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  • Student Spotlight: Heather Figi plans to integrate background in arts as a PMHNP to offer whole-person care

    Student Spotlight: Heather Figi plans to integrate background in arts as a PMHNP to offer whole-person care

    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.


    Heather Figi and FNU Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Success Dr. Paula Alexander-Delpech at the APNA National Conference

    For FNU student Heather Figi, RN, BSN, life is about fulfilling two principles: “we are here to do great things with the gift of our lives” and “we are here to serve others.”

    These beliefs empowered her to resume her education in 2011 with the aim of becoming a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. On track to graduate this year, Figi is currently pursuing her MSN in the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at FNU. Drawing from her rich background in music and education, Figi intends to integrate these experiences with her healthcare education. She said she seeks to embody the essence of psychiatry, derived from its Greek roots, where “psukhē” denotes soul or mind, and “iatreia” signifies healing.

    “With the education I am receiving from Frontier Nursing University, I plan to merge my background in the arts with healing to offer holistic, whole-person psychiatric care,” she said.

    A resident of Janesville, Wisconsin, Figi currently serves as a psychiatric RN, primarily providing care for underserved populations. In her work, she seeks to offer dignity to patients while assessing and addressing unmet medical needs such as dental needs, wounds and injuries. She said many of her patients receive inpatient care at the area psychiatric hospital, and are in the acute phase of schizophrenia. Many of her patients also have substance use disorder and lack of housing.

    In pursuing her degree at FNU, Figi said she seeks to alter perspectives, advocating for the brain to be regarded as neutrally as any other organ, thereby diminishing the stigma surrounding mental health. She said her favorite subject she has studied at FNU thus far has been psychopharmacology due to the way in which instructors weave together the brain with biological mechanisms and symptomatology.


    APNA National Conference

    Figi said FNU has offered the structure and flexibility to allow her to reach her goals.

    “I feel that through the structure of this program, FNU honors nursing professionals by accommodating them for individualized plans that allow for life to happen, trajectories to change and lots of personal guidance along the way,” she said.

    Figi said FNU has also been a catalyst for professional development, particularly through the Professional Organizational Mentoring Program (POMP), which matches FNU faculty with nurse practitioner and nurse-midwifery students from underrepresented groups to provide support and mentorship. The program allows students to join a professional organization in their field and gives them the opportunity to attend a professional conference with their mentors. Figi attended the APNA National Conference with Dr. Paula Alexander-Delpech.

    “I deeply valued attending the national conference, connecting with one of the stunning faculty members here at FNU, and getting to pick her brain, have fun and share some dessert,” she said. “I had several degrees before coming to FNU and have never felt as supported as I have with the POMP opportunity.”

    When she is not at work or pursuing coursework at FNU, Figi enjoys taking walks, pursuing HIIT and capoeira exercise, singing, drawing and spending time with her nephews and niece.

    Thank you, Heather, for your work with underserved populations and for your ongoing commitment to expanding your impact through education at FNU.

    Learn more about advanced nursing degrees and specialties at Frontier Nursing University, including our Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Program. Subscribe to our blog for the latest news and events at FNU and to get inspired with stories featuring our alumni, students, faculty and staff!

  • 1976 Frontier Alumna Corinne Chabot Looks Back on Four Decades as a Nurse Practitioner

    1976 Frontier Alumna Corinne Chabot Looks Back on Four Decades as a Nurse Practitioner

    Corinne Chabot

    Corinne Dunn Chabot graduated from the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing at the Frontier Nursing Service in 1976. For the next 40 years, she worked as a nurse practitioner (NP), retiring in 2016. Recently, she graciously took the time to share her stories from four decades of nursing.

    “I arrived in Hyden, Kentucky, about a month after graduating from a four-year college program as a boarded Registered Nurse with zero experience in real life. My friend and I had planned to spend one adventurous year in Kentucky and then return home to Minnesota to real careers,” Chabot said “I was assigned to work in the clinic, otherwise known as the emergency room, with the supervision of other NPs.”

    After nearly a year of working in the clinic, upon the urging of friends, Chabot enrolled in the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program. After graduating from Frontier, Chabot took a job with the National Health Service Corps in a rural hospital in the logging community of Forks, Washington. “There was a great deal of discussion and disagreement about what people in this new role should even be called. The term ‘nurse practitioner’ came about as a way to define us as different from ‘ordinary nurses’ because of the skills we developed and the tasks we did,” Chabot said. “We examined patients and then made decisions about treatment plans. We chose medications and wrote prescriptions. This was almost treason in the vision of physicians and hospital nurses. There was a great deal of pushback in some areas until there were enough of us working in the field to show our fellow professionals what we could do and how we could help both them and the patients.”

    Dedicated to bringing healthcare to rural and underserved areas, the National Health Service Corps proved to be a perfect fit for nurse practitioners.

    “I was given extra coaching and observation and was put in the rotation of managing normal deliveries in the hospital, with a doctor always on-site,” Chabot said. “We all did well and had no obstetrical disasters on my watch. I also learned how to sew up chainsaw cuts very neatly.”

    Chabot moved to Reedsport, Oregon, two years later to work at a brand new Robert Woods Johnson rural practice project clinic. Working alongside a physician there, she provided family care, prenatal and postpartum visits, and occasionally delivered babies.

    Corinne with her husband, Dan.

    “This was a small town, and word spread there was a woman at the clinic who could do your pap smear and as well as talk about depression. I was busy,” Chabot said.

    Not only did she have a full plate at the clinic, but Chabot also became a leader and advocate for nurse practitioners. Working with state nursing and medical groups, she helped define state laws for rural clinics like the Robert Woods Johnson clinic. She was also a key advocate for obtaining independent prescriptive privileges for the state’s nurse practitioners.

    “Prescriptive privileges were a critical need for NPs working very distantly from their legally required preceptors,” Chabot said. “One of my patients was the wife of the state senate president, and she told me she was going to lots of parties and telling people about the role of nurse practitioners and the need for legal support. The law passed in 1979 as one of the first in the country.”

    Corinne with her husband, Dan.While living in Reedsport, Chabot married and became pregnant with her first child. She anxiously awaited the birth, but concerns grew as her due date came and went.

    “When my labor finally started, it was four weeks past my due date,” Chabot said. “My perfect daughter could not survive beyond early labor. After there was no heartbeat, I was transferred to the next largest hospital for an eventual C-section.”

    Chabot insists on sharing this tragic experience because of the important lessons that came with it. With family on the other side of the country, she and her husband found a family in their community.

    “The La Leche League ladies brought us suppers for a month. I never carried my groceries to my car or pumped my gas. We were given space or comfort as needed. My patients, any and all, gave back what I had given, and I was humbled,” she said. “The experience of losing an infant also taught me about grief, grieving, healing, and living. The greatest gift my daughter gave me was the gift of empathy. I really know what grief pain is. That gift served me throughout the rest of my long career in primary care, pediatric psyche care, and in cancer care. That was my daughter’s gift to all my patients. I understood pain.”

    Chabot shared her story as an essay on motherhood with loss for the National Public Radio show “Listen to Your Mother.” She and her husband later had two healthy sons and eventually moved to Maine, where her husband had grown up. They also spent time living in Minnesota, and Chabot earned a Master of Science degree as an FNP from the University of Minnesota in 2000.

    Corinne checks on the mother and baby after delivery.

    “I was returning to an educational process 27 years into my career as a ground floor nurse practitioner after introducing the role in several states,” she said. “I always felt I had learned the absolute bedrock of independent nursing practice and honest family-focused care at Frontier Nursing Service. What saved me from making many critical errors was that I learned from the best, most basic, independent, strong role models in the profession while they were forging a pathway to define what this new role would become. The Family Nurses and Midwives at the Frontier Nursing Service were unequaled both as caregivers and as teachers. I have always been proud to claim that certificate from the Frontier Nursing Service as the strongest building block of my resume. It was recognized as such.”

    In the latter part of her career, Chabot took on the challenge of learning something new and began working in oncology care and worked in the radiation department, helping patients cope with the side effects of treatment.

    “The Frontier Nursing Service has really defined the trajectory of my whole life,” Chabot said. “I am always a nurse practitioner and will be a decision-maker until I die. My son, who is now a physician, told me once, ‘Mom, I want to be the one who knows what to do. Like you.’”

    Learn more about advanced nursing degrees and specialties at Frontier Nursing University. Subscribe to our blog for the latest news and events at FNU and to get inspired with stories featuring our alumni, students, faculty, preceptors and staff!

  • Frontier Nursing University Appoints Two Current Students to the Board of Directors

    Frontier Nursing University Appoints Two Current Students to the Board of Directors

    Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has announced the addition of two current FNU students to the university’s Board of Directors. The Board, led by Chair Dr. Michael Carter, DNSc, DNP, FAAN, FNP/GNP-BC, formally approved FNP student Kate Corbett and DNP student Bridget Ehrhart-Bennett, FNP, PMHNP, as non-voting student representatives serving one-year terms on the Board.

    “We are very excited to appoint our two student Board members,” Dr. Carter said. “Our students are not only students but also experienced healthcare professionals and leaders. They bring a unique student perspective to the Board that is invaluable in our collective decision-making.”

    Kate Corbett is currently enrolled in the Family Nurse Practitioner program and is a representative on the student council. She is both American and Canadian and has worked for over 10 years in the healthcare systems of each country. Corbett, who also has management and political science degrees, is interested in pursuing a career in higher education.

    Bridget Ehrhart-Bennett is an FNU alumnus and current student. She completed the Family Nurse Practitioner program in 2010 and the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program in 2023. She is currently enrolled in FNU’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program and serves on the Library Committee and the Communications Committee as a student representative for DNP students. Ehrhart-Bennett has previously served on Frontier’s Diversity Impact Planning Committee as well as the Honor Code Council. She also has experience as a mentor, adjunct faculty, and preceptor.

    “Frontier Nursing University is committed to making informed, data-driven decisions to best serve our students as guided by our mission,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN. “There is no better way to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our students than to include these impressive, accomplished student representatives in the highest level of our leadership structure.”

  • Alumni Spotlight: Nurse and Educator Dr. Tarnia Newton Teaches Nurses to be Advocates for All Patients

    Alumni Spotlight: Nurse and Educator Dr. Tarnia Newton Teaches Nurses to be Advocates for All Patients

    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.

    Tarnia Newton, DNP (Class 28), FNP-C, has seen a shift in nursing and the understanding of the importance of culturally concordant care in healthcare outcomes.

    A self-proclaimed “disruptive innovator” and an educator of students she calls “JEDI nurses,” Dr. Newton understands that change does not occur without action. It is a lesson she is instilling in her students at the University of Arizona College of Nursing, where she is an Assistant Clinical Professor and a member of the Equity, Diversion, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee.

    “I think nursing as a whole had to really pause and honestly think about systemic and structural racism and the role it plays in health outcomes and what nursing institutions are doing about it,” Dr. Newton said. “I have successfully integrated Safe Zone Training into the DNP program. This introductory workshop provides an overview of LGBTQ+ terminology, health disparities, and issues facing the LGBTQ+ community. It is truly believing, as a practitioner, the importance of offering affirmative care for all.”

    Originally from the Bahamas, Dr. Newton had numerous aunts who were nurses, and her great-grandmother was an informal midwife for the rural island community of Andros in the Bahamas.

    “It (nursing) may be in my genes,” Dr. Newton said. “I always liked to help people.”

    Dr. Newton embraced her nurturing manner and healthcare ancestry and pursued a career in nursing. She started as a Licensed Practical Nurse, working in pediatric home care. After obtaining her RN, she went into critical care. For 16 years as a critical care nurse, she worked in several specialties, including open heart, neurology, trauma, pediatric medical, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation perfusionist. She then went on to become a Family Nurse Practitioner.

    When Dr. Newton decided to pursue a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), she picked Frontier Nursing University.

    “I chose Frontier because it was an online program that genuinely focused on the DNP essentials and gave me the skills I would use in the clinical environment,” Dr. Newton said. “I always say it was the best money I spent on education. I would not be where I am today if it was not for Frontier. They have a great way of creating community and fantastic faculty. I have recommended many of my colleagues to attend Frontier to get their DNP, and just like me, they drank the Kool-Aid. Frontier gave me the tools to be a disruptive innovator. It inspired me to be at the steering wheel of change, therefore truly preparing me for my current role.”

    Though Dr. Newton did not formally become a professor until after completing her DNP, she had always enjoyed teaching others. She taught advanced cardiac life support and basic life support and assisted in her hospital’s annual clinical skills fair. Completing the DNP at Frontier in 2018 fully opened the doors to her current career in academia. Dr. Newton began working at Galen College of Nursing in December 2018.

    True to her nature, Dr. Newton jumped right into her new career, soaking up knowledge and distributing it to others with equal enthusiasm. She has quickly become a leader in higher education diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

    I recently completed the AACN Diversity Leadership Institute, and my capstone project was focuses on creating a  resource toolbox but also training faculty on culturally responsive pedagogy and how they can integrate it into their syllabus and classrooms,” Dr. Newton said. “As an educator, advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging through culturally responsive pedagogy is an alternative to improving cultural humility, thus improving community health.”

    Data demonstrates that culturally concordant care improves healthcare outcomes. Providing culturally concordant care means increasing diversity in the healthcare workforce and educating healthcare professionals about its importance. It is a tall task, to be certain, but an essential one. It calls for the skills of a JEDI.

    “My future goal is to actively participate in changing the landscape of nursing,” Dr. Newton said. “I am so passionate about nursing education to be transformative for students and creating JEDI nurses – meaning Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. It will take JEDI nurses to make a difference in healthcare to be patient-centered, creating inclusive environments for patients and healthy work environments for nurses that are nourishing and not toxic.”

    Unfortunately, there is still far too much toxicity in the political climate, which ultimately spills over into other areas, including healthcare and education. Pushback and even legislation against university-driven DEI initiatives are becoming more common nationwide. Those actions demand a response, not a retreat.

    “With the new anti-DEI legislation happening across the country, it has become worrisome, especially when considering the importance of health outcomes and how they genuinely relate to diversity, equity, structural racism, and biases,” Dr. Newton said. “Anti-DEI is truly not an option in educating future healthcare providers. The social determinants of health, equity, and justice have to be the focus. This is a time more than ever when we need to take a stand and recreate the nurses we need for the future. We need JEDI-nursing warriors to advocate for all patients. We need health policy, population health, JEDI attributes, and quality improvement skills to be fundamental to the vocational, associate, and bachelor’s level nursing curriculum. We often leave it to the master’s or even doctorate level, but it needs to be at a grass root level. We need to develop nurses who can transform communities by addressing inequity in healthcare practices to improve health outcomes.”

    With Dr. Newton’s expertise, commitment, and passion, perhaps, in her case at least, those last two letters of “JEDI” nurse should stand for “Disruptive Innovator.”

    Learn more about advanced nursing degrees and specialties at Frontier Nursing University. Subscribe to our blog for the latest news and events at FNU and to get inspired with stories featuring our alumni, students, faculty, preceptors and staff!

  • Frontier Nursing University Welcomes Two New Board Members

    Frontier Nursing University Welcomes Two New Board Members


    Frontier Nursing University has announced the addition of two new members of the Board of Directors. The Board, led by Chair Dr. Michael Carter, DNSc, DNP, FAAN, FNP/GNP-BC, formally approved Elaine Bolle, MB, BA, and Michael Steinmetz, CPM, CMA, CSCA, as its two newest members.

    “We are extremely happy to welcome Elaine and Michael to the Board of Directors,” Dr. Carter said. “They both have strong ties to Frontier Nursing University and believe in and support our mission. They are both highly knowledgeable and dedicated leaders who bring many great attributes to our Board.”

    Over her career, Elaine Bolle has served as CEO, board director, and advisor, leading domestic and global organizations from start-ups to $750M+ enterprises. This includes senior management roles in strategic marketing and brand management, business development, sales, fund-raising, mergers, and acquisitions. She is an active angel investor, currently focusing on early-stage entrepreneurial ventures, including serving as a founder of RTP Angel Fund and a board director of RTP Capital Associates as well as One Digital Trust.  Bolle possesses industry expertise in financial services and consumer goods and services. She is an advisor to early-stage companies, assisting in strategy development, fundraising, mergers, and acquisitions. She was the Senior Vice President and General Manager for Western Union, leading the consumer payments businesses worldwide. She was also Vice President and Senior Director of Citicorp Global Payments. At Quaker Oats, she conceived, built, and managed a new wholesome snack business – the  Quaker Chewy Granola Bars.

    Bolle and her husband, Lester Levine, live in Chapel Hill, N.C., and have been supporters of Frontier Nursing for many years, including funding a scholarship. Bolle is also actively involved in other non-profit organizations and is the Past Chair of the Board of Directors for Success Triangle NC. Bolle earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan.

    Michael Steinmetz served as FNU’s Executive Vice President for Finance and Facilities from October 2009 to August 2022, when he retired. From August 2013 to August 2022, he also served as the Chief Financial Officer for Frontier Nursing Service, Incorporated, helping to oversee the charitable foundation’s planning and investments.

    Steinmetz came to FNU after 15 years of experience with large multinational companies, providing a rich background of international experience. A 1984 graduate of the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Steinmetz obtained his Master of Business Administration from the same university in 1985. He became a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Management Accountant. His talents and expertise led him to financial leadership positions with entities such as Coopers & Lybrand, Hitachi Automotive Products, Studio Plus Hotels, FKI Logistex, and Lexmark International, Inc., among others, before coming to Frontier.

    “Frontier Nursing University is so fortunate to have a fantastic Board of Directors who not only bring a wide range of skills and knowledge to the table but just as importantly believe in our mission,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN. “Elaine Bolle and Michael Steinmetz are perfect examples of this, and we are thrilled to have them join our Board. Their guidance will be integral to the present and future success of Frontier Nursing University.”

  • Student Spotlight: Andrea Nikodim connects with other nurse-midwives through FNU mentoring program

    Student Spotlight: Andrea Nikodim connects with other nurse-midwives through FNU mentoring program

    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.

    Andrea Nikodim BSN, RN

    FNU student Andrea Nikodim BSN, RN, is dedicated to making a profound impact in the healthcare field through her work with underserved patients. Currently pursuing her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Nurse-Midwifery, she is set to graduate in 2025.

    Last October, Nikodim attended the 2023 AABC Birth Institute as part of FNU’s Professional Organizational Mentoring Program (POMP). POMP matches FNU faculty with nurse practitioner and nurse-midwifery students from underrepresented groups to provide support and mentorship. The program allows students to join a professional organization in their field and gives them the opportunity to attend a professional conference with their mentors. Conference registration and professional membership fees are covered for all faculty mentors and student mentees selected.

    Nikodim attended the conference in Tucson, Arizona along with fellow student Cheryl Lynn Barlaan and faculty mentor Dr. Diana Jolles. During the conference, Nikodim had the opportunity to network with nurse-midwives, participate in panel discussions, and enrich her knowledge of midwifery through one-on-one time with Dr. Jolles.

    “I was blown away by the connections with other midwives I met, most of them with the help of Dr. Jolles,” Nikodim said. “Dr. Jolles encouraged me to participate in a panel, made me think about the panels that I attended, and connected me with local midwives. The conference itself provided a wealth of information, but the connections I made was by far my favorite part.”

    Nikodim balances her studies with her role as a medical scribe for a local family practice doctor in Springfield, Missouri, primarily serving a rural population. She has previously served as a labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum nurse in two rural hospitals and as an RN with an independent birth center.

    “In my role, I help ensure that all the patient’s needs are met and make their visit go smoother,” she said. “I work with patients that live in rural areas. I help patients with resources they may otherwise not get access to without a good primary care physician.”

    In addition to her role as a medical scribe, Nikodim is also enlisted in the Missouri Army National Guard as a Combat Medic. Juggling her diverse responsibilities on a daily basis, she emphasizes the exceptional support she receives from FNU’s faculty and staff, particularly her academic advisor, Sarah Juett.

    “When life or school gets overwhelming, the military and school don’t line up well, or I just need to talk about a life circumstance that’s making it hard to focus on school, Sarah has been there from day one to help me along,” she said.

    Nikodim said she has also enjoyed FNU’s emphasis on underserved communities, particularly rural populations.

    “I grew up in rural America and this is the type of setting that I have always thrived in,” she said. “I felt like Frontier would strive to help me be successful in my goal as a rural-practice nurse-midwife.”

    For Nikodim, becoming a nurse-midwife offers a chance to champion advocacy for women.

    “I’ve been involved with situations of obstetrical violence that I was not able to stop as an RN. As a nurse-midwife, I will know how I want to approach my patients and help them be comfortable with advocating for themselves,” she said.

    Outside of her studies, work as a medical scribe and her enlistment in the Missouri Army National Guard, Nikodim enjoys spending time with her husband and three dogs, reading and ice skating.

    Thank you, Andrea, for your military service and your commitment to serving rural populations. To learn more about POMP, click here.

    Learn more about advanced nursing degrees and specialties at Frontier Nursing University. Subscribe to our blog for the latest news and events at FNU and to get inspired with stories featuring our alumni, students, faculty, preceptors and staff!

  • DNP Journey: Dr. Nagavalli Thiruvalluvan uses the power of preventative care to improve community health

    DNP Journey: Dr. Nagavalli Thiruvalluvan uses the power of preventative care to improve community health

    Dr. Nagavalli Thiruvalluvan, DNP (Class 47), APN, NP-C, CRRN

    Frontier Nursing University alumna Dr. Nagavalli Thiruvalluvan, DNP (Class 47), APN, NP-C, CRRN, migrated from India to the United States in 1995, along with her husband and 2-month-old baby. Since then, she has achieved a remarkable nursing career, including the completion of her Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from FNU in 2023.

    Since 2020, Dr. Thiruvalluvan has owned and operated Adult & Geriatric Primary Care in Metuchen, NJ. The suburban borough, located outside of Staten Island, NY, features a diverse population of Caucasian, Asian, African American, and Hispanic residents. She has provided primary care for adult and geriatric patients in the community focusing on individualized care based on cultural values and beliefs.

    Because the opening of her clinic coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Thiruvalluvan initially focused her efforts on going above and beyond in helping patients with COVID-19 testing and treating acute illnesses via telemedicine. She now cares for her patients by providing weight loss management, offering preventative care through education and counseling, and following evidence-based guidelines. She is also passionate about providing medical care to the geriatric population at the clinic, but also in their homes.

    “My goal is to treat patients and address all their needs within the scope of my practice,” said Dr. Thiruvalluvan. “I genuinely see the reward of my work in patient statements and satisfaction.”

    As an entrepreneur and nurse practitioner, Dr. Thiruvalluvan realized that she needed to expand her knowledge to the doctoral level and get involved with advocacy and policy making, as she encountered bias with insurance companies and physician colleagues who failed to acknowledge the full potential of the practitioner role.

    Acting on advice from one of her colleagues, Dr. Thiruvalluvan began her DNP journey at FNU in June of 2022 while continuing to work in her primary care practice. She found the didactic courses to be very helpful as she prepared for her overall DNP project, including PC727: Ethics and Health Policy, where she learned how to identify health-related social issues in the community and dive into the problems.

    “It provided me with the knowledge to approach policymakers to address these kinds of issues and fix them at the community level,” said Dr. Thiruvalluvan.

    For her DNP project, Dr. Thiruvalluvan developed a weight management program for her primary care clinic, where 75% of her patients had a BMI of 27 or above. She set a goal that 90% of her patient population dealing with weight management issues would achieve their desired goal weight through comprehensive lifestyle modifications.

    And then, the pounds started coming off!

    With Dr. Thiruvalluvan’s renewed emphasis on preventative care and weight loss management, her patients were able to manage and control comorbidities as they started losing weight. Patients also experienced improved body image and many of them resolved other health conditions, with several medications being reduced or eliminated.

    “The biggest reward was seeing evident patient outcomes due to treatment,” said Dr. Thiruvalluvan.

    Prior to her DNP journey, Dr. Thiruvalluvan focused on equity when delivering patient care. However, she learned to acknowledge diversity and varied treatment options when delivering individualized care. Her quality improvement (QI) project was especially valuable in not only broadening her knowledge, but also in helping her address weight gain issues and their consequences on her patients at a deeper clinical level.

    Dr. Thiruvalluvan identified her project focus while taking PC739: DNP Clinical Prep 101. In addition to supporting overall project preparation, the course also served as an essential starting point to navigating resources for her topic. She then progressed to the DNP planning section, requiring her to learn Google forms, patient data collection, and how to measure her progress through the course workbook and operation definitions.

    About FNU DNP Projects

    DNP projects are guided by the needs of the clinical site. Projects are small in scope and need to be appropriate for implementation within three months of the student and sponsor deciding on the clinical topic. Students complete planned improvements using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement “Model for Improvement” over an eight-week period. Examples include: improving compliance with childhood vaccination appointments, implementation of a palliative care shared decision making tool, initiating bedside huddles, or utilization of a toolkit related to a nationally endorsed quality measure.

    “The operational definitions in the planning section of the course workbook were difficult to wrap my head around,” Dr. Thiruvalluvan reflected, “but they were very useful and tremendously helpful with patient data collection and generating my statistics.”

    During project planning and implementation, Dr. Thiruvalluvan and her mentor met biweekly so she could provide updates regarding her progress and discuss the need for improvement and changes if needed.

    Through her QI project experience, Dr. Thiruvalluvan was taught to provide the best care available for patients by analyzing evidence through data collection. By learning the importance of practicing scientific, evidence-based care, she was able to improve how she provides safe, effective, and quality care to her patients. The project also pushed her to better advocate for her patients.

    “DNP-prepared nurses can improve healthcare outcomes in this country and lead to saving millions of dollars in healthcare costs,” she said.

    150+ doctorally prepared Certified Nurse-Midwife and Nurse Practitioner faculty.

    DNP Program Overview

    • Complete your coursework online.
    • Complete 30 credit hours in 18 months.
    • In collaboration with your clinical site, lead a rapid cycle quality improvement project (500 clinical hours).
    • One three-day campus immersion experience (orientation before beginning the program).
    • Small cohort of students.

    “I recommend students pursue their DNP through FNU, as it teaches you how to think critically and address healthcare in a broader spectrum,” Dr. Thiruvalluvan continued. “By learning more about your key role as a healthcare provider, you will understand how you can be more influential to patients and the healthcare team.”

    Dr. Thiruvalluvan truly enjoys her days working with patients in the clinic and seeing how their healthcare outcomes improve. Outside of work, she keeps herself updated with medical and political news, and likes cooking, shopping, and spending time with her 2-year old dog, Sony.

    Learn more about advanced nursing degrees and specialties at Frontier Nursing University. Subscribe to our blog for the latest news and events at FNU and to get inspired with stories featuring our alumni, students, faculty, preceptors and staff!

  • FNU Names Dr. Susan Piper as Clinical Director of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program

    FNU Names Dr. Susan Piper as Clinical Director of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program

    Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has announced that Dr. Susan Piper, DNP, APRN, PMHNP- BC, has accepted the position of Clinical Director for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Program. Dr. Piper has been a faculty member at FNU since 2018.

    “We are very happy to announce Dr. Piper as our Clinical Director for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program,” said FNU Dean of Nursing Dr. Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM, FAAN. “Her expertise and leadership will be a tremendous asset to this rapidly growing and essential program.”

    PMHNP program Department Chair Dr. Kevin Scalf, DNP, PMNHP-BC, CNEcl, welcomes Dr. Piper back into the role she previously held before the COVID pandemic when personal demands largely related to her service in the National Guard caused her to step away. Dr. Piper has also served as Regional Clinical Faculty and as a Clinical Bound Team Leader at Frontier.

    “Dr. Piper has performed at the highest levels throughout her career at Frontier,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FAAN, FACNM. “Her knowledge and experience are of great value to our students, who graduate well-prepared to help address the vast need for psychiatric-mental healthcare throughout our country.”

    Dr. Piper received a Master of Science in Nursing from Western Kentucky University in 2010, emphasizing nursing education. In 2016, she received a post-master’s certificate focused on psychiatric-mental health. She was awarded a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Murray State University in 2018. Dr. Piper served 32 years in the Kentucky National Guard and was the Chief Nurse for the Kentucky National Guard’s Mobile Vaccination Team during the COVID pandemic.

    “I am honored to accept the position of Clinical Director for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at Frontier Nursing University,” Dr. Piper said. “Our students are so talented and so eager to learn. Working with them, Dr. Scalf, and everyone at Frontier is a joy. We are devoted to preparing our students to be caring, compassionate, and highly-trained psychiatric-mental healthcare nurse practitioners who positively impact their communities.”

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