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Spring Term Circle of Caring Winners

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is pleased to announce the 2020 Spring Term Circle of Caring Award Winners: staff member Bridgett Lyall and faculty member Joanne Keefe.

The Circle of Caring Award is given each term as a recognition for faculty and staff who go above and beyond their job duties and strive to uphold FNU’s mission and Culture of Caring every day.

Award winners are anonymously nominated by fellow FNU faculty and staff. Nominations are voted upon by a committee based on the following Culture of Caring characteristics: professionalism, mutual support, respect, positive communication and inclusivity.

Staff Winner: Bridgett Lyall

Lyall has spent over six years with FNU, first as a clinical credentialing coordinator, then as the academic records officer, her current position. Lyall loves helping students throughout their time at FNU and as they graduate and move on with their professional careers.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, everyone has had a little bit more on their plates and once again Lyall was there to figure out details and relieve stress for her co-workers, as was described in her recent Circle of Caring nomination:

“In the middle of a pandemic, we’ve all seen kind gestures and thoughtfulness, but Bridgett made a campus-wide announcement that she had made face masks for all. This was within hours of the Kentucky governor announcing that wearing masks would be mandatory. Many masks are for sale in other areas – not in our community. Bridgett freely gave of her time and talent and made a box of masks available for us seemingly without effort! We know, though – it’s a gift from the heart! Thoughtful, purposeful, and oh so timely! Thanks, Bridgett!”

Here is what another co-worker had to say about Lyall’s kindness and strong work ethic:

“I work closely with Bridgett to complete multiple forms and letters needed by students. Bridgett is tireless in her commitment to excellent work and service to the students. Her communication is always thoughtful and professional. Bridgett is a joy to work with and an asset at FNU.”

Faculty Winner: Joanne Keefe, DNP, MPH, FNP-C, CNE

Joanne Keefe is the course coordinator for epidemiology/biostatistics at FNU. Teaching has always come naturally for Dr. Keefe as she has the knowledge and the drive to portray information in a comprehensive way, paired with the compassion and love for the community that keeps students engaged. This year COVID-19 began to surge not long before the spring semester began, putting a lot of new stressors on faculty and students. In response, Dr. Keefe rose to the occasion by opening up new outlets of communication and encouragement for everyone in her circle. Here are some of the things fellow faculty members had to say about Dr. Keefe’s thoughtful efforts during these difficult times:

“Dr. Keefe is an amazing faculty member, a wonderful educator, and an outstanding course coordinator. Most notable is the respect and kindness she consistently demonstrates to the students. She is always patient and answers questions and concerns kindly. Of particular importance this term, Dr. Keefe made special arrangements to create a calm and safe environment for students to facilitate the students’ well being. As this term began in the midst of the COVID pandemic, she made sure to address self-care and self-calming strategies each week in the live class. She also started a Discussion Board where students could write about what was happening and what they were doing to stay safe and mentally secure. In a time where learning could be so disrupted, students have said that they felt calm and cared for and safe. Dr. Keefe is truly a model of caring and epitomizes the FNU Culture of Caring.”

“Dr. Joanne Keefe is the leader of an amazing PC702 teaching team. Under Dr. Keefe’s leadership, the PC702 team did some really amazing things this term to support students and help them to master the course content. Dr. Joanne held open sessions twice a week. She opened a BBB classroom where students could drop in and talk about absolutely anything — the course content, work, the pandemic, the increasing awareness of racism, disparity, and inequity and the accompanying social events. Each week all the faculty attended the BBB classroom and at the start of each class we addressed pandemic-related events, and the social movement related to racism and then asked the students how they were coping. Dr. Keefe also opened a Discussion Board on ‘Self calming and Self-care’ where people posted really helpful things – poems, prayers, songs, yoga sites, meditation practices, and more. It was absolutely lovely and helpful and kind. Finally, Dr. Keefe held weekly meetings with the entire teaching team where we openly talked about students and ourselves. We saw many of the things that students were experiencing and discussed how we were experiencing them too. We supported each other and helped each person get through their work and forgave each other when we were not perfect. Under Dr. Keefe’s leadership, we were enabled to do so much during this difficult term.”

Do you know an FNU staff or faculty member that goes above and beyond? Nominate them now for the Circle of Caring Award!

July 27, 2020
COVID-19 Front Lines: Greta Gill CNM Embraces Positive Changes to Patient Care

The Frontier community is proud to have students and alumni serving on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to sharing their stories in order to provide insight, hope, and encouragement. Thank you to all the health care workers who are risking their own well-being daily to serve our nation. Click here to read more stories of courage and dedication.

There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed life as we know it, but for many Frontier Nursing University (FNU) graduates and faculty, their call to serve has remained the same. This especially rings true for Greta Cohn Gill MSN, CNEP Class 25.

Gill is a nurse-midwife and service director at El Rio Health, the largest and oldest midwifery service in Southern Arizona. She has had the privilege of caring for a wide range of patients – from Air force pilots, engineers, and professors to refugees, unaccompanied minors, people suffering from substance use disorder, and homelessness. Her midwifery team places a high priority on education, honoring patient preferences and role modeling health to influence long term outcomes for families.

Baseline community health needs have remained constant during the pandemic. Responding to the crisis and meeting baseline needs has required flexibility and creativity in the delivery of services.

“We were part of a relatively well-coordinated public health response initially,” said Gill. “Unfortunately, location mitigation orders were lifted without safeguards in place. Now we are experiencing a surge and remain in the first wave of the pandemic.”

As this first wave continues, Gill’s diligence has as well. Her clinical team, consisting of seven FNU alumni, two FNU faculty, and three FNU students, was able to leverage existing innovations and rapidly adapt.

“We have nurse-midwives on our team with health vulnerabilities. We needed to deploy our resources in a conservative and thoughtful manner. We have altered our on-call staffing to meet the needs of our mothers while lowering unnecessary exposure for the workforce. Our Centering program continues on Zoom. All of our nurse-midwives are able to meet with a client virtually. We were already offering early discharge in our alongside midwifery unit and we are pleased that more families are choosing this. And of course, there is an endless effort towards COVID testing and supporting those who are sick.”

She would never wish for a pandemic, but she is choosing to look at the bright side of how it’s transformed care.

The pandemic has required our team to examine institutionalized patterns, habits, and workflows. We laser-focused on the truly necessary components of maternity care. The pandemic has been a challenge but also an opportunity to remodel maternity care. We have become more honest about what mothers really need to have good outcomes.”, she said.

In 2020, El Rio Health celebrates its 50th birthday. The health center’s mission to care for the vulnerable in Tucson has never been more urgent. Currently, 25% of the clients at the health center test positive for the virus. In response, Gill and her team have rapidly adjusted to the changes in clinical practice.

“Nurse midwives are calm under pressure. I would bet our resilience is higher than in other professions. We find joy in being with families and this brings balance the constant clinical pressures that came with COVID 19,” Gill said.

Adaptations have made their way into the lives and rituals of the midwives. They even threw a drive-by baby shower to celebrate a CNM colleague who recently gave birth in their CABC accredited Alongside Midwifery Unit.

The crisis has also brought hope to the El Rio Midwives. They plan to leverage the great changes that happened as a result of COVID-19 and transform maternity care delivery.

“Generally innovative change is slow and incremental. COVID 19 has proven that we can and must do better without delay,” Gill said.

Beyond changes to maternity care delivery, Gill is also an advocate for growing the midwifery workforce locally. She has a vision of mentoring young people of color through nursing and midwifery education so that the midwifery workforce better reflects the community at large.

Thank you, Greta, for serving and being an advocate for your community of Tucson, Ariz. Most importantly, thank you for answering the call amidst this global pandemic.

July 23, 2020
Graduate Nursing School: What Degrees Does FNU Offer?

At Frontier Nursing University (FNU), it is our goal to inspire prospective nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners in need of a flexible schedule to complete their educational goals. Our specialty lies in giving our students the opportunity to work in their home and local community through web-based, distance learning. We offer a variety of programs to help you further your career to the highest level, including a Master of Science in Nursing program, a Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and Post-Graduate Certificates. As you search for a school to continue your education, be assured that our programs meet you where you are, and provide quality support throughout your healthcare education journey.

With FNU’s Master of Science Nursing (MSN) program, students have the option of becoming a Certified Nurse-Midwife, Family Nurse Practitioner, Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner, or Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The programs usually begin with an on-campus experience called Frontier Bound; these sessions are currently being held virtually due to the COVID-crisis. However, we have been pleased to find our students report that they are staying connected and inspired through these virtual events and online coursework. Coursework consists of approximately 30 hours per week for part-time students, and about 40 hours per week for full-time students. Students complete the majority of the didactic courses over one to one and one-years and then become eligible for the second on-site session, Clinical Bound. Clinical Bound is a clinical skills intensive that will prepare you for the clinical practicum. Clinical Bound sessions are currently being held virtually due to the COVID-crisis.

After Clinical Bound, students begin their clinical practicum. During this time, they provide nurse practitioner or nurse-midwifery services in their home community for four to 10 months under the guidance of a master clinician preceptor. FNU students benefit greatly from having these advanced practice nurses as role models during the clinical experience. Required clinicals assist students in developing necessary skills for future success.

Once students complete all coursework, at least 675 hours of clinical work, and the final comprehensive preparatory course, they officially have an MSN in their chosen field. Additionally, for students who complete their MSN at FNU, we provide the option to expand their studies and earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) through successful completion of 21 additional doctoral-level credits and 500 additional clinical hours.

Recent Frontier grads have a head start, but the DNP program was not designed with only Frontier grads in mind. We provide a fully comprehensive community-based online program to pursue a Post-Master’s DNP. Earning your DNP at FNU will begin with attending DNP Bound. You can opt to complete our DNP program in either 15 or 18 months. This program consists of 30 credit hours in which you will lead a rapid cycle quality improvement initiative. These are small scope initiatives aimed to meet a need within your clinical site while acting as a service-learning opportunity. The initiative provides you with a chance to look at a community-level problem and make a change.

We are dedicated to making our DNP program one of the best of its kind. Following the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s DNP Essentials foundational competencies, and drawing on the diverse experience of our faculty, we feel that we have developed an all-inclusive program that will leave you confident and competent as a clinical practice leader.

FNU also offers several different Post-Graduate Certificates, meant for students who have completed their MSN and are already a Certified Nurse-Midwife or a Nurse Practitioner, but would like to add a specialization as a Nurse-Midwife, Family Nurse Practitioner, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, or a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. These programs will leave you prepared to pass your national certification exam in your chosen field and, similar to our MSN programs, completing these certifications will give you the opportunity to continue into the post-masters DNP.

FNU is committed to providing in-demand programs in an obtainable way so that you can expand the care available in your community with knowledge and confidence. If you have any questions or would like more information about any of our degrees or certifications, please visit our admissions page – we would love to talk to you!

More Topics Related to Graduate Nursing School:

Why Should I Become a Nurse-Midwife?

Should I Consider a DNP?

July 16, 2020
Graduate Nursing School: What is Frontier Nursing University’s Culture of Caring?

At Frontier Nursing University (FNU) we do our very best to provide a Culture of Caring, a way for every member of our community, from prospective students to preceptors, to know that they are valued and supported. We have found that our Culture of Caring can best be described by considering five basic principles: Professionalism, Inclusivity, Respect, Positive Communication, and Mutual Support. We believe that when we intentionally act under these principles, our university will develop dedicated healthcare professionals and compassionate providers.

Professionalism

At FNU, we believe professionalism should be foundational for everyone working, or studying to work, in the healthcare field. FNU was built on a foundation of service to women with inadequate healthcare resources and with a commitment to demonstrating consistency and excellence daily. This legacy of professionalism lives on at FNU today.

On top of providing extraordinary care, we encourage students to speak with transparency and a sense of responsibility in order to establish trust and respect from patients and peers. A true professional should be able to explain diagnoses and the next steps in a knowledgeable way and support their findings with scientific evidence. At FNU we expect our students and faculty to act professionally with the understanding that we make the greatest impact on the larger healthcare system when we provide consistent and authentic care.

Inclusivity

Reaching underserved populations has always been one of FNU’s foundational commitments. Our curricula has a built-in emphasis on providing quality care to every patient without barriers, judgments, or exceptions. We believe all people are created equal, and we approach our peers, students, and faculty of all races, genders, religions, and cultures with sensitivity and humility. We teach students to approach their patients with empathy, always considering the perspective and background of the patient. We understand many patients may have had negative past healthcare experiences, and teach our students to acknowledge and respect each individual’s past experiences and current expectations.

Respect

Every individual deserves to feel valued and respected. As nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives, we earn the respect of our patients by first showing them respect. It is our responsibility to let each individual know how important they are. We can show respect in simple and effective ways: being friendly, showing genuine interest in their families and personal lives, and remembering small details that let them know they are seen as valued individuals.

Positive Communication

Positive communication is vital to our interactions as faculty, students, and healthcare providers. Our faculty are known for their commitment to communicate often with students through phone calls, emails, and online chats, and for giving them the support they need- no matter where they are.

Via our curriculum and faculty, we emphasize the value of positive communication between nurse practitioners/nurse-midwives and their patients. Communicating with optimism, offering helpful suggestions, and taking time to listen to patients helps to open the door for a beneficial long-term provider-patient relationship.

In 2019, FNU implemented the TeamSTEPPS framework in its curriculum to broaden and enhance healthcare team communication and teamwork skills. We believe teaching these skills will have a significant positive impact on healthcare systems throughout the U.S. Ultimately, the goal of implementing interpersonal skills training in the health care setting is to empower all team members and improve patient outcomes.

Mutual Support

At FNU, we find that one of the best ways to grow as individuals, healthcare providers, and a community is through providing mutual support to one another. True mutual support can be found when we treat each other with kindness and patience as we learn together. Mutual support is found in awareness of each other’s strengths and weaknesses and by providing helping hands and thoughts whenever we can. We also support each other by showing compassion and concern as we face our personal life challenges and support our patients through theirs; we rejoice with successes and remain steadfast through mistakes and misfortune. These are principles we instill in our students as they support their patients’ needs, both physical and emotional. Mutual support persists after graduation, as FNU alumni have access to valuable resources and connect both professionally and personally through our extensive alumni network.

Our Culture of Caring is evident in everything we do at FNU. Operating with professionalism, inclusivity, respect, positive communication and mutual support aligns us with our mission of preparing competent, entrepreneurial, ethical, and compassionate healthcare providers and leaders who serve all individuals with an emphasis on women and families in diverse, rural, and underserved populations.

If you are interested in experiencing our culture of caring for yourself, please visit our admissions page, and be sure to check out our Culture of Caring page for more information on how these values have led us to educational and healthcare success.

More Topics Related to Graduate Nursing School:

Why Should I Become a Nurse-Midwife?

Should I Consider a DNP?

What Should I Expect from FNU Faculty?

July 9, 2020
COVID-19 Front Lines: Michelle Cochran Serves Patients After Recovering from COVID

The Frontier community is proud to have students and alumni serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to sharing their stories in order to provide insight, hope, and encouragement. Thank you to all the health care workers who are risking their own well-being daily to serve our nation. Click here to read more stories of courage and dedication.

Everyone understands that working on the front lines of the COVID-19 Pandemic comes with inherent risk. Working as a nurse practitioner at Metro Immediate and Primary Care, which is part of the George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates, in Washington, D.C., Michelle Cochran, MSN, FNP, Class 71, experienced that risk first hand. When the pandemic hit, her clinic began providing assessment and testing for COVID-19 to help ease some of the demand on the hospital. Then, in April, she tested positive for the coronavirus.

“I started out thinking maybe I just had a cold,” Michelle said. “Initially I was sneezing and had nasal congestion, but by the evening I had a headache and felt a bit achy. That was five days after a known exposure, so I was tested the following day. My main symptoms were headaches and low-grade fever but I did develop secondary pneumonia at the end of week two. I would say it took three to four weeks to recover. I was retested negative at three-and-a-half weeks and returned to work after four weeks.”

While some might be understandably hesitant after such an experience, Michelle felt obligated to do more upon her return to work. She continues to take the proper precautions to prevent another infection, but she also intends to donate convalescent plasma and argues that she should be even more involved on the front lines.

“I feel I should take more of the testing shifts and potential exposure since I have the gift of antibodies,” she said.

Michelle has passed on the commitment to help others to her college-age son, who tested positive for COVID-19 in March. After recovering, he donated convalescent plasma at Johns Hopkins as part of a National Institutes of Health study and encouraged her to do the same after she recovered.

Michelle admits that the pandemic has brought more than a few moments of worry and doubt, but said she leaned on her experience at FNU as a reminder of her calling.

“When my clinic started to do COVID-19 testing in early March, I had a couple of days where I thought, ‘This isn’t what I signed up for as a primary care FNP,’” Michelle said. “But then I realized this is not what anyone signed up for, but it is what is needed in my community now. In that way, it is exactly what I signed up for as a community-based family nurse practitioner from FNU.”

When she’s not dealing with COVID-19, Michelle is part of a primary care practice that also features an adjacent urgent care clinic, where she also sees patients. Michelle moved to Washington, D.C., when she was four and it is where she continues to work, live, and raise her family. She says the racial disparity for COVID cases has been eye-opening.

“The racial disparity here in COVID severity is huge,” she said. “The percentage of patients testing positive for COVID who are Black is 46 percent, but the percentage of COVID deaths who are Black is 75 percent. The city has done an admirable job with testing availability and opening testing sites in wards of the city that do not have proximity to health care. But the fact that African American/Black people are dying from COVID complications in high numbers shows a disparity that we need to address at the root. Yes, the levels of hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia are high in this group in D.C., but why?”

“I believe we are seeing the physical effects of the stress of being Black in this country,” Michelle said. “It is not something that will be easy to address, but now is the time. It’s past time. It is a public health issue.”

From one healthcare crisis to the next, expect Michelle to be on the front lines, serving her community.

July 6, 2020
FNU’s 10th Annual Diversity Impact Conference: Year of the Nurse and Midwife Increasing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
On June 11-13, 2020 the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at Frontier Nursing University (FNU) hosted the 10th Annual Diversity Impact Conference. FNU started this tradition in 2010 alongside the launch of the Diversity Impact Program which was introduced with the primary goal of increasing diversity in enrollment while providing a more inclusive environment and stronger support system for all students. Since the launch of the Diversity Impact Program, we have seen FNU’s enrollment of students of color rise from 9 percent to 24 percent, numbers we are extremely proud of, but hope will continue to grow.

The first Diversity Impact Conference was introduced with the hopes of engaging students in culture and thought that differs from their own as a means to expand awareness and understanding of those that differ from them. At our conference, we highlight issues involving race, culture, and the LGBTQ community through speakers, discussions, and small group activities. Due to COVID-19, we chose to continue this event on a digital platform this year, which may have looked a little different, but still provided a great weekend of community and enlightenment.

This year’s conference theme, ‘Year of the Nurse and Midwife 2020: Increasing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ followed the lead of the World Health Organization (WHO) which designated 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. The rise of COVID-19 has highlighted to the world the importance of quality nursing and midwifery care, and at FNU, we believe that in order to provide the best quality nursing and midwifery care to all people, cultural respect and inclusion are essential.

The conference began Thursday, June 11 with introductions from the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO) Geraldine Young. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion staff, the Diversity Impact Adhoc Committee, moderators, academic leadership, and support were introduced along with a briefing from the CDIO, including a moment of silence for those affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic and racism. Introductions were followed by a welcome address from FNU president, Susan Stone emphasizing the school’s goals of encouraging and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion and emphasizing the effects of White Privilege.

Following Dr. Stone’s address was premier speaker Kenya Beard, Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences at Nassau Community College. Dr. Beard is a nurse educator with over 30 years of nursing experience in acute and long-term care settings. Students across the state seek her assistance to prepare for and pass the NCLEX-RN, as she has improved the NCLEX-RN pass rate for several nursing programs in New York. Dr. Beard received her EdD from Dowling College and her MS in Adult Health from Stony Brook University.

In her session “Addressing Health Disparities: The Role of Healthcare Providers & Educators,” Dr. Beard discussed how structural racism impacts health equity, healthcare disparities, and social determinants of health (SDOH). She left attendees with meaningful ways to facilitate race-related discourse.

On Friday, our keynote speaker, Milagros Phillips AKA ‘The Race Healer’, addressed the conference with a comprehensive speech titled “What is Race Literacy – 4 Dimensions of Racial Conditioning”. This impactful speech focused on the ways in which we may be conditioned by race and described how coming face to face with our own biases can transform our work and liberate our hearts.

Other thought-provoking speakers included Ronald Hickman Jr. on “Everyday Biases: We all Have Them and Can Manage Them”, Laura Manns-James on “Microaggressions in Nursing Education and Health: Why They Matter and What We Can Do About Them” and Katrin Moskowitz on “The “Ask Me How I Am Project”: The Discussion of Mental Health and Suicide Among Health Care Workers.”

Throughout the weekend students also engaged in virtual networking sessions, breakout small groups, tabletop discussions, and optional virtual lunches with faculty and staff. As a bonus to the virtual experience, we also included an online scavenger hunt that encouraged participants to engage with FNU on social media and share their conference experiences.

Winners of the Virtual Scavenger Hunt, a free T-shirt, and other goodies are:
- Kelly Wilson
- Cassie Henry
- April Karyn Haneline
- Adrienne Christner
- Gretchen Grey
- Sydney Boone
- Alisha Cigalotti
- Nancy Carter
Congratulations and thank you for participating!

The conference ended Saturday evening following a fantastic weekend of community, respect, knowledge, and self-evaluation. A huge thanks to all of our speakers, faculty, and staff that helped to make this event possible. Next year, we hope once again to be able to engage in this time of personal and professional growth in person but are also overwhelmed with the success and positive feedback from our virtual experience.

Here is what some of this year’s participants had to say about our virtual Diversity Impact Conference:

“Thank you for organizing such a wonderful event. I have laughed, cried, and learned so much. I don’t even think that I have processed everything yet, but I know that I am a better person because I attended this event. Thank you.” – Angela Bailey, FNU Chief Advancement Officer

“Thank you so much for all of the hard work that you put into making the virtual Diversity Impact Conference happen this year. Every single speaker and activity was informative and inspirational… This was my first year attending, but it will certainly not be my last.” – Melinda M. Hancock

“The conference is a big success. A big thank you.” – Diane John, FNU faculty

“Dr. Beard’s session was so insightful. I learned to be more aware of implicit bias and to stand up for others and my patients to ensure the best care for all (even if it causes a “disagreement” with a doctor!). Also, thank you to Dr. Stone for an amazing presentation.” – Kelly Wilson

Thank you to everyone who joined us, we hope to see you again for our Diversity Impact Conference 2021! To learn more about FNU’s Diversity Impact program, visit Frontier.edu/Diversity.
July 2, 2020
COVID-19 Front Lines: Julian Williams Answers the Call on FEMA Assignment

The Frontier community is proud to have students and alumni serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to sharing their stories in order to provide insight, hope and encouragement. Thank you to all the health care workers who are risking their own well-being daily to serve our nation. Click here to read more stories of courage and dedication.

Sometimes “answer the call” means literally answering the call. When the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) called this spring, Julian Williams, RN, CMSRN, FNP-C, Bridge 144, answered. Julian was already on a FEMA assignment at the Woodhull Medical Center of Brooklyn where he was working in the inpatient internal medicine department when the pandemic swept the country and FEMA contacted him for COVID-19 disaster response. He began working at Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing in New York City.

“I came into this position knowing the inherent risks associated with exposure to COVID-19,” Julian said. “I won’t lie and say that I did not have my reservations given my own risk factor — an underlying heart abnormality — but I knew that my training, clinical expertise, and my commitment to healthcare necessitated my need to respond and help my new community. FNU taught me to ‘Answer the Call’ whenever and wherever I am needed. This was no exception. It was my pleasure and duty to respond when called.”

Julian was born in Bridgeport, Conn., but spent most of his youth in North Carolina before moving to New York after college. When he’s not on contract with FEMA, Julian works at South Shore Family Medical Associates in Inwood, NY. There, his scope of practice is within the realm of family medicine. The practice provides preventative health maintenance, chronic disease management, acute illness management, as well as in-house services via specialists. Julian estimates that the typical outpatient volume is 25-plus visits per day.

“Prior to COVID-19, life was a bit simpler,” Julian said. “Besides treatment for the more common viral/bacterial illnesses, and/or chronic disease management, the healthcare burden was not as amplified as it has been recently. Things have certainly improved, but there is not a single day that COVID-19 is not a topic of discussion within our panel of providers. Prior to beginning my current assignment at the post-acute care facility, COVID swept through the facility like a whirlwind; there were some deaths, and we now appear to be on a decline of COVID positive patients. However, our daily discussions focus on COVID case tracking, quarantine protocols, and learning how to better synthesize laboratory data as it pertains to COVID infection and symptom/disease remission.”

In addition to wearing the appropriate PPE, Julian is swabbed twice per week for COVID-19 infection. He credits that diligence and his own personal health routines for helping him to stay healthy thus far.

“I think my judiciousness toward implementing the safety precautions has helped me remain healthy,” Julian said. “However, I still take my daily multivitamins, vitamin B12, Zinc, and Vitamin C for good measure. One cannot be too careful.”

Further precaution includes the FEMA mandate that the healthcare workers stay in a local hotel to reduce the risk of spreading the virus to the public. At Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing, Julian has been working in an inpatient setting as well as in post-acute care.

“FNU prepared me for COVID by equipping me with the clinical knowledge, confidence, and skills necessary to care for the acutely ill during this pandemic,” Julian said. “While I have seen my fair share of deaths due to COVID infection, I would say that my experience has been a bit different, especially in the post-acute care setting, as many of the patients have been COVID positive, but completely asymptomatic and otherwise healthy. I tell my patients that there is still much to learn about COVID-19, and as recommendations change, so will our approach to treatment; however, in the meantime we will continue to focus on tightly managing your chronic conditions, as well as provide evidence-based treatment to mitigate the effects of health decline secondary to COVID.”

While there are still more questions than answers regarding the pandemic, one thing remains clear. When the call for help comes, Julian will be there to answer it.

June 29, 2020
Graduate Nursing School: What Should I Expect From FNU Faculty?

For more than 80 years, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has helped shape some of the most renowned nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners in the United States, and there is little doubt that much of that can be owed to the hard work and dedication of our faculty. While we use a distance-education learning model, there isn’t much that feels “distant” when it comes to our community. As students learn and provide care in their home communities, FNU faculty are committed to being present and providing consistent support throughout the educational journey.

Are you considering becoming a student at FNU? Here is what you can expect from our faculty.

As one of the first steps in your FNU path, you will attend Frontier Bound, a three day retreat where you will be introduced to your classmates and some of your faculty. During this retreat you can ask questions, get a glimpse of how coursework is delivered, and begin to create positive, supportive relationships with those you will be working with throughout your program.
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Frontier Bound was intentionally created to help students feel comfortable with the people they will interact with in the upcoming months. Your faculty will be in touch consistently through emails, video chat, and phone calls – and they mean it when they say they are available for questions and support. Whether it’s curriculum questions or on-the-job scenarios, we want students to know they can always reach out for advice and clarification.

Another great thing about our faculty is they not only have book knowledge, they have real-world experience. 96 percent of our faculty are also certified nurse practitioners and/or nurse-midwives, with over half of them still active in their practice in their respective fields. Your instructors understand the situations you will face and want to do their very best to prepare you for your career.

If you are interested in getting some background on specific faculty members, please browse our faculty directory where you can find information on our whole team from nurse-midwives, to librarians, to psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners and family nurse practitioners. As you look through our faculty profiles you will begin to see a few notable patterns: many of our faculty members are FNU alumni, many have worked with underserved populations, and although there are many fields of study represented, each faculty member is knowledgeable and passionate about what they do.

Something else that you may notice is that we pride ourselves in working with people from a variety of backgrounds. As an organization with a mission to serve the underserved, we understand the need for diversity in our student population as well as faculty. Caring for people regardless of race, religion or culture also means working alongside and learning from people of every race, religion and culture. The more diversity we have among our faculty and students, the greater our pool of knowledge will be of people and communities, as well as the social and medical issues facing our country.

If learning under the tutelage of intelligent and dedicated individuals with a passion to provide care to underserved communities aligns with your educational goals, visit our admissions page to apply today! We are always happy to discuss our programs with potential students.

We hope you consider joining the FNU community and experience for yourself the difference compassionate, knowledgeable, and present faculty can have on your education and future.

June 25, 2020

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