses on the patient as a whole and believes educating leads to better health and fewer visits. She was a preceptor for FNU students in the past and hopes to precept again as a primary care nurse at MD2U.

     

    “There are many reasons to go to FNU—the history, the flexibility, the school’s track record, and FNU’s focus on the patient,” said Aliceson.

     

    Aliceson values the connections she made at FNU and keeps in touch with friends across the country. In fact, her classmate Kendra Adkisson helped deliver her baby. Aliceson met Kendra during Frontier Bound, FNU’s four-day orientation program, and Kendra is now at WomanKind Midwives in Lexington, Ky.

     

    Thank you, Aliceson, for your commitment to FNU and its legacy of serving rural and underserved populations in Kentucky!

     

    See Aliceson here on ABC 36 News in Lexington:

     

  • Faculty Spotlight: Cathy Fliris, DNP, FNP

    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 that are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality health care to underserved and rural populations.

     

    Cathy Fliris is a Frontier Nursing University (FNU) faculty member, preceptor and alumni. She provided medical care to the citizens of Niobrara County in Lusk, Wyoming, in the Rawhide Rural Health Clinic for over 12 years.

     

    Before moving to Wyoming, Cathy lived for 24 years in the village of Tanana in Alaska. The village is home to native Athabascan Alaskans, and is situated in the middle of the state on the banks of the Yukon River. Being so far out in the wilderness, the only access is to fly or go by boat, snow machine or dog team. She explained that the locals only trusted newcomers who went away for vacation and then “came back,” which of course she did!

     

    When Cathy was younger, she studied for her BSN in Seattle, with a federal National Health Service Corps (NHSC) scholarship that required that she work for two years in a an underserved area. She chose to work as an intern for six months in a hospital in Anchorage, Alaska, prior to being assigned to a small 20-bed hospital in Tanana. This is where she met her husband, a patient who came to the hospital after cutting his finger with an axe.

     

    The man who would eventually become Cathy’s husband had established a federal wilderness homestead on the Tozitna River, situated northwest of Tanana. He had flown into Tanana, 120 miles west of Fairbanks and walked 40 miles into the wilderness to build a log cabin, trap, fish and mush dogs. Cathy joined him there after completing her two-year service, and they were married on a nearby frozen beaver pond.

     

    The couple later moved back into Tanana while Cathy was pregnant with their second son. They developed and ran a dog sled tourism business, teaching people how to mush dogs and guiding them to their log cabin. Cathy worked part time as a nurse in an assisted living facility in Tanana; had a custom arctic clothing business, specializing in making parkas and mukluks in native-inspired designs with modern materials; and went to fish camp on the Yukon River every summer with their sons and up to 50 dogs to fish for king and chum salmon. In 2000, while still living in Tanana, Cathy was accepted into Frontier’s CFNP Class 5 to study for her MSN, and then applied for and received a second NHSC scholarship.

     

    When Cathy graduated from FNU in 2003, her children were grown so she and her husband decided to relocate to Lusk, Wyoming, so that Cathy could complete her two-year payback service. The rural cattle ranching town of 1,500 people was a great move up in the civilized world for them, complete with two stoplights, a Subway and a yoga teacher!

     

    Cathy worked in a primary care clinic associated with a 24-bed critical access hospital. With over 12 years of service there, she has been the most consistent resident provider. Cathy’s patients appreciated not only the continuity of care they received from her, but also that she lived and participated in the community.

     

    In 2007, she turned her focus from long-term care, emergency room coverage and hospital admissions in addition to primary care, to primary care only. This enabled her to pursue her DNP from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions; she graduated in 2010.

     

    In addition to her practice, Cathy has been a part-time faculty member in the FNU DNP program since 2009 and precepted students in her clinic. She enjoys teaching students about the role of the nurse practitioner in the health care system.  

     

    “FNU students come well-prepared for clinical training,” said Cathy. “As an alumni and faculty member, I’m proud to say that they are some of my best students.”  


    This year, Cathy moved to a rural island 60 miles north of Seattle to be closer to her family, partly due to her husband’s recent death in a kayaking accident. She plans to continue teaching for FNU and looks forward to providing health care in a new rural community.

     

    “Rural health care is challenging but rewarding professionally. I enjoy getting to know the individuals and their families,” said Cathy. “I also have a deeper understanding of the biopsychosocial nurse practitioner model of providing care to individuals and families within the context of their community.”

     

    Cathy believes that the breadth of experience that nurse practitioners gain in rural practice can equip them with the experience, maturity and confidence to pursue their passions in health care. She looks forward to delivering consistent, engaged care in a new community, while building and reflecting on the experience she has gained throughout her life’s adventures.

     

  • Faculty Spotlight: Kelly Wilhite, DNP, CNM

    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 that are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality health care to underserved and rural populations.

     

    As a little girl, Dr. Kelly Wilhite had the unique opportunity to help a nurse-midwife catch her baby brother as her mother gave birth. The experience quickly piqued her interest and eventually led Dr. Wilhite into nursing school.

     

    Dr. Wilhite’s interest in nurse-midwifery came while she was in her OB rotation during nursing school clinicals. When she saw the way women were being treated, it didn’t seem right to her and she knew she had to do something about it. The military offered to cover the cost of midwifery school, so Dr. Wilhite went into military OB nursing. She was an OB nurse for four years in the Virginia/Washington D.C. area, and then applied to an in-residence midwifery program at Shenandoah University. Dr. Wilhite obtained her Master of Science in Nursing in nurse-midwifery and was assigned to Germany where she lived for four years.

     

    Dr. Wilhite pursued a DNP at Frontier Nursing University (FNU) while living in Germany. She had known about FNU for a long time, and the program allowed her the flexibility to complete the DNP from abroad. Her project was focused on immediate skin-to-skin contact (mother and baby). After Germany, she was sent to Florida, and then Afghanistan where she provided primary care in a flight squadron.

     

    After getting out of the military, Dr. Wilhite moved to Kentucky and decided she wanted to focus on educating midwives and get involved in the community. Her husband, who she considers her number one supporter, stayed at home with their children while she began teaching at FNU. She currently teaches postpartum/newborn and women’s health, and has also taught in health promotion, antepartum and complex childbearing in her four years as a professor at Frontier.

     

    “I love it when students are passionate about what they want to be,” said Dr. Wilhite. “They want to improve the healthcare system, and it’s gratifying to see them go out and do that. It’s validating to be a part of a university with a strong mission to provide better health care.”

     

    Dr. Wilhite has presented at the American College of Nurse-Midwives annual meeting for three consecutive years as part of their American Midwifery Certification Board exam review panel. She also presented her research on skin-to-skin contact in 2013.

     

    She often participates in local news interviews to emphasize the role and scope of practice of certified nurse-midwives. Here are links to some of Dr. Wilhite’s most recent interviews:

     

    Minimizing exposure to the Zika virus

    Why become a Nurse-Midwife?

     
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