Blog

  • FNU’s 2023 Nurse Educator Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Faculty Fellows

    FNU’s 2023 Nurse Educator Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Faculty Fellows

    Diversity Equity and Inclusion Graphic

    In January, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) announced the ten FNU faculty members to participate in the University’s inaugural Nurse Educator Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Fellowship program. Through this initiative, which is fully funded by FNU, the faculty members attend a 12-week DEI training. This program rejects the traditional DEI approach and uses an individualized peer education model to facilitate faculty development of knowledge and skills to engage in anti-racism education. Upon completion of the program, each fellow will then be assigned to coach other members of the FNU faculty for 12 weeks. This was a competitive process, and the application was open to all faculty at FNU.

    We recently interviewed DEI Faculty Fellow Dr. Kevin Scalf to learn more about his experience as a fellow so far and about the process of becoming a fellow.

    “My experience as a DEI Faculty Fellow has been wonderful! I have not only gained essential knowledge of DEI concepts but have also been able to more effectively evaluate my own personal biases and consider the impact of implicit bias on individuals, families, and community,” Scalf said. “I feel so privileged to belong to a group that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. I always look forward to our weekly meetings.”

    The group meets weekly with Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Dr. Paula Alexander-Delpech. During these meetings, the faculty fellows learn about important and relevant DEI topics and concepts and host a discussion with each other.


    DEI Faculty Fellow Dr. Kevin Scalf

    “Even though we sometimes engage in difficult conversations, the sense of support from my colleagues is very strong, one might even say tangible,” Scalf said. “We recognize our diversity, place value on our unique characteristics, and actively work to learn more about the lived experience of other members.”

    In addition to meeting weekly as a group to learn more about essential DEI concepts, they also have had the opportunity to participate in weekly training sessions that increase their ability to hold brave conversations.

    “This is such an important part of our mission,” Scalf said. “Having and encouraging brave conversations is a very empowering experience. In fact, that is an overarching mission of the group; to help empower individuals.”

    The fellows will also have the opportunity to plan and implement a capstone project related to the DEI initiative. This capstone project will allow them to integrate the DEI initiative into regular activity at FNU.

    “Everyone benefits when a community places value on diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Scalf said.

    Program Purpose

    One of the aims of this program is to develop an innovative approach to increase health equity through faculty development strategies. As a university, FNU strives to create an anti-racist culture and environment.

    “Everyone has different lived experiences and offers valuable perspective and insight,” Scalf said. “When we value, appreciate, and celebrate our unique experiences and perspectives, our lives are enriched. There is no limit to what we can do if we work to value, understand, and respect each other. We want to create a culture of respect and belonging here at FNU while preparing the APRN student to go forth and effectively deliver culturally appropriate healthcare.”

    As a national as well as university leader, FNU’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Dr. Paula Alexander-Delpech, Ph.D., PMHNP-BC, APRN, presented “The Development of A Faculty DEI Fellows Program” at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Diversity Leadership Institute last June.

    “This initiative came out of the President’s DEI Task Force,” Alexander-Delpech said. “I am so proud that the university has invested in this important development and training for our faculty, who can then lead and learn from one another.”

    DEI Faculty Fellows Application Process

    As part of the application process, each faculty member was required to submit a letter of support from their respective department chair. Additionally, each applicant had to develop an essay that illustrated why they wanted to become part of this DEI initiative.

    “It’s so important to know our ‘why’. The ‘why’ drives our actions and governs our ambitions. Our ‘why’ reflects our personal mission,” Scalf said. “I want to be a better ally. I acknowledge that I have a lot to learn in this process, but I want to play an active part in creating and fostering our mission of becoming an anti-racist university. I want to help promote equity for all.”

    The 10 2023 Nurse Educator Faculty Fellows are Drs. Tia Andrighetti, Joshua Barnes, Joanne Keefe, Heidi Loomis, Rebecca Lopez, Doreen Thomas-Payne, Audrey Perry, April Phillips, Kevin Scalf, and Erin Tenney.

    FNU will replicate the DEI Faculty Fellow program for the Staff DEI Ambassador Program, which will be open to all staff, including supervisors.

  • Women’s History Month: Celebrating healthcare heroes 

    Women’s History Month: Celebrating healthcare heroes 

    March is Women’s History Month, a time to commemorate and celebrate the vital role of women in American history. To mark the occasion, let’s observe influential women in nursing and midwifery who have made or are continuing to make a lasting impact.

    Beverly Malone (1948 – Present) 

    Dr. Beverly Malone is a distinguished leader in nursing education, administration, policy, and clinical practice. Born in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Dr. Malone serves as CEO of the National League for Nursing. She has made significant contributions to advancing the science of nursing education, promoting collaboration among stakeholders, increasing diversity in nursing and nursing education, and championing evidence-based practice. Dr. Malone’s impressive career includes serving as Federal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health under President Bill Clinton, two terms as president of the American Nurses Association (ANA), and as the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing in the United Kingdom.

    Dr. Malone has received numerous awards and honors, including over 20 honorary doctorates, the Nursing Outlook Excellence in Research Award, and the Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award. She has been named one of the 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives and 70 African American Leaders in Healthcare to Know by Modern Healthcare, and has been recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review and the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses. Dr. Malone has also contributed to policy-making by serving on the Minority Health Federal Advisory Committee and as a reviewer for the Institute of Medicine’s groundbreaking report, “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.”

    Dr. Malone remains committed to promoting nursing education and addressing the shortage of nurses, regularly offering her expertise and testimony to congressional leaders and policymakers. She currently serves as Vice Chair at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Board of Directors, co-leads the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Health Professional Education and Communication Working Group, and is a member of ecoAmerica’s Leadership Circle Executive Committee, among other roles.

    Loretta C. Ford (1920 – Present) 

    An internationally-revered leader in nursing, Dr. Loretta Ford has proven to be an innovator throughout her career as a nurse and educator. Dr. Ford, in collaboration with Dr. Henry Silver at the University of Colorado, founded the first Nurse Practitioner Program in 1965. The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program focused on well-child care in community settings, reflecting Dr. Ford’s expertise in public health and Dr. Silver’s experience as a Professor of Pediatrics. Dr. Ford moved to the University of Rochester in 1972, where she founded the university’s School of Nursing and led a “Unification model in Nursing” at the Medical Center. She believed educators should work at the bedside while teaching and identifying research opportunities. Dr. Ford has authored over 200 publications and presentations on the history of the Nurse Practitioner, Unification of Practice, Education and Research, and Issues in Advanced Nursing Practice and Health Care.

    Dr. Ford’s model of Advanced Nursing Practice has expanded into many fields of nursing, with over 355,000 nurse practitioners licensed in the U.S. in 2022. She has served as a visiting professor and keynote speaker at nursing schools in the U.S. and abroad. Dr. Ford has earned multiple honorary doctorates and awards, including the Gustav O. Lienhard award from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and the Living Legend Award from the American Academy of Nursing. Currently, Dr. Ford consults and lectures on the history of the Nurse Practitioner and issues in Advanced Nursing Practice and Health Care Policy.

    Virginia Sneed Dixon (1919 – 2021)

    Virginia Sneed Dixon was an Indigenous American who displayed heroism in both the military and healthcare field. She was a Cherokee nurse who joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during World War II. Despite facing racial discrimination, she volunteered for overseas duty in both World War II and the Korean conflict. Dixon became the first Cherokee nurse to serve overseas in WWII, where she was assigned to a field hospital on the Burma Road in China. She then volunteered for a dangerous assignment working for the 8063rd Mobile Army Surgical Hospital near Korea’s demilitarized zone, where she provided emergency care for soldiers with brain and spinal cord injuries until they could be transported to a hospital.

    After returning to the U.S., Dixon married in 1953 and raised her children. She later returned to work as a nurse at a rehabilitation center in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Dixon died in 2021 at the North Carolina State Veterans Home in Black Mountain.

    Henrieta Villaescusa (1920 – 2005) 

    Henrieta Villaescusa was a trailblazing Hispanic nurse who was defined as being a “first” in so many important positions. Earning her Bachelor’s degree from Immaculate Heart College and her Master’s degree from UCLA, Villaescusa went on to become the only Hispanic Public Health Supervisor at the time of her employment at the Los Angeles Public Health Department. During her long and varied career, she served as the first Hispanic Health Administrator in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and the first Mexican American Chief Nurse Consultant in the Office of Maternal & Child Health, Bureau of Community Health Services, where she identified needs, trends, and priorities in nursing research and training. She also worked for California congressmen George Miller and Edward Roybal.

    Villaescusa was a social justice advocate, developing health policies on the local, state, national, and international level. She also advocated for the role of nurses in health policies and partnerships. She was associated with many organizations, including the National Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services Organization and the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, where she served as president from 1984 to 1988. Villaescusa died in 2005, leaving behind a legacy of advocacy and innovation.

    Margaret Charles Smith (1906 – 2004)

    Margaret Charles Smith was a midwife who dedicated her life to delivering babies and caring for mothers in rural Alabama. Raised by her grandmother, Margaret Charles, who was a former slave, Smith unexpectedly began her career as a midwife at just five years old when she caught an early arriving baby. Despite completing only the third grade in a one-room rural grammar school, Smith never stopped learning and continued to read and study throughout her life. In 1949, she obtained a permit from the Greene County Public Health Team to practice midwifery, becoming one of the first official midwives in Greene County, Alabama.

    As a Black midwife in rural Alabama during the time of segregation, Smith faced many challenges. She often had to make her way through fields and wade through water to deliver babies, and the mothers she attended were often malnourished and overworked. Despite the difficulties, Smith delivered over 3,500 babies and never lost a mother, losing very few babies. In 1976, Alabama passed a law outlawing midwives, and Smith and about 150 other Black traditional midwives were told they would be jailed if they continued to work as midwives. Despite the law, Smith continued to attend to mothers and babies in need until her retirement.

    Smith’s dedication to midwifery earned her numerous honors and recognition throughout her life. She became the first Black American to be given the keys to Eutaw, Alabama, her hometown, in 1983. In 1996, she co-authored a book with Linda Janet Holmes entitled Listen to Me Good: The Life Story of an Alabama Midwife. She was also the keynote speaker at the New Orleans Rural Health Initiative in 1997, and in 2003, she was honored by the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, D.C. Smith died in 2004 at the age of 98 in Eutaw.

    Estelle Massey Osborne (1901 – 1981) 

    A significant force in the nursing profession in the 20th Century, Estelle Massey Osborne broke down racial barriers throughout her successful career. Born in the small town of Palestine, Texas, Osborne became the first Black nurse to receive a Master’s Degree when she graduated from Columbia University in 1931. While studying, Osborne taught at two nursing schools, including as the first Black instructor at the Harlem Hospital School of Nursing. She later served as the first Black superintendent of nurses at Homer G. Phillips Hospital in St. Louis, which was the largest exclusively Black, city-operated general hospital in the world.

    During World War II, Osborne served as a consultant to the Coordinating Committee on Negro Nursing for the National Council for War Service. Through this role, she was influential in expanding the number of nursing schools that accepted Black students and convincing the U.S. Navy to lift its color ban in 1945. After the war, Osborne served in several national leadership capacities, including the ANA Board of Directors, the National League for Nursing, the National Council of Negro Women, the National Urban League and more. Osborne died in 1980 at the age of 80.

    Mary Eliza Mahoney (1845 – 1926)

    Noted for being the first Black licensed nurse, Mary Eliza Mahoney was not only a healthcare professional but also a champion for women’s rights and racial equality. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Mahoney was raised in a family that emphasized education, and she attended the Phillips School, one of the first integrated schools in the country. After completing her education, Mahoney began working with New England Hospital for Women and Children, which was notable for having an all-women staff of physicians. She took on a variety of roles at the hospital, including janitor, cook, washer women and nurse’s aid. In 1878, Mahoney was accepted into the hospital’s nursing program, and she graduated one year later.

    After graduation, Mahoney worked for several years as a private-duty nurse before serving as the director of the Howard Colored Orphanage Asylum in Kings Park, Long Island in New York City in 1911. She co-founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses in 1908 and served as the national chaplain of the organization. After retirement, Mahoney continued to be a champion for women’s rights and racial equality, and was among the first women who registered to vote in Boston after the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920. Mahoney died in 1926 at the age of 80. 


    Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) on engraving from 1873. Celebrated English social reformer, statistician and founder of modern nursing. Engraved by unknown artist and published in “Portrait Gallery of Eminent Men and Women with Biographies”, USA,1873.

    Florence Nightingale (1820 – 1910)

    Considered the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale’s work in nursing, statistics and social reform have had a profound impact on healthcare over a century after her death. Born into an affluent British family, Nightingale’s early work in philanthropy inspired her to take on a career in nursing. Despite her parents’ expectations that she would marry and lead a conventional life in Victorian England, Nightingale was determined to become a nurse and devote her life to serving others. She received training as a nurse in Germany and later worked in hospitals in London, where she quickly gained a reputation as an expert in her field.

    Nightingale came to prominence during the Crimean War, during which she was tasked with leading a corps of nurses to tend to the sick and fallen soldiers at a British base hospital in Constantinople. Nightingale immediately set to work, organizing the hospitals, training the staff, and implementing sanitary measures. Her efforts resulted in a significant decrease in the mortality rate among wounded soldiers, and she became known as the “Lady with the Lamp” for her nightly rounds to check on patients. Nightingale’s work in the Crimea transformed the way nursing was perceived and taught, and she became a prominent advocate for healthcare reform.

    In 1860, Nightingale funded the establishment of St. Thomas’ Hospital, and within it, the Nightingale Training School for Nurses. By the time she was 38, Nightingale was permanently bedridden due to an illness she contracted in Crimea. Despite this, she remained an authority and advocate of health care reform and in 1859, she published Notes on Hospitals, which focused on proper protocols for operating civilian hospitals. Nightingale died in her London home in 1910 at the age of 90. 

    Mary Seacole (1805 – 1881) 

    A Jamaican nurse and businesswoman, Mary Seacole is remembered as a pioneering figure in healthcare and as a celebrated adventurer. Born in 1805 in Kingston, Jamaica, Seacole learned about herbal medicine and nursing from her mother, who was a user of traditional herbal remedies. She later set up a boarding house in Panama, where she provided care to travelers who were sick or injured, including those who suffered from a massive cholera outbreak.

    When the Crimean War broke out in 1854, Seacole traveled to England with the aim of volunteering as a nurse, but was rejected by officials. Undeterred, Seacole decided to fund her own trip to the Crimea, where she established the British Hotel, which served as an all-in-one store and restaurant for officers and canteen for soldiers. After hostilities ceased, Seacole visited the battlefield to help wounded soldiers and in some cases, comfort the dying.

    At the end of the war, Seacole moved to England and wrote the highly-successful Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands, which was one of the first travel memoirs ever published by a Black woman.

    Seacole died in London in 1881 at the age of 76. Her work earned her the respect and admiration of many soldiers and officers, and her memory has been honored through many posthumous awards and dedications both in Jamaica and the United Kingdom.

    ___________________________________________________

    Both midwifery and nursing are professions in which women have been at the forefront, including many women who are associated with the history of FNU. Meet some of FNU’s female leaders in the blogs below.

    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 and staff!

  • Alumni Spotlight: April Clyde opens Nevada’s first freestanding birth center

    Alumni Spotlight: April Clyde opens Nevada’s first freestanding birth center

    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.

    Since 2002, FNU graduate April Clyde, CNM has dreamed of opening a birth center in her community of Las Vegas, Nevada. After years of gaining experience, pursuing higher education and advocating for new legislation in Nevada to accommodate midwives, her dream finally came true nearly 10 years later.

    In 2021, Clyde opened Serenity Birth Center, which is Nevada’s first and only freestanding birth center. Clyde said that Serenity Birth Center upholds a woman’s autonomy in making informed choices about her healthcare and her baby’s healthcare, in alignment with her personal values and beliefs. The center also extends an invitation to the woman’s self-defined family to participate in the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum phases.

    “Birth centers are an integrated part of the healthcare system and are guided by principles of prevention, sensitivity, safety, appropriate medical intervention and cost-effectiveness,” Clyde said.

    Inspired to Open a Birth Center During Frontier Bound

    Clyde’s journey began in 2000 when she began working as a labor and delivery nurse after earning her Bachelors in Nursing from the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

    “I loved the work.” she said. “At the same time, I also craved more autonomy and to be involved from the beginning of pregnancy.”

    Clyde enrolled at FNU to earn her Nurse-Midwifery Post-Graduate Certificate. She was initially inspired to open a birth center while at Frontier Bound in 2002, where she met the late Kitty Ernst, a leader in the nurse-midwifery movement in the U.S.

    “I told her how much our community needed a birth center,” Clyde said. “She took both my hands in hers and looked directly into my eyes and said, ‘then you will need to open one.’ If Kitty thought that I should and that I could open a birth center, then I better get to work!”

    Clyde graduated from FNU in 2004 as a member of CNEP Class 36. She said the university was an ideal choice for obtaining her post-graduate certificate.

    “Frontier has such a rich history,” she said. “I also needed a distance education program as leaving my community wasn’t an option. Frontier was a perfect match.”

    That same year, Clyde began working as a CNM with a group hospital practice. She was the only CNM at the hospital, which she said gave her the opportunity to exemplify the midwifery model of care. In 2006, she began providing care for home births to families who had previously given birth with her in the hospital. The next year, she began serving as a preceptor for FNU and currently employs two FNU alumni that she precepted.

    Advocating for Nurse-Midwives in Nevada

    Clyde opened her own birth practice, Baby’s 1st Day, in 2008. During this time, APRNs initiated efforts to alter the laws in Nevada to permit them to practice at the full extent of their education and without mandatory supervision from a physician. This endeavor proved successful in 2012. Subsequently, Clyde collaborated with fellow FNU graduate Melinda Hoskins to bring about modifications to the birth center laws in Nevada, allowing midwives to establish and manage them. The legislation was passed in 2018, and the following year, they commenced the construction of Serenity Birth Center.

    Since opening, Serenity Birth Center has offered pre-conception, pregnancy care, and labor and delivery/postpartum care, along with women’s care services.

    “We offer another choice in childbirth for Las Vegas,” Clyde said.

    To this day, Clyde said she continues to stay in contact with many of her former classmates at FNU.

    “Midwives are a generous bunch,” she said. “I have had lots of help from other CNEP grads.”

    In her free time, Clyde enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, practicing yoga and traveling.

    Thank you, April, for your demonstration of the distinctive expertise and enthusiasm possessed by FNU graduates through the care you provide for Nevada families.

    Read more in Why Should I Become a Nurse Midwife?

    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 and staff!

  • Student Spotlight: Mara-Joanne Derinor aims to improve clinical education with DNP

    Student Spotlight: Mara-Joanne Derinor aims to improve clinical education with DNP

    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.

    The schedule of a healthcare professional can be challenging to navigate. Yet, Mara-Joanne Derinor manages to work as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) while pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), authoring books and more.

    Derinor, a resident of Kissimmee, Florida, completed her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in the PMHNP FNU program last year and is a member of DNP Class 48, on track to earn her Doctor of Nursing Practice this year.

    Through her work as a PMHNP, Derinor evaluates and assesses patients for mental health conditions, prescribes medications, provides education about mental health, and provides therapy and counseling. She works with an underserved population, and many of her patients do not speak English or are bilingual.

    “I provide culturally competent care for my community,” she said.

    Pursuing a DNP at FNU

    Derinor was motivated to pursue her DNP in an effort to improve clinical education. She feels that too often nursing students are not given adequate encouragement in their education.

    “I want to be the change that I want to see,” she said. “I remember when my very own nursing professor told me I would not pass my NCLEX. That was very discouraging. I passed my NCLEX on the first try. I want to encourage and motivate future clinical students. I also want to make new discoveries in clinical research.”

    Derinor is working on her DNP Quality Initiative which is focused on improving clinical workflow and patient satisfaction.

    “I hope to improve quality care and patient satisfaction,” Derinor said.

    So far, Derinor said her favorite course in the online DNP program has been the Nurse as Educator course (PC711).

    “This is the most interesting course because it was informative and provided opportunities for students to improve their skills as a nurse educator,” she said. “My professor was very supportive of me as a learner. This class allowed me to be creative and explore ways to improve my skills as a nurse educator.”

    Derinor said she initially decided to study at FNU after researching universities and online programs. She was impressed by FNU’s reputation. Since then, she said she has enjoyed a welcoming and engaging experience fostered by FNU faculty and peers.

    “One of the best decisions ever,” she said.

    Outside of her work and studies, Derinor is an author, motivational speaker, dancer, and director.

    She has published four books, including three children’s books and one book of poetry, and has participated in poetry competitions nationwide. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and going to the beach.

     

    “I started a book reading program in 2020 where I partner with schools, after school programs, and summer programs to read to the children and educate the children about mental health and the writing process,” said Derinor.

    Thank you, Mara-Joanne, for choosing FNU in your path to improve clinical education and provide mental health care for underserved populations.

    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 and staff!

  • Staff Spotlight: Circle of Caring recipient Sharon Tankersley

    Staff Spotlight: Circle of Caring recipient Sharon Tankersley

    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.

    Through her role as Student Services Coordinator at Frontier Nursing University, Sharon Tankersley has demonstrated a commitment to the success of students at the university. Because of her deep commitment to students, Tankersley was a recent recipient of FNU’s Circle of Caring Award.

    A resident of Versailles, Kentucky, Tankersley has worked at FNU for approximately five years. In her role, she helps onboard incoming students, provides staff support to the FNU Student Council, and coordinates annual commencement ceremonies.

    “It’s very rewarding to welcome new students, ensure they feel supported, and assist as they find their way to resources that support academic goals,” she said. “Secondary to that, I enjoy those spots where my work intersects that of fellow employees, and finding ways to lighten their load when I can.”

    Helping the Helpers

    Before joining the FNU staff, Tankersley worked as a certified prevention specialist with 15 years of experience in youth and family mental health promotion. After working on the front lines in a helping profession, Tankersley said she often witnessed the impact of poor health and lifestyle choices, which began to take a toll on her.

    “I had said goodbye to far too many clients to addiction,” she said. “I was burned out and needed some margin in my life.”

    However, Tankersley said she didn’t want to leave the healthcare profession entirely and wanted to continue the work of fostering healthier communities.

    “I sought a role where I could ‘help the helpers’ and serve in a supportive, behind-the-scenes way,” she said.

    An Inclusive Environment

    Through her work with FNU, Tankersley said answering the call for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is essential. This emphasis is inspired by her own personal experiences as a member of a mixed-race family, as someone who grew up traveling often due to her family’s military status, and as someone who deals with a chronic illness that impacts movement, sensory processing, hearing and vision.

    “We have much work to do to make our communities equally supportive of all types of individuals,” she said. “I’m thankful to be with an institution that seeks to grow more and more inclusive.”

    In addition to FNU’s emphasis on DEI, Tankersley said she also is proud of the university’s Culture of Caring.

    “We truly strive to use it as a guiding compass for how we treat everyone, how we make decisions, how we change and grow in response to the needs of our students,” she said. “I hope that in my small way each day I model the Culture of Caring.”

    Outside of her work with FNU, Tankersley enjoys creative writing and traveling. She has been married to her college sweetheart for 32 years and is a devout Christian.

    Thank you, Sharon, for your unwavering dedication to the students at FNU and your embodiment of the Culture of Caring in your daily work.

    FNU is recognized as a Great College to Work For and a 2022 Honor Roll Institution. Learn more about career opportunities at Frontier Nursing University.

  • Student Spotlight: Advocacy is essential to nurse-midwifery for FNU student Chantel Haynes

    Student Spotlight: Advocacy is essential to nurse-midwifery for FNU student Chantel Haynes

    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.

    For Frontier Nursing University (FNU) student Chantel Haynes, advocacy has always been a critical part of her journey and career in healthcare. A resident of Sedalia, Missouri, Haynes has been a staunch advocate for informed choice and autonomy among birthing people, Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC), and for acceptable working conditions among nurses and healthcare providers.

    “I have found that advocacy is an essential part of birth work and nursing care,” she said.

    Haynes is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Nursing in Nurse-Midwifery and is on track to graduate in 2024. She also works as a PRN nurse with a freestanding birth center in Kansas and a substance abuse clinic in Missouri. Throughout her career in nursing, Haynes has worked as a doula, LDRPN nurse and birth center nurse.

    Advocating for Nurses and Better Care

    Before becoming a PRN nurse, Haynes served as an acute bedside nurse in a hospital setting for 12 years. After she left this position in March 2022, she heightened her advocacy work for better acute care through safe staffing ratios, safe work environments, and adequate pay for hospital-based and long-term care nurses. She was one the speakers at the Missouri Chapter of the National Nurse March in May 2022. She also advocates through social media, letters to newspapers, and by engaging with government representatives.

    “Short staffing has created a dangerous patient care environment,” she said. “This is leading to increased provider workload and stress, which is leading to a lack of access to healthcare, especially for the underserved.”

    Haynes also expresses concern for dangerous practice environments for nurses and providers.

    “Nurses are being subjected to high patient ratios, unsafe patient care environments, and increased abuse from patients and family members,” she said. “The number of assaults on hospital staff has risen drastically with the degrading environment. Currently, I advocate for change by using my voice and resources to call attention to these horrendous conditions and support others who don’t feel like they have a voice.”

    Haynes said she has wanted to earn her MSN in Nurse-Midwifery since becoming a doula in 2001. She decided to pursue her dream through FNU after discussing the program with a co-worker who earned her MSN at FNU.

    A Year of Challenges

    Haynes’ path to earning her degree has not been without challenges. In August 2021, she experienced severe complications from COVID-19. She was hospitalized for four days and was on oxygen for a total of four weeks. In November of that year, she tore her ACL and gastrocnemius muscle due to decompensation from the virus. These complications set her back two terms from her initial Clinical Bound date.

    Amid these struggles, Haynes said staff at FNU have helped her navigate these obstacles in her course work every step of the way.

    “My RCF and advisors have been available when I need them, and we have been able to find solutions,” she said. “2021 was a year of frustration between being a bedside nurse caring for COVID patients to becoming one myself. I have found patience at Frontier.”

    Haynes is a wife of 30 years, mother of four adult children and has two grandchildren. Outside of her work, studies, and advocacy, she enjoys tending to her garden, taking care of her backyard flock of chickens and ducks, crafting, crocheting, participating in church activities and volunteering in her community.

    Thank you, Chantel, for choosing FNU in your path toward earning your MSN in Nurse-Midwifery and for your devotion to healthcare advocacy.

    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 and staff!

  • Frontier Nursing University Announces Annual Service Awards

    Frontier Nursing University Announces Annual Service Awards

    Frontier Nursing University (FNU) announced its annual award recipients for 2023. These awards are presented to FNU alumni who have gone on to make significant contributions to their communities or to the university. The awards will be presented at a ceremony during FNU’s Homecoming event on March 25, 2023, and we invite you to join us at the event to celebrate the honorees.

    “So many of our alumni have gone on to do amazing things in communities all across the country and even the world,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FAAN, FACNM. “I am so proud of the way they represent and support Frontier Nursing University. Their dedication, commitment, and generosity are truly inspiring. I look forward to celebrating and congratulating each of this year’s very deserving award recipients.”

    Distinguished Service to Society Award

    The Distinguished Service to Society award recognizes an alumnus who goes above and beyond to provide exceptional service in his or her community. The 2023 recipient of this award is Lisa Uncles, MSN, CNM (Class 33). Uncles attended the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, where she earned her MSN, before attending FNU. Uncles is the Lead Nurse-midwife at MedStar Franklin Square Women’s Health Center in her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. Lisa worked for Metropolitan OB/GYN as a nurse-midwife at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. Previously, she served as the clinical director in Washington, D.C., at the Family Health and Birth Center, part of the Developing Families Center, which collaborates with local nonprofit organizations to provide quality care and social services to low-income families. There, she provided care to a population suffering from some of the highest infant mortality rates in the U.S. Under her direction, the birth center’s patients had fewer low birth weights, cesarean sections, and premature births than the city’s overall Black population. Uncles was featured in Making Mothers, a short documentary capturing the lives of two caregivers at the Center. She was also quoted in The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, published in 2011 by the Institute of Medicine, Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing, at the Institute of Medicine: “A lot of our moms in the neighborhood don’t have much control over their lives,” she said, referring to maternal care. “This is something they have control over.” Throughout her career, Uncles’ top priority has always been her patients and providing them with access to the care they need and deserve. In an online review, one patient said of her visit with Uncles: “What a wonderful experience. Excellent bedside manner! She took her time, and talked me through everything, so I knew what was coming and felt very relaxed and at ease.”

    Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award

    The Distinguished Service to Alma Mater honors an alumnus who has continued to provide support to Frontier through volunteer efforts and/or philanthropy. The 2023 recipient is Dr. Mary Hunt, DNP (Class 06), CNM (Class 32), ENP-BC, FNP-BC (Class 56), PMHNP-BC. Hunt, who is an assistant professor at FNU, is a three-time graduate of the university and is an emergency department nurse practitioner at Genesis Healthcare System in Zanesville, Ohio. She obtained her MSN from Case Western Reserve University in 2005. She went on to obtain her FNP in 2009 and DNP in 2012, both from Frontier. In 2011, she began teaching at Frontier and has served as Regional Clinical Faculty, Course Faculty, and Clinical Bound team leader. She has also taught at Shawnee State University, Ohio University-Chillicothe, Belmont Technical College, and Ohio University-Zanesville. Hunt, who is a generous longtime donor to the university, also supports FNU students by graciously giving her time and expertise as an instructor at FNU. As a member and past chair of FNU’s scholarship committee, Hunt participates in essay reviews in order to match students with various scholarships at the university. She has also served on the leadership board, including stints as president and treasurer, for Chi Pi, FNU’s Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society, since the chapter was established in 2015. As a Chi Pi board member, she helps select student members to receive scholarships; helps decide on the donation of funds to the university for use on items needed for student use while on campus; and allocates payment for speakers enabling all members to have access to continuing education.Hunt also shared her experiences and extensive knowledge as a featured guest on the FNU All-Access Podcast episode titled “What the Heck is an RCF?”. Hunt’s devotion to Frontier Nursing University, her passion for teaching, and her commitment to giving back are matched only, perhaps, by her boundless energy. Avid about health and fitness, she has completed several triathlons and long-distance bike rides, including the Dick Allen Lansing to MACkinaw (DALMAC) Bicycle Tour and the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI).

    Unbridled Spirit Award

    The Unbridled Spirit Award is given annually to a former Courier who is dedicated to serving others; has ongoing, longstanding stewardship of Frontier; and has demonstrated conviction, courage, and a zest for adventure. FNU The Courier Program is an eight-week rural and public health summer service-learning program for college students with an interest in public health, healthcare, or a related field.

    The 2023 recipient of the Unbridled Spirit Award is Rev. Wendy (Neel) Ellsworth. Ellsworth, who studied at the University of Colorado, was a Frontier Courier in 1967. She was ordained as an Interfaith Minister in 2002 after attending the Pebble Hill School of Sacred Ministries in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Ellsworth, who resides in the mountainous region of western North Carolina, co-created a Circle of Welcome in January 2022. This community-based initiative assists in aiding Afghan refugees who are coming into the U.S. In 2003, Wendy received a Fellowship from the PA Council on the Arts and traveled to Kenya to research the beadwork of the Maasai and Samburu tribes. She has returned nine more times over the past 20 years to work with tribal women who bead and has sponsored the education of more than a dozen girls from primary school through university. In 2021, she joined Morning Star Rotary Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and helped acquire an $85,000 Global Grant through Rotary International for Maternal and Child Healthcare which will be used to improve an existing rural clinic in the Turkana community of Manyatta Zebra in Northern Kenya.Ellsworth also started the Hands & Heart Doll Project, whose purpose is “to give refugee children hand-made dolls to show them that compassionate people care about them and that they are not alone in the world.” Ellsworth is also a nationally and internationally recognized seed bead artist and has won numerous awards for her work. Wendy attributes her interest in maternal and child health care directly to her experience as a Courier at FNS. She and her siblings have funded the Mary W. Neel Scholarship at FNU in memory of their mother, Mary (Wilson) Neel, who was a lifelong supporter of Frontier and was a Courier in the 1930s.

    Lifetime Service Award

    The Lifetime Service Award recognizes an individual or organization providing long-standing support and commitment to the mission and work of Frontier Nursing Service and Frontier Nursing University. The 2023 recipient is FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FAAN, FACNM. Dr. Stone has served as the president of FNU since 2001. Whether as a practitioner, instructor, university president, presenter, or organizational leader, Dr. Stone’s professional career has been consistently directed toward supporting advanced practice nurses through advocacy, education, and innovation. As a nurse-midwife herself, she has had a special focus on advancing the midwifery profession.

    Dr. Stone earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from SUNY College of Technology. That launched her career, which included serving as an obstetrical supervisor at Little Falls Hospital in Little Falls, N.Y., and as the program director of the prenatal care assistance program at Bassett HealthCare in Cooperstown, N.Y. After completing her midwifery certification, she practiced as a full-scope midwife at Bassett Healthcare for nearly a decade. She earned a Master’s in Nursing Administration from SUNY College of Technology, followed by a Post-Master’s Certificate in Nurse-Midwifery from Frontier Nursing University and a Doctor of Nursing Science from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

    While practicing as a certified nurse-midwife at Bassett HealthCare, Dr. Stone continued her affiliation with Frontier, serving as course faculty; regional clinical coordinator; assistant clinical director; program director of the community-based nurse-midwifery education program; and dean. In 2001, Dr. Stone became president of FNU, serving as both the president and dean before relinquishing the dean duties in 2014 to focus solely on her role as president and as a leader throughout the healthcare community.

    Dr. Stone is a past president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) from 2019-2020, where her agenda included increasing the midwifery workforce through educational quality and capacity strategies, midwifery advocacy focusing on the maternal mortality and morbidity crisis, and growing diversity in the healthcare workforce. She was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine Class of 2018 as one of only two nurses in her class. She is a Fellow at both ACNM and the American Academy of Nursing. She was the recipient of ACNM’s Kitty Ernst Award in 1999, which recognizes “innovative, creative endeavors in midwifery practice and women’s health care.” Other honors include the 2011 American Public Health Association’s prestigious Felicia Stewart Advocacy Award, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment to advocacy on behalf of reproductive health and rights.

    Dr. Stone has made it central to FNU’s mission to diversify the student body. Throughout FNU’s growth and innovation, Dr. Stone has kept the university on a path of commitment to the mission of educating advanced practice nurses and midwives to serve in rural and underserved areas. The model of distance education allows these nurses to learn while continuing to practice in the areas where they live. The ultimate goal is to expand and diversify the primary care workforce, thus helping to fill in the gaps in accessible healthcare prevalent in so many rural and underserved populations. Her devotion to this goal and her leadership at FNU has resulted in the tremendous growth of the university from 200 students in 2001 to an enrollment of 2,500 today. Today, more than 8,700 FNU graduates practice in every state in the U.S. as well as several foreign countries.

    In February, Dr. Stone announced that she will transition into a new role as the university’s appointed Distinguished Chair of Midwifery. Dr. Stone’s transition into this role will tentatively occur at the end of 2023, pending the identification of her successor.

    Homecoming 2023

    All FNU alumni are invited and encouraged to attend Homecoming 2023, which will be held on the beautiful Versailles campus for the first time. In addition to the awards banquet, the event will include a number of special events and activities, including a CE “Identification and Treatment of Mood Disorders,” campus tours, and more. All the details, including the full itinerary, lodging information, and the link to register, can be found at frontier.edu/Homecoming. Please register before the March 17th deadline.

  • Student Spotlight: In honor of her children, Cortni McCall pursues MSN to help others 

    Student Spotlight: In honor of her children, Cortni McCall pursues MSN to help others 

    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.

    For Cortni McCall of Atwood, Tennessee, her decision to pursue a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner was inspired by the situations that she had endured personally. McCall lost her ex-husband, a military veteran who dealt with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

    “My children and I lost so much, and due to the lack of professionals in my area of residence, I feel like this is needed and needs to be openly welcomed for those who desire to express concerns at their homes and in their lives, as well as treatment for those that are mentally ill and seeking help,” McCall said.

    In her pursuit to earn her MSN, McCall is drawing upon her experience as a registered nurse. She currently serves as a public health nurse in a local Community Health Center, where she has worked for over three years. She has prior experience working at various rehabilitation facilities.

    In her current role, McCall works to ensure STI prevention, family planning, immunizations, and well child visits for children are available to the community, regardless of medical insurance status.

    “I serve the rural population: mostly adults and child immigrants and those who do not have insurance or any means of income,” she said.

    Set to graduate in 2024, McCall said she chose to pursue FNU due to its reputation, which she described as “remarkable.”

    “FNU has endless resources, and those resources reach out to you,” she said.

    Outside of her career and studies, McCall enjoys spending time with her two children and her labradoodle, and stays busy taking her children to soccer, volleyball, and dance events.

    Thank you, Cortni, for choosing FNU in your path to becoming a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and for caring for underserved patients in your community.

Request Information Apply Give Now