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.
Dr. Tia Brown McNair is the Vice President in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in Washington, DC. She oversees both funded projects and AAC&U’s continuing programs on equity, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, and student success. McNair directs AAC&U’s Summer Institutes on High-Impact Practices and Student Success, and TRHT Campus Centers and serves as the project director for several AAC&U initiatives, including the development of a TRHT-focused campus climate toolkit. She is the lead author of From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education (January 2020) and Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success (July 2016 and August 2022 Second edition).