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Alumni Spotlight: Marli Parobek

November 14, 2019 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumna Marli Parobek, MS, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-C, noticed a growing need for better mental healthcare in her community and rose to meet the challenge.

Marli graduated from FNU in June 2018 as part of the first class of the Psychiatric-Mental Health NP post-graduate certificate.

A resident of her hometown, Yakima, Wa., Marli has been a nurse practitioner for 14 years. She is currently head of the inpatient psychiatric unit at Astria Toppenish Hospital, where her focus is mainly on voluntary and involuntary inpatient psychiatry, medical withdrawal and detox.

Yakima is a town in rural eastern Washington, a largely agricultural community. Much of the population is made up of minority races and, as is common in rural, blue-collar communities, struggles with poverty and substance abuse are prevalent.

Marli and the Astria psychiatric unit received federal and state grants to implement their psychiatric and detox programs, allowing them to offer a service that had previously not existed in eastern Washington.

The voluntary detox program for alcohol and opiate addicts is 3-5 days of 24/7 nursing care in the hospital. Marli prescribes detox medications and performs psychiatric evaluations for these patients until they are discharged to outpatient detox programs.

Marli’s unit also offers an involuntary inpatient suboxone program for psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia and severe bipolar disorder. The program offers secure, lock-down units and is staffed with chemical dependency therapists and social workers who offer individual and group therapy.

On Thursdays, Marli also does outpatient work with teens and other patients on the nearby Yakama Indian Reservation.

Marli chose to pursue the PMHNP degree to take her career to the next level. “I was a family nurse-practitioner for twelve years and I enjoyed it, but I started to feel too comfortable and wasn’t being challenged,” she said. “I also saw a lot of mental illness and felt ill-prepared to address the issue correctly with only an FNP degree.”

One of Marli’s biggest takeaways from her time in the PMHNP program was the importance of evidence-based practice as really the only way to offer proper care. “Now I know what I didn’t know!” she said.

The personalized support she received at FNU really impressed Marli, and now she is enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. “I love how FNU really wants their students to succeed,” she said. “Now the addition of a doctorate degree will set me apart personally and professionally.”

We are proud of Marli for continuing to challenge herself to increase the quality and scope of care she offers. Thank you for representing FNU well!

Alaska Spotlight: David Moore

November 7, 2019 By frontieredu

Since its foundation in 1939, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has adopted a mission of reaching rural, diverse and underserved populations. This mission is still being lived out today, where more than 80 FNU alumni are answering the call in Alaska. In the coming months, we will be highlighting several of these alumni who serve in our country’s most remote and unforgiving state.

David Moore, FNP, Class 75, chose to work in Alaska so he could serve some of the most vulnerable people in the country’s harshest environment: the homeless.

David serves as the only nurse practitioner at the Front Street Clinic in downtown Juneau, Alaska, where he is joined by a registered nurse, two behavioral health specialists, and two case managers. Most of his patients are homeless and medically underserved, and many are battling chronic illnesses.

“Most people who come in are present with chronic illnesses,” David said. “They aren’t usually coming in to be treated for a cold. A lot of our patients are transient, and we only see them when some crisis arises.”

The complexity of his patients’ cases prevents David from seeing more than five to seven patients per day. In addition to medical care, the clinic hands out free socks, gloves, hats and hygiene kits to the area’s homeless population.

A native of eastern Tennessee, David was inspired when he read Wide Neighborhoods, the story of Mary Breckinridge and the founding of the Frontier Nursing Service in southeastern Kentucky.

“I’m never shy to say that Mary Breckinridge is my nursing hero,” David said. “I read Wide Neighborhoods even before I went to FNU. I bought my own copy and I fell in love with the mission. That’s why I went there.”

After graduating, David was drawn to the stunning beauty of the pacific northwest and the opportunities it held to serve vulnerable populations. He knew Alaska had a great shortage of medical specialists, requiring patients who need specialized care to either wait for months to see one of the few practicing in Alaska, or fly to Portland or Seattle to receive care.

David has one such patient who was sent for a routine colonoscopy and was diagnosed with rectal cancer. She would have to be treated in Seattle.

“She was a naturalized citizen but didn’t have her paperwork in order to be able to travel,” he said. “We got her to Seattle for surgery and got her in touch with a lawyer to help get her proper identification so she could travel back and forth between here and Seattle. They wouldn’t let her on the plane otherwise. That’s an example of the challenging situations we face in this region.”

David is diligent about looking for ways to increase access to healthcare for his patients. Flying to see a specialist is impossible for many of his patients, so he began utilizing e-consultants via AristaMD, allowing him to send a patient’s chart a specialist online who responds within 24 hours with recommended treatment and instructions.

He also learned how to treat hepatitis C so those patients would no longer need to travel to Anchorage for treatment. Many of his patients suffer from psychiatric illnesses and co-occurring conditions such as substance abuse combined with psychiatric illness, so he learned to treat substance abuse patients.

David credits FNU for helping to cultivate his desire to serve in rural and underserved areas and to look for solutions beyond what would be considered his normal scope of practice.

“The way the FNU program is designed, I had to be independent and dig for resources,” David says. “I had to find my own preceptors. It taught me independence and perseverance. It taught me to go above and beyond to get the job done.”

We are proud of David and all of our FNU graduates, including Kristina Amundson, who go the extra mile to serve in Alaska.

FNU Honors Alumni with Service Awards

October 14, 2019 By frontieredu

Every fall, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) honors alumni and individuals who go above and beyond in their service to diverse, rural and underserved populations. Please join us in congratulating the 2019 Service Award recipients.

Distinguished Service to Alma Mater, Nurse-Midwife: Stephanie Vanderhorst

The Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award honors an alumnus who has continued to provide support to Frontier through volunteer efforts and/or donor support.

Stephanie Vanderhorst, CNM, MSN, serves as midwifery director of Auburn Birthing Center in DeKalb, Ind. Shortly after graduating from FNU in 2002, she became the first certified nurse-midwife credentialed at DeKalb Memorial Hospital and Auburn OB/GYN; she has attended over 1,700 births since then.

“My goal is for every woman who wants a nurse-midwife to have a nurse-midwife by her side,” said Stephanie.

Stephanie also serves as a preceptor for CNM students. “She is a fantastic mentor and truly has a servant’s heart,” said Shannon Markle, MSN. “I have never met someone so deserving of recognition.”

In addition to practicing, Stephanie is also a leader and advocate for nurse-midwifery. She has served as the president of the Indiana American College of Nurse-Midwives and has worked with the Coalition of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses of Indiana to help bring full practice autonomy to Indiana APRNs.

Distinguished Service to Alma Mater, Nurse Practitioner: Danny Shane Webb

Danny Shane Webb, MSN, FNP, is a nurse practitioner at Longstreet Clinic in Gainesville, Ga. He specializes in internal medicine and has hospital privileges at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

Danny graduated from FNU with his Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree in 2017 and is currently enrolled in FNU’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program.

As the current president of the FNU Alumni Association, he is an active, vocal, and supportive leader for the entire FNU community. Jennifer Brown, MSN, CNM, said of Danny, “He is an ever-present, enthusiastic but level-headed voice for alumni, current students and healthcare.”

Danny also serves as a preceptor for FNU students.

Distinguished Service to Society, Nurse-Midwife: Mary Kay Miller

The Distinguished Service to Society Award recognizes an alumnus who goes above and beyond to provide exceptional service in their communities.

Mary Kay Miller, CNM, MSN, DNP, serves as Florida regional clinical faculty for FNU’s Community-based Nurse-Midwifery Education Program (CNEP) and Women’s Healthcare Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) program tracks. She has also served as a preceptor for FNU students.

Mary Kay practiced midwifery in Fort Myers, Fla., for seven years primarily in low resource settings with underserved populations. She led the building and opening of a free-standing birth center before going on to work in Orlando for five years.

“My primary areas of clinical and academic interests are providing options to all women and supporting students,” said Mary Kay, who currently resides in Madeira Beach, Fla.

Since 2009, Mary Kay has served as the Florida Affiliate President for ACNM and has been on the board of the Florida Council of Nurse-Midwifery. She also served as the liaison for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists District XII and remains active in supporting collegial relationships at the local level.

Distinguished Service to Society, Nurse Practitioner: Jessica Lynn Smith

Jessica Lynn Smith, MSN, FNP, serves women and families as a nurse practitioner at the Vidalia Children’s Center in Vidalia, Ga. and at East Georgia Women’s Center in Statesboro, Ga. She also serves as a frequent preceptor for FNU students.

A two-time cancer survivor, Jessica is active in many community organizations and events. In addition to serving as the vice president of Toombs-Montgomery C.A.R.E.S, a non-profit for cancer patients, she has also organized Relay for Life teams, cancer survivor dinners, and pediatric cancer fundraisers. She frequently volunteers at a free women’s health clinic in her community.

“Although she has battled cancer twice and has been hospitalized many times, her service has never stalled,” said Jessica’s husband Brandon.

Courier Program Unbridled Spirit Award: Carlyle Carter

The Courier Program Unbridled Spirit Award is given annually to a former Courier who has carried the torch of Mary Breckinridge beyond the mountains, perpetuating the mission and spirit of Frontier in their own lives. The criteria for this award include dedication to serving others; ongoing, longstanding stewardship of Frontier; and demonstration of personal conviction, courage and a zest for adventure.

Carlyle Carter’s first connection to FNU dates back to 1954, when she was just 11 years old. Carlyle’s grandmother was a cousin of FNU founder Mary Breckinridge, who invited Carlyle to visit her in Wendover.

“It was a life-changing experience,” said Carlyle, who served as a courier in 1962 and 1965. “I was excited to get to know Mary Breckinridge, the nurses, the staff, the couriers, the mountain people, and the horses. In those days, nurses were still doing home visits on horseback.”

Carlyle is currently an FNU trustee and Courier Advisory Council member. She joined the FNU Board of Directors in July 2018.

Mary Breckinridge Lifetime Service Award: Margaret Voorhies Haggin Trust

The Mary Breckinridge Lifetime Service Award recognizes an individual or organization providing longstanding support and commitment to the mission and work of Frontier Nursing Service and Frontier Nursing University.

The Margaret Voorhies Haggin Trust was created in 1938 by Margaret Voorhies Haggin in memory of her late husband, James Ben Ali Haggin.

James Haggin was born in 1827 in Frankfort, Ky. He followed the gold rush to California and acquired numerous mines, which he then sold to purchase a single tract of California land measuring 400,000 acres.

Haggin began raising thoroughbreds and bought 5,000 acres of additional land in the heart of the Bluegrass. After the death of his son, Haggin turned his attention to raising thoroughbred stock and horses at his Kentucky property, Elmendorf Farm. Haggin passed away in 1914 after building a successful business and establishing a lasting legacy.

The Margaret Voorhies Haggin Trust was created to support health and higher education. Since 1989, the Trust has provided over half a million dollars in support to Frontier Nursing University, serving a variety of needs including scholarships, renovations, and generous donations to the Versailles Capital Campaign.

We would like to thank each of these award winners for their dedication to improving the health of women and families, and their honorable representation of FNU.

Faculty Spotlight: Mary Ellen Biggerstaff

October 7, 2019 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumna and faculty member Mary Ellen Biggerstaff, MSN, DNP, has a heart for serving her community struggling with opioid addiction.

Mary Ellen takes on many roles: she is an FNU regional clinical faculty member for Washington, Alaska and Hawaii; she is an Evidence-Based Practice course faculty member; and she practices in a family clinic where she has served for the past ten years.

Mary Ellen’s community of Olympia, Wa. was formed as a hub for the logging industry. With the industry’s decline, the community has suffered high rates of unemployment and an economic downturn. This has led to an increase in patients dealing with opiate addictions as they try to cope with their hardships.

A new resource recently became available to help combat opiate dependency and addiction, and Mary Ellen has embraced it with open arms. Suboxone, a combination of buprenorphine, a narcotic, and naloxone, which blocks the effects of opioid medication, has emerged as an effective opioid addiction combatant.

Last year, Mary Ellen obtained her waiver to prescribe Suboxone through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)’s 24 hour Suboxone waiver training.

Soon after she obtained her waiver, Mary Ellen’s practice implemented a low-barrier medication-assisted therapy clinic. The clinic offers daily drop-in hours with a mission of treating addiction with radical empathy and acceptance for patients. A team of experienced registered nurses (RNs) and patient advocates assist the prescribing clinicians in the clinic.

“Anyone who has worked with opiate addiction knows how incredibly challenging this work can be, not only because of its difficulty in treating it, but the behaviors that go along with the addiction,” she said.

The clinic puts a strong emphasis on outreach to vulnerable communities, especially homeless and incarcerated populations. Mary Ellen has seen a dramatic improvement in extremely ill patients after only a week or two of Suboxone treatments.

“Our goal at this clinic is to treat everyone compassionately and meet them where they are to get them the help they need.”

Mary Ellen obtained her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) through FNU back in 2009. She began working at a family-based clinic where she still serves as a clinician. Ten years at Summit Pacific Medical Center has allowed Mary Ellen to build relationships with patients and have a lasting impact on her community.

A few years ago, Mary Ellen knew she wanted to take the next step in providing better care to her patients. She enrolled in FNU’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program because of her past success in the MSN program.

“I’m a big believer in FNU’s mission, and the DNP program worked with both my work schedule and my crazy family schedule,” Mary Ellen said.

In her role as regional clinical faculty for FNU, Mary Ellen has mentored many FNU students through their coursework and clinicals.

“I train people to be excellent nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners, especially to rural and vulnerable populations,” she said. “I love to see students I mentored impacting their communities.”

Thank you, Mary Ellen, for your work with both FNU students and vulnerable populations!

Alumni Spotlight: Leslie McCormack

September 30, 2019 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumna Leslie McCormack, CNM (Class 70), is passionate about serving vulnerable populations—and teaching her students to do the same.

An Arkansas native, Leslie knew she wanted to serve the vulnerable and saw the many opportunities nurse-midwifery offers. Originally, she intended to travel overseas and do mission work. The distance education offered by FNU as well as the ability to work full-time were big factors in her decision to attend, but above all, she loved Frontier’s mission. “It really aligned with my vision of working with vulnerable populations,” she said.

After obtaining her nurse-midwifery degree from FNU, Leslie worked at a birthing center. As her own family grew, she transitioned from a clinical position to an adjunct teaching position while her husband was finishing up medical school in Fayetteville. After he graduated and was placed in Little Rock, she applied to teach at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and has been teaching undergraduate classes for four years. She is also an academic coach.

Teaching has given Leslie a unique opportunity to impact students to improve healthcare systems. Her background in nurse-midwifery allows hers to bring her students a different perspective.

“I really get to empower my students and introduce them to vulnerable populations, especially here in the state of Arkansas where the population is largely rural,” she said.

Leslie’s current home, Little Rock, has a high population of homeless people due to its central location in a predominantly rural state. Knowing this, aid organizations focus on Little Rock to provide assistance and resources for the homeless. Leslie and her UAMS team partnered with Campus Community Church (CCC) to provide the homeless in their community a meal and a movie every Wednesday night.

The Wednesday night service led to the creation of a clinic of sorts. UA’s College of Medicine and College of Nursing see homeless patients in an informal, less intimidating setting and provide preventative care. The program is led by students; upperclassmen serve leadership roles and mentor their underclassmen classmates.

“It’s really cool to see the two colleges working together and to see students in leadership roles, washing the feet of the homeless,” said Leslie.

UAMS and CCC implemented a mental health night once a month. They also started a ladies’ night which has turned into a reproductive health night, one for men and one for women each semester.

Recently, Leslie has devoted a lot of time to resource development in the area of homeless prenatal care.

“We know that we send a lot of babies home from the NICU to a homeless or housing insecure environment,” she said.

Leslie and her team received a grant to create a curriculum from the March of Dimes Becoming a Mom program, specifically tailored for the homeless population.

“I’m finally getting back to my roots in nurse-midwifery, and it’s been a lot of fun,” she said.

We are proud of Leslie for her work with the homeless in Little Rock and for empowering her students to serve the vulnerable.

Alaska Spotlight: Kristina Amundson

September 19, 2019 By frontieredu

Kristina Amundson, DNP, CNM, remembers vividly her days at FNU. Specifically, she recalls Kitty Ernst’s directive to the class: “Go forth and be a change.”

“At the time, I thought, ‘I’m just one person, how can I be a change?’” Amundson recalls. “But it’s just one step at a time. That’s my attitude in providing excellent healthcare. You have the ability to make a difference, so go do it.”

Amundson has indeed gone forth and made a change. Originally from Traverse City, Michigan, Amundson was working as a traveling labor nurse when she met the man who would become her husband in Alaska. The year was 2009, and she’s been there ever since, working first as a labor and delivery nurse and then as a nurse-midwife at Interior Women’s Health in Fairbanks. She also has privileges at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.

In her decade in Alaska, Amundson has come to realize that education is one of the biggest hurdles to healthcare for many people in the area.

“I find that women need increased access to evidence-based care, and the options in this community are sparse,” Amundson says. “The lack of knowledge of the available healthcare options results in a lack of self-advocacy to receive the best care. That’s the biggest thing, and I’m trying to address that.”

To address that gap, Amundson became an Evidence-Based Birth Instructor, offering her first class in January 2019. The six-week, evidence-based course teaches families what to expect during pregnancy and childbirth. Early interest came largely from her own patients, but she hopes to expand it to a much wider audience, including fellow healthcare professionals in the Fairbanks area.

Amundson attends 60-70 births per year and estimates she has a patient population of 40-50 pregnant women in her care at any given time, in addition to providing other women’s health care. Her goal to increase the exposure of her course might well be aided by a network of other FNU graduates who also work in Fairbanks. There are six other FNU graduates working as nurse-midwives in Fairbanks, including her sister-in-law, Courtney Amundson, MSN, CNM, Class 139, and Margaret Rader, MSN, CNM, Class 43, who was also one of Amundson’s preceptors.

“I think FNU has touched this community in a positive way,” Amundson says. “We have more midwives than obstetricians. If we didn’t have the ability to go to FNU and have extended learning, that wouldn’t be the case here.”

While Fairbanks is not rural, Amundson notes that many of her patients are from rural areas and have to go to great lengths to see her, some driving from as far as four hours away.

“There is a high native population here,” Amundson says. “They generally have poor access to healthcare because many live in villages with no clinics or they are closed in on an island.”

There is also limited access to specialists in Fairbanks. For example, the only access to a child cardiologist is once a month when a child cardiologist visits from Seattle. In some cases, patients have to travel to Anchorage or Seattle to find the specialists they need to see, which, Amundson notes, “can put an extreme financial hardship on a family.”

Another form of specialized care lacking in availability is appropriate mental health care. Amundson says that patients who are not suicidal and have no insurance are often unable to find help, and patients on Medicaid are put on a waiting list of up to a year.

“It is nearly impossible to find a place that will accept Medicaid insurance and even harder to find counseling for those who are not suicidal with Medicaid,” she says. “The patients that I see who are most affected by this are women suffering from perinatal or postpartum depression. In Alaska, I find that our incidence for this is a bit higher than the national prevalence. When I was doing my Doctor of Nursing Practice project, I surveyed and screened those seen in my clinic and 49% of women had some form (mild, moderate, severe) of depression in pregnancy or postpartum. I find that I am often prescribing for women who can’t seek care elsewhere. I am always encouraging counseling but the limited access is very problematic.”

To help address such gaps in access to mental healthcare across the country, FNU launched the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner degree path in 2017. Meanwhile, Amundson continues to be a champion for the quality of healthcare being provided in Fairbanks.

“People here advocate for change,” she says, noting that the cesarean rate is much lower than the national average. “I feel very positive about our community and how we are addressing healthcare issues.”

Indeed, Amundson and her fellow FNU nurse-midwives of Fairbanks are going forth and making a change.

FNU Alumni Answer the Call in Alaska

September 10, 2019 By frontieredu

Since its foundation in 1939, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has adopted a mission of reaching rural, diverse and underserved populations. This mission is still being lived out today, where more than 80 FNU alumni are answering the call in our country’s most remote and unforgiving state: Alaska.

According to the World Population Review, Alaska’s terrain includes 17 of the United States’ 20 highest mountain peaks, as well as 70 volcanoes, more than 3 million lakes, and 3,000 rivers. Many communities are isolated from hospitals and clinics located in bigger cities, and most are inaccessible by road. Mary Breckinridge faced similar challenges when she founded the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) in 1925 in the eastern Kentucky Appalachian Mountains. She overcame the lack of roads by traveling on horseback to reach residents who previously had no access to healthcare.

Just as in the Appalachians, the remote populations of Alaska were historically only accessible on foot or by dogsled, steamship or train. Today, small aircraft and all-terrain vehicles have allowed the Department of Health and Social Services to set up health centers in 22 communities, which in turn provide itinerant safety net services to 280 small communities and villages. These services include immunizations, education on disease prevention, and promotion of injury prevention and healthy living.

According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), most of Alaska’s geographic area is designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) based on the lack of primary care physicians, dentists and psychiatrists. 96 percent of Alaska’s landmass and 39 percent of its population falls under this category.

The HRSA has also designated a significant portion of Alaska as Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUAs/MUPs), characterized by too few primary care physicians, high infant mortality, high poverty or a high elderly population. 95 percent of Alaska’s landmass are MUAs and 78 percent of its population are MUPs.

Alaska is home to more than a third of all Native American tribes in the United States. These 229 tribes typically live in villages situated along rural rivers or coastline. The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) has created a network of primary care providers that reach over 170 of these remote villages.

Alaska state practice and licensure laws allow for all nurse practitioners to have full rights, a vital freedom in many areas where residents have no access to hospitals and traditional physicians.

FNU’s emphasis on community-based education allows nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives to train in the same communities where they live and practice. More than 80 FNU alumni practice in Alaska, and their presence has a major impact on its rural and underserved population.

Be on the lookout in the coming months as we will highlight several FNU alumni serving in Alaska!

Alaska Spotlight: Kristina Amundson

Alaska Spotlight: David Moore

Alaska Spotlight: Holly Fisk

Jonas Scholar Spotlight: Kamil El

August 29, 2019 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumna Kamil El, CNM, is obtaining her education with the ultimate goal of sharing her knowledge with future students.

Kamil received the prestigious Jonas Scholarship to aid in her current studies as a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student at FNU.

The Jonas Scholarship program, now in its tenth year, exists to improve healthcare through targeted investments in high-potential doctoral nursing students pursuing PhD, EdD or DNP degrees, whose research and clinical foci specifically address our nation’s most pressing healthcare needs.

FNU has a history of students receiving the Jonas Scholarship. In 2018, four students received the award for their hard work and ambitious goals to impact their communities.

When Kamil was completing her clinical coursework during her Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) studies, a classmate recommended she apply for the Jonas Scholarship. Kamil wrote an essay about what she would use her DNP for: to reach and meet the needs of economically, emotionally marginalized people who are on the fringes of society. She chose primary care as her area of emphasis because it encompasses everyone and would allow her the largest scope of impact.

She was selected as a 2019 Jonas Scholar for the Scholar Priority topic area of Preventative Health DNP.

Currently, Kamil serves as a CNM in a small practice in southeastern Pennsylvania. The practice runs out of two offices and offers full-scope midwifery care, including hospital and home birth. She also has the unique privilege of working with the woman who was her nurse-midwife when she had her babies.

In her practice, Kamil works with historically underserved populations. She believes that educating and supporting people to meet their specific needs is crucial to helping them reach their self-determined life goals.

Originally, Kamil enrolled in a brick & mortar university in her area. A working mother of two teenagers, she found it difficult to attend classes while still managing her home and professional roles, so she looked for an online program. FNU checked all the boxes and its history of producing so many nurse-midwives prompted her to apply.

Now enrolled in the DNP program at FNU, Kamil is enjoying her leadership course, in which she is learning how to look at organizations differently which has helped with her practice’s relationship with their local hospital.

“The DNP program is pushing me to become a better leader,” said Kamil. “I’m used to staying in the background and putting my head down, but I’m being challenged to engage more on a political stage and with stakeholders in my community to make sure my patients get the kind of care they deserve.”

Kamil chose to obtain her DNP so she can return to teaching. Before joining her practice, she taught in the Philadelphia public school system. With a DNP degree, Kamil hopes to become an educator at FNU to bring up the next generation of nurse-midwife leaders. She wants to contribute to the diversity impact movement by teaching students from the perspective of someone who has experienced marginalization, both in healthcare and life in general.

FNU is proud of Kamil for her service to her community and her ambition to impact the next generation of nurse-midwives.

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