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  • 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.

  • Student Spotlight: Dr. Torica Fuller expands practice with Women’s Health Care NP Post-Graduate Certificate

    Student Spotlight: Dr. Torica Fuller expands practice with Women’s Health Care NP Post-Graduate Certificate

    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.

    Though she has a well-established career in nursing with an extensive educational background and several formal recognitions for her work, Dr. Torica Fuller, DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, FNP-BC, CDP, CGRN, CPN, NRCME, of Raeford, North Carolina, is consistently looking for ways to gain more knowledge in order to better serve her patients. That’s why she is currently pursuing her Post-Graduate Certificate in Women’s Health Care from Frontier Nursing University (FNU).

    Dr. Fuller works as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) with the Cumberland County Department of Public Health in Fayetteville, North Carolina, serves as a clinical assistant professor with East Carolina University and as an adjunct professor with Fayetteville State University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from East Carolina University; her Master’s and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) certification from Indiana Wesleyan University and her DNP from East Carolina University.

    Serving uninsured and underinsured pediatric and adult patients, Dr. Fuller has worked as an FNP in public health for the past seven years. As an advanced provider, she diagnoses and treats communicable diseases in the community with the goal to eradicate the disease as well as improve patient outcomes.

    “We are the access to care for those who otherwise would not be able to receive healthcare due to cost or other social determinants of health,” she said.

    Recently, Dr. Fuller helped to change the title of all North Carolina-based Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse-Midwives, and Physician Assistants who work in public health. The title was changed from Physician Extender to Advanced Practice Provider (APP) for the entire state of North Carolina.

    Dr. Fuller was also named the founder and co-chair of the APP section of the North Carolina Public Health Association, and was recently named Ms. Norwayne Alumni 2022.

    A Focus on Women’s Health

    Set to earn her Post-Graduate Certificate in 2023, Dr. Fuller said her decision to further her education was influenced by her passion for women’s health.

    “I have worked in women’s health for the past seven years and enjoy working in this speciality,” she said. “The FNP degree provided little studies regarding this topic, and I wanted to gain more knowledge in women’s health to better care for my patients.”

    So far, Dr. Fuller said the most interesting course she has taken at FNU is Care in Normal Pregnancy.

    “I was able to learn a lot and at the end of the course, I felt comfortable caring for a pregnant patient,” she said.

    “Everyone is very supportive at FNU and every person that I have been in contact with has made me feel that they all want me to achieve my goal of becoming a Women’s Health Care NP.”
    – Dr. Torica Fuller, DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, FNP-BC, CDP, CGRN, CPN, NRCME, FNU Student

    Dr. Fuller recently started her clinical practicum, with one of the sites being a busy private OB-GYN that typically sees over 60 patients a day.

    “I am able to obtain a lot of experience there with my preceptor,” she said.

    Dr. Fuller said she chose FNU due to the flexibility and support afforded to students.

    “I chose Frontier because of its focus on graduate nursing and the ability to obtain a Post-Graduate Certificate online. Also, I was intrigued with taking didactic courses and then focusing on the clinical courses,” she said. “Everyone is very supportive at FNU and every person that I have been in contact with has made me feel that they all want me to achieve my goal of becoming a Women’s Health Care NP.”

    Outside of her work and studies, Dr. Fuller enjoys spending time with her husband, traveling and running half-marathons.

    Thank you, Torica, for choosing FNU in your path to becoming a Women’s Health Care NP and for dedicating yourself to underserved patients in your community. We are excited to add Dr. Fuller to FNU’s faculty this April as the Clinical Transitions Coordinator for our FNP program.

  • FNU President Dr. Susan Stone to Transition to Distinguished Chair of Midwifery and Nursing

    FNU President Dr. Susan Stone to Transition to Distinguished Chair of Midwifery and Nursing

    Frontier Nursing University (FNU) announced that university President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, will transition into a new role as the university’s appointed Distinguished Chair of Midwifery and Nursing. Dr. Stone’s transition into this role will tentatively occur at the end of 2023, pending the identification of her successor. 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 and nurse-midwives through advocacy, education, and innovation. As a nurse-midwife herself, she has had a special focus on advancing the midwifery profession.

    “FNU has been profoundly fortunate to have had the expert leadership and progressive vision of Dr. Stone during her long tenure,” said FNU Board Chairperson Michael Carter.  “Her wise counsel and steady leadership of FNU has resulted in our many outstanding achievements and positions us well for the future. The Board of Directors is very pleased to have her continued service to the university as she assumes the Distinguished Chair of Midwifery and Nursing.”

    Dr. Stone succeeds past Distinguished Chair of Midwifery Dr. Eunice (Kitty) Ernst, who passed away in December 2021. Appointed by the FNU Board of Directors, the purpose of this Chair is to promote midwifery both nationally and internationally. FNU is conducting a national search to identify Dr. Stone’s successor as the university President. The search is being led by Dr. Kerri Schuiling, Ph.D., CNM, FACNM, FAAN, in collaboration with a recruiting firm.

    “Since assuming the presidency in 2001, Susan Stone has worked tirelessly to achieve the vision of Frontier Nursing University as the premier online educational institution for advanced practice nursing,” said Dr. Schuiling, who is a member of the FNU Board of Directors. “Dr. Stone is a dedicated advocate for access; access to education for nurses who want to become advanced practice nurses and nurse-midwives and access to quality healthcare for all. Over her tenure these last two decades, she has been nationally recognized for exponentially increasing the number of nurse-midwives and other advanced practice professionals practicing in areas of highest need. FNU is fortunate that Dr. Stone has created a firm foundation upon which her successor can continue to build upon her legacy.”

    Dr. Stone was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine Class of 2018 and is past president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) from 2019-2020. 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.

    “Susan Stone has left a legacy of growth and transformation at Frontier,” said FNU Dean of Nursing Dr. Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM, FAAN. “She has demonstrated vision and leadership that have resulted in the exponential expansion of our programs while remaining staunchly true to our mission. I’m very pleased she will continue to serve FNU as the Distinguished Chair of Midwifery and Nursing, where her primary focus will be to facilitate endeavors that support the education of midwives and the practice of midwifery.”

    Throughout FNU’s growth and innovation, Dr. Stone has kept the university focused on its mission of educating advanced practice nurses and midwives to serve in rural and underserved areas. 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.

    Those wishing to pay tribute to Dr. Stone’s commitment to FNU and nursing are encouraged to donate in her honor to the Stone Family Scholarship or the Susan Stone Chair at frontier.edu/give. 

  • Featured Preceptor: Freda Hubbard goes above and beyond for students

    Featured Preceptor: Freda Hubbard goes above and beyond for students

    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 healthcare to underserved and rural populations.

    Throughout her time working as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Freda Hubbard of Bowling Green, Kentucky, has not only served countless patients, but she has also passed on her knowledge and passion to aspiring FNPs. Hubbard serves as a preceptor for students at Greenview Medical Group The Allen Clinic in Bowling Green, where she has worked for 11 years.

    “I wanted to give back to my profession,” Hubbard said. “And, by working with students, I can be a part of their growth.”

    Throughout her tenure as a preceptor, Hubbard has mentored two FNU students, including current student Amanda Moore. According to Moore, Hubbard consistently goes above and beyond in ensuring students have access to all necessary information, including options for licensing exams, the scope of practice in their area, and professional organizations that can benefit their careers.

    Moore said Hubbard consistently ensures she is exposed to a variety of complaints when working with patients, and that when she is developing a plan of care for patients, Hubbard clearly discusses her rationale and approach to care.

    “When working with Freda as a student, I can simply see her passion for continuing education,” Moore said. “She loves to teach students and pass her wealth of knowledge and skills onto future generations of nurse practitioners. It has been such a blessing to have this opportunity.”

    At Greenview Medical Group The Allen Clinic, Hubbard serves pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients. She specializes in patient education, preventative care, wellness care, and chronic illness management.

    In addition to her work as an FNP and preceptor, Hubbard also is heavily active in her community. She has given presentations on diabetes and metabolic syndrome and has conducted research on subjects such as childhood obesity and metabolic syndrome. She has written many health and wellness articles for local outlets, detailing the importance of colon cancer screenings and safety while exercising or playing sports. In 1995, Hubbard was selected as the Warren County Nurse of the Year.

    Moore said Hubbard has not only made the transition from didactic to clinical learning as smooth as possible, but she has also served as a source of inspiration.

    “I know that I will be a much better FNP due to her diligence and guidance throughout this learning process,” Moore said. “I can only hope to one day be a preceptor like Freda. She is truly a blessing to future nurses and nurse practitioners alike.”

    For Hubbard, her motivation to serve as a preceptor comes from the satisfaction of seeing students grasp new concepts and the excitement it brings them.

    “I enjoy working with the students and seeing them learn and grow in their profession,” she said. “It’s very rewarding to see them put together their classroom work with hands-on practice.”

    Thank you, Freda, for the passion and knowledge you pass on through your work as an FNP preceptor, and for exemplifying FNU’s Culture of Caring.

    Click here to read more Featured Preceptor stories and find information on nominating a Featured Preceptor. Those interested in becoming a Frontier Preceptor can 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 and staff!

  • Meet the Program Director: Dr. Khara’ Jefferson, DNP Program Director

    Meet the Program Director: Dr. Khara’ Jefferson, DNP Program Director

    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 healthcare to underserved and rural populations.

    Throughout her time working with FNU, Khara’ Jefferson, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CHC has been a champion for higher education among nurses. As Director of the university’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, she provides essential support to students in the program.

    Dr. Jefferson knows first-hand the benefits that come from earning a DNP degree through FNU, as she earned her degree from the university in 2017. She is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and before earning her DNP, she practiced in urgent care centers, telehealth, and emergency departments.

    Dr. Jefferson earned her DNP at the encouragement of Dr. Amber Littlefield, a colleague in emergency medicine and urgent care who now serves as a faculty member at FNU.

    “I loved it because it was a good conglomeration of everything that I was already doing, because I was already doing some quality improvement work,” Dr. Jefferson said. “I just wasn’t calling it quality improvement or quality assurance, but that’s really what I was already doing at some of these sites. So it all just came together.”

    After earning her degree, Dr. Jefferson began working with the course faculty in the DNP Program at FNU before becoming an assistant professor. She took on the role of DNP Program Director in 2021.

    A native of Louisiana, Dr. Jefferson moved around in her early life due to her father’s career with ExxonMobil. She spent seven years living in Malaysia, attending the International School of Kuala Lumpur.

    Before taking on a career in healthcare, Dr. Jefferson worked as a seventh-grade science teacher. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and worked as a Registered Nurse in an emergency department for several years before obtaining her Master of Science in Nursing degree from the University of South Alabama in 2011.

    Learn More About FNU’s Online Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

    Through her current role at FNU, Dr. Jefferson helps prepare future advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) leaders to provide evidence-based care as they earn their DNP degrees. FNU’s DNP program is designed to improve healthcare outcomes and the delivery of primary health through enhanced nursing leadership.

    Students in the program complete 30 credit hours in 18 months, lead a rapid cycle quality improvement project in collaboration with a chosen clinical site, and participate in a three-day campus immersion experience. FNU’s online DNP program,a focused practice doctorate that centers on improving patient outcomes, helps nurse practitioners take their career, leadership skills, and clinical expertise to the next level.

    ”FNU’s DNP program is designed to improve healthcare outcomes and the delivery of primary health through enhanced nursing leadership…I think you really become part of a family, part of a community when you come to Frontier.”
    – Khara’ Jefferson, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CHC, DNP Program Director

    Dr. Jefferson said the DNP Project FNU students lead truly makes the program stand out. 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. Through their project, students are guided through the process of working within a healthcare delivery system to translate evidence into practice, and are introduced to quality improvement theories, processes, and programs.

    “They are seeing all the gaps that are actually around them in their site, and meeting with people on their leadership team to decide which one of those they can realistically tackle in this small amount of time,” Dr. Jefferson said.

    Projects pursued by DNP students follow guidelines and standards provided by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Students also have the opportunity to present their project at the annual IHI National Forum in Orlando, Florida.

    The Culture of Caring Within the DNP Program

    Dr. Jefferson said another aspect of the DNP program that makes it stand apart is FNU’s Culture of Caring, which reinforces a committed and loyal community where all members feel valued, confident, empowered and accepted by embracing Professionalism, Inclusivity, Respect, Positive Communication and Mutual Support.

    “I think you really become part of a family, part of a community when you come to Frontier,” she said.

    This connection, Dr. Jefferson said, is one of her favorite things about her career at FNU.

    “Because we have these live sessions and because we have these one-on-one meetings, I get to know people for who they are, not just their DNP project,” she said. “A lot of times I know their family, because there’s somebody who’s cheering them on in the background that they’re telling me about. So that’s what makes it really special. It’s just being able to connect with people on a different level.”

    Dr. Jefferson said when it comes to those who are considering entering the DNP program at FNU, students should expect to welcome feedback about their project and be open and curious.

    ”We’re looking for people who want to be the next APRN leaders who really want to change healthcare in a meaningful way and still serve their communities.”
    – Khara’ Jefferson, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CHC, DNP Program Director

    “We’re looking for people who want to be the next APRN leaders who really want to change healthcare in a meaningful way and still serve their communities,” she said.

    Dr. Jefferson is married and has one son. In her free time, she enjoys adrenaline-raising activities such as sky-diving and bungee jumping. She also serves as CEO of a health and wellness consultation business, KAJ Wellness.

    Thank you, Khara’, for your dedication to DNP students at FNU and for your commitment to helping FNU further its mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality healthcare to underserved and rural populations.

    Do you think FNU’s DNP program is for you? To learn more about FNU’s online DNP program, fill out the form below.

  • Alumni Spotlight: Fawn Workman, FNP, PMHNP, expands holistic wellness practice in 2023

    Alumni Spotlight: Fawn Workman, FNP, PMHNP, expands holistic wellness practice in 2023

    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.

    When Fawn Workman of Lynchburg, Virginia, decided to advance her career in nursing by pursuing her Master of Science in Nursing in a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program, she chose Frontier Nursing University (FNU) and earned her MSN in 2014. Four years later, she returned to FNU to add a Post-Graduate Certificate (PGC) as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP).

    Workman has over two decades of experience in nursing care to patients and families of all ages and stages. Before attending FNU, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Liberty University in Lynchburg, and an Associate’s in Nursing from College of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, NC.

    Since 2016, Workman has owned an LLC, now named Lifesong Health, while she worked for other organizations (including a children’s hospital and a community mental health center.)

    “Over time, it became clear that my focus needed to be on providing ethical care in a way that aligned with my values and beliefs- and for me, that meant focusing on building Lifesong Health”.

    Through Lifesong Health, Workman provides one-on-one care for her patients with psychiatric/ mental health needs.

    “By offering a personalized practice experience, we focus on holistic wellness — mental and physical care,” she said. At Lifesong Health, the majority of Workman’s patients are working adults and college students who are away from their hometown (many of whom have spent time outside of the U.S. in their youth.)

    “I thought I would be mostly doing telehealth, but many of my local patients love being back in an office and seeing a provider in-person. I enjoy it, too,” Workman said. “My accessibility makes it possible for them to be seen without long waits, and flexible enough to work around their schedules.” Via telehealth, she sees patients all across Virginia “from DC suburbs to military communities in Norfolk to rural mountainous southwest VA,” and enjoys the variety of communities she serves.

    A lifelong learner, she is continuing additional education in psychiatry (including integrative approaches) and obesity treatment. In addition to providing mental health services, Workman has recently begun anti-obesity treatment/ medical weight loss support services through Lifesong Health.

    “I chose to earn my FNP because I wanted to treat adults and children. I later went back for my PMHNP because I feel it’s an area close to my heart and another way I can make an impact.”
    – Fawn Workman, FNP, PMHNP, FNU Alumni

    “I bring my experience as someone who personally knows the struggles of the chronic disease of obesity, and my patients seem to appreciate my ability to relate and feel heard,” she said.

    Outside of her work in private practice, Workman also sees patients via telehealth for a free clinic for uninsured individuals of very low income.

    “This is a vital need for underserved individuals, and I wish I could clone myself as there is so much to be done,” she said. “Even though I’m only contracted for a small amount of hours per month at a reduced fee, I often spend more pro bono to give back to the clinic and patients.It feels really good to give back.”

    Workman said as she has advanced through her career, her experience at FNU has provided her with the knowledge to succeed. She is also thankful for the lifelong friendships and connections at Frontier.

    “Frontier seemed to have a heartbeat,” she said. “I chose to earn my FNP because I wanted to treat adults and children. I later went back for my PMHNP because I feel it’s an area close to my heart and another way I can make an impact.”

    Workman has contributed to a few published nursing books (edited by another FNU alumna.)

    Outside of her work in healthcare, Workman enjoys gardening, painting and spending time with her grandson.

    Thank you, Fawn, for exhibiting the unique knowledge and passion of FNU graduates by serving patients in your community and underserved individuals in Virginia.

    Learn more about advanced nursing degrees and specialties at Frontier Nursing University.

  • Jeanine Valrie-Logan Prepares to Open Birth Center in Chicago’s Urban Underserved South Side

    Jeanine Valrie-Logan Prepares to Open Birth Center in Chicago’s Urban Underserved South Side

    Growing up, Jeanine Valrie-Logan, CNM (FNU Class 146), MSN, MPH, wanted to be an opera singer or a doctor. Today, she’s neither one, but she’s putting both her medical and communications talents to good use. She is in the process of opening the Chicago Southside Birth Center and is spreading the word throughout the community, which currently has no other birth centers nearby.

    “Geographically, there’s nothing there,” said Valrie-Logan, who currently works part-time as a certified nurse-midwife at the Birth Center PCC in Berwyn, Illinois. When PCC Community Wellness Center (PCC) opened the birth center in 2014, it was the state’s first freestanding birth center. “For me, going to work from the south side of Chicago takes about an hour, and that’s when you get to a first birth center. People are traveling from everywhere to come see us at PCC because there’s nothing in between.”

    If all continues according to plan, the Chicago Southside Birth Center will be that place in between by late 2023. The plans are well underway, including the purchase of a building in the Avalon neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. Since January 2022, Valrie-Logan has had a fellowship with Chicago Beyond, an investment organization through which she is managing the development of the birth center. She has undertaken the legal tasks involved in opening a birth center, including the completion of a certificate of need and establishing transfer agreements with local hospitals. She has also overseen plans to construct a 2,000-square-foot addition to the building, with the space to be used as birth center suites. She hopes to have state approval of the project by late winter of 2023 and to begin construction shortly thereafter.

    Central to beginning construction, of course, will be having the funds to do. Valrie-Logan has been writing and submitting grants and creating GoFundMe campaigns to keep the project on track. Initially, she budgeted $1.9 million for the construction and renovation, but when the bids came back, that number grew to $3.2 million.

    “Fundraising has its ebbs and flows,” Valrie-Logan said. “We will get this grant or that grant, and then the next three grants we won’t get. I’m working on a major donor fundraising plan right now. It’s exciting figuring out who I can make the ask to or what connections can be made to get some larger investment. We’re hoping to make connections and get some municipal funding.”

    The birth center will be operated as a nonprofit. The plans are for the birth center to have two midwives in addition to Valrie-Logan in the first year, along with two birth assistants and support staff, including accounting, administration, and a receptionist. Valrie-Logan has projections for the number of births at the birth center, starting with year one and growing each year after that.

    Community Support for the Birth Center

    Her confidence in the success and growth of the birth center stems from the community support it has received already and the overall community needs for the birth center.

    Avalon is a predominantly black community, and the birth center sits on a major thoroughfare, five minutes from the closest hospital, with which Valrie-Logan has secured a transfer agreement.

    “It’s really beautiful because three community hospitals have closed since 2019,” Valrie-Logan said. “The big one that’s left – the University of Chicago – doesn’t take all the insurance. It’s the only one that has a midwifery practice. From the feedback I’m getting, our birth center is being very well received by community members and stakeholders. A lot of my time since January has been spent community building, letting people know about the project, and making connections. I recently met with the lieutenant governor. It’s just been amazing.”

    Once the birth center is open, a board of directors will provide guidance, which Valrie-Logan welcomes with open arms.

    “I wanted to make it a place where everyone who works there feels ownership in it – how we work, when we work, what kind of programs we are offering with guidance from the people who will receive those services,” she said. “We have a community survey that people can go to the website and take. It takes about two minutes and asks what kind of services do you want to see in the space? What kind of qualifications do you want to see in your provider? Do you want them to speak Spanish? Do you want them to provide gender-affirming care? These are all things we envision for the space, but we also want to receive confirmation from the community.”

    Valrie-Logan understands that meeting the community’s needs means being more than a birth center. Born and raised in Evanston, Illinois, Valrie-Logan attended DePaul University for her undergraduate degree. Her first birth work, however, was in Washington, D.C., while she was attending George Washington University. She volunteered at Dr. Ruth Lubic’s birth center, Community of Hope, and became a doula. There, she saw firsthand the importance a birth center could have in the community.

    “I just loved it,” Valrie-Logan said. “My friend was getting prenatal care there, and I was like, ‘What is this magical place where you can see a midwife and then go to your childbirth ed class?’ One thing we want to focus on at Chicago Southside Birth Center is not only to be a place where people can get prenatal care and have a baby. We really want to have a heavy reproductive healthcare model. We eventually want to bring on a nurse practitioner who can see the whole family in the space as well. We have a space of about 2,000 square feet in the back of the clinic that would be a community garden. We know people don’t have access to food or transportation, and we want to fill at least some of those gaps.”

    “I didn’t want to lose what brought me to midwifery. It was community work and it was community birth. I knew the history of Frontier, the history of getting on a horse and going to someone’s home and being with them at birth. I didn’t want to insert myself into a system that I didn’t feel was authentic to me. I wanted to really be strong in what it means to be a midwife.”
    – Jeanine Valrie-Logan, CNM (FNU Class 146), MSN, MPH

    Answering the Call

    Public service comes naturally to Valrie-Logan, as many of her family members have served in community leadership roles, such as aldermen, school superintendents, and school board members.

    “It’s very inspirational, knowing that this is my legacy,” Valrie-Logan said. “I can do this. My family has done this. I have something to lean on.”

    In addition to her family, Valrie-Logan also gained inspiration from a trip to South Africa shortly after she completed her undergraduate degree. The experience involved spending 6-12 months in South Africa working with community-based organizations.

    “We always talk about being called. I was definitely called to midwifery,” Valrie-Logan said. “It was emergent to me when I was in South Africa, and I could see the midwives. They were organized, they were activists, they were raising families, and helping out neighbors all at the same time.”

    After her time in Washington, D.C., Valrie-Logan and her husband Walter moved back to Chicago and were soon preparing for the birth of their first child. They searched for a birth center, but there were none there yet. That was in 2010, and it marked the beginning of her plans to one day open a birth center in the city.

    She understands not only the impact that a birth center can have but also the impact the presence of a provider who looks like the patients they are caring for can have as well.

    “There’s research that shows that when patients have the same racial or ethnic background as their providers, they have better outcomes,” Valrie-Logan said. “We plan to hire nurse-midwives who look like the community and live in the community so when, for example, someone is coming in, and they don’t have food, we know exactly what you mean because we’re a part of this same community and these are some of the resources that we have for you to access.”

    “This is what concordant care looks like,” she continued. “I’m invested in what’s happening in this community. Everyone in this community looks like me. I want to make sure that the folks I’m seeing are safe and have what they need. We are envisioning Chicago South Side Birth Center as a place where we are actually listening to people and affirming people’s whole selves and their autonomy to the kind of care they want to receive. I think that goes a long way to changing outcomes for individuals.”

    Valrie-Logan credits Frontier Nursing University with helping to cultivate and shape her natural inclination to community service and leadership. When choosing where to go to become a certified nurse-midwife, she said the choice was clear.

    “At the time, my choices were either the brick-and-mortar at the University of Illinois-Chicago or Frontier,” she said. “I didn’t want to lose what brought me to midwifery. It was community work and it was community birth. I knew the history of Frontier, the history of getting on a horse and going to someone’s home and being with them at birth. I didn’t want to insert myself into a system that I didn’t feel was authentic to me. I wanted to really be strong in what it means to be a midwife.”

    We are proud of the work Jeanine has done so far and look forward to seeing what the future has in store for her! Valrie-Logan and her husband, Walter, have three daughters: Ahimsa, 12; Satya, 8; and Nyahbingi, 4. To learn more about FNU’s certified nurse-midwifery program, visit our website.

    Free to Breastfeed: Voices of Black Mothers
    By Jeanine Valrie-Logan and Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka

    Before she launched her plan to open a birth center, Jeanine Valrie- Logan became a published author. She and co-author Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka wrote Free to Breastfeed: Voices of Black Mothers. Valrie-Logan said the idea to write the book was inspired by her mother, who passed away while Jeanine was still in college.

    “She had metastatic breast cancer,” Valrie-Logan said. “She always told me growing up that she felt like she was deprived of breastfeeding because she started having breast surgeries like lumps and cysts when she was 13. When she had me, they told her adamantly, do not breastfeed because that can cause cancer. This was in 1978. When she got breast cancer and was learning about how breastfeeding actually is a protective factor for developing breast cancer, she would always tell me, ‘When you have kids, breastfeed. What they told me was wrong.’ I knew I was going to breastfeed, not only because of the health benefits but also as a reparation – an homage to what my mother wasn’t able to do.”

    The book came out in 2012, the same year as the first Black Breastfeeding Week, of which Anayah is one of the founders.

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