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Staff Spotlight: Andrew Dezarn

May 24, 2018 By frontieredu

Andrew Dezarn has been “answering the call” at Frontier Nursing University (FNU) for eight years this May. Andrew is the Associate Director of Financial Aid at FNU, contributing to the mission every day by providing students with ways to fund their education and professional growth.

Andrew grew up just 30 miles away from FNU’s Hyden, Ky. campus in Manchester, Ky., where he first heard about FNU. With a bachelor’s in history, he was drawn to FNU as an established, positive force in southeast Kentucky and beyond.

Andrew’s role in the financial aid office is as satisfying for him as it is helpful for the students he meets with.

“Working in financial aid allows me to help students achieve their goals of becoming FNPs and midwives,” said Andrew. “Financial aid can be intimidating for a lot of people, so it’s nice to be able to guide our students through the process and hopefully make it less stressful for them.”

Andrew works with four other co-workers in the Financial Aid Office and loves being a part of FNU’s mission.

When he’s not providing financial advice for FNU students, Andrew spends time with his friends and family, particularly his niece. He also loves reading about, watching shows on, and fixing up cars.

Thank you, Andrew, for serving the Frontier community!

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 health care to underserved and rural populations.

FNU Hosts “Call the Midwife” Screening Event for Season 7 Premiere

May 9, 2018 By frontieredu

For the sixth consecutive year, Frontier Nursing University hosted free a reception and screening event of the hit PBS show, “Call the Midwife,” Season 7 on March 22, 2018.

The PBS drama “Call the Midwife” follows the nurses, midwives and nuns from Nonnatus House, who visit the expectant mothers of the deprived Poplar district of London’s desperately poor East End, providing the poorest women with the best possible care. Season 7 premiered on PBS on March 15, 2018.

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has been involved with the show since the program’s inception, with a rich history during the early days of midwifery. FNU faculty member Katie Moriarty, PhD, CNM, CAFCI, FACNM, RN is one of four experienced midwives who partner with PBS and Detroit Public Television to discuss their role in modern obstetrics in relation to “Call the Midwife,” which takes place in the 1950s and 1960s. As a “Modern Day Midwives Blogger” for the show’s website, Moriarty contributes valuable knowledge of midwifery as it relates to FNU in regular blog posts.

The Season 7 screening event, held at the Kentucky Educational Television (KET) Studio in Lexington, Ky., included a reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and beverages leading up to the screening. Several dozen “Call the Midwife” fans, FNU supporters, and friends from the community enjoyed getting together and chatting about the most exciting season yet!

To see photos from the screening, click here.

To learn more about the hit PBS and BBC drama series, “Call the Midwife,” go here.

About Frontier Nursing University:

FNU is passionate about educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to serve women and families in all communities, especially rural and underserved areas. FNU offers graduate Nurse-Midwifery and Nurse-Practitioner distance education programs that can be pursued full- or part-time with the student’s home community serving as the classroom. Degrees and options offered include Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Post-Graduate Certificates. To learn more about FNU and the programs and degrees offered, please visit Frontier.edu.

VIDM Features FNU President as Keynote Speaker

April 30, 2018 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has been educating students in the field of nurse-midwifery for nearly 80 years. FNU president and certified nurse-midwife Susan Stone will have the opportunity to share FNU’s vision and present on the topic of nurse-midwifery this May as a keynote speaker for the 2018 Virtual International Day of the Midwife.

In its tenth year, the Virtual International Day of the Midwife (VIDM) is an annual online conference which celebrates the International Day of the Midwife held each year on May 5th. The free virtual event, sponsored in part by FNU, uses online conferencing software to bring together anyone who has an interest in childbirth matters – from midwives to professionals, and students to consumers.

This year, the VIDM conference begins on May 4, 2018 at 5 p.m. EDT and features a 24-hour program covering a wide range of subjects with speakers from around the globe. Dr. Susan Stone is featured as one of five keynote speakers, joining esteemed midwifery and nursing professionals from across international borders in the Netherlands, Ghana, Australia and New Zealand.

Dr. Stone’s presentation covers the importance of building a diverse midwifery workforce. Using her three decades’ worth of experience in the field, Dr. Stone will talk about how a diverse workforce in the midwifery field in the United States will improve maternity care outcomes. Her session can be seen for free at 8:00am EDT in Room 2 of the virtual Big Blue Button conference space.

This year’s other VIDM speakers, representing 15 countries, 6 continents, and 3 languages, cover a wide range of subjects. Just a few of the topics are:

Neonatal safety with water birth: Results from our meta-analysis
Designing, developing and testing ‘Home But Not Alone’ mobile phone app for new parents in the early postpartum period
Birth outcomes of women with BMIs >30 enrolled for care at freestanding birth centers
Postnatal Pilates: Findings from a pilot study

This year, two other FNU faculty and staff members are actively participating in the VIDM as well. Jane Houston, DNP, CNM, Clinical Program Director at FNU is serving as a member of this year’s VIDM committee and member of the VIDM marketing staff. Stephanie Boyd, FNU’s Multimedia Communications Specialist, will facilitate a speaking session on Saturday from 9-10:00am EDT.

VIDM is a fantastic teaching opportunity for our FNU faculty and staff, but also a great learning opportunity to hear from some of the brightest minds in midwifery. Students, faculty and the public can tune in for free to the 2018 VIDM on www.vidm.org.

Bring Mary C. Breckinridge to Your Community or Classroom

April 23, 2018 By frontieredu

Janet Scott as Mary Breckinridge - Photo credit: Kentucky Humanities

Photo: Kentucky Humanities

Frontier Nursing University’s story started back in 1925 with one woman: Mary Carson Breckinridge. Now, the Kentucky Chautauqua, a touring series of solo performances, has brought her to life for this generation to see her legacy – and you have the opportunity to see it for yourself.

Mrs. Breckinridge was the first American trained nurse-midwife in the 1920s. Living in the the mountains of eastern Kentucky, she recognized a need for better healthcare systems and made it her mission to improve infant and maternal care. She established the Frontier Nursing Service in 1925, and after astonishing success in birth outcomes, founded the Frontier Graduate School of Midwifery (now known as Frontier Nursing University) in 1939.

Though her work in infant and maternal healthcare were invaluable throughout the last 40 years of her life, Mrs. Breckinridge had a lasting legacy.

The Kentucky Humanities Council’s Kentucky Chautauqua team, who has brought to life more than 70 people from Kentucky’s past, now features Mary C. Breckinridge in its lineup of dramatizations. Mrs. Breckinridge’s character is portrayed by Janet Scott, who is thrilled to be representing such an inspirational figure in history.

“I often hear people say that they have been waiting for a Chautauqua of Mary Breckinridge and the more I worked, the more I saw why she is so widely beloved,” says Scott. “To honor the life of such a woman, to offer the message of boundless courage and compassion embodied in her life choices, is to present a story of saintlike heroineism.”

The Chautauqua performers travel to schools and community organizations throughout the state, and are available for booking in 2017-2018 for audiences of 40 or more – perfect for your classroom, organization or community group.

Frontier Nursing University is excited for Mrs. Breckinridge’s story to continue to be spread, as a message of hope and inspiration to all who hear it.

“In a time when movie heroes have enormous moral influence and people want their own stories to be heard, Mary Breckinridge’s life offers a model that has profound positive impact,” says Scott.

“The story of Mary Carson Breckinridge and the Frontier Nursing Service have had impact that has surpassed my highest hopes and revealed the necessity for her life giving words and message in our world today.”

For more about the Mary Carson Breckinridge Chautauqua character visit:

https://www.kyhumanities.org/chautauquacharacters.html

To book a Mary Carson Breckinridge Chautauqua performance visit:

https://www.kyhumanities.org/howtobookperformances.html

Board Member Spotlight: Phyllis Leppert, CNM, MD, PhD

April 16, 2018 By frontieredu

Dr. Phyllis Leppert, CNM, MD, PhD was inspired to join the Frontier Nursing University (FNU) team by FNU legend Kitty Ernst. Six years ago, Phyllis began her stint serving with Kitty on the Frontier Board of Directors.

Kitty was Phyllis’s professor of nurse-midwifery at Columbia before the pair became colleagues while working on their Community-based Nurse-Midwifery Education Program (CNEP) in the 1990s. Finding that they shared a passion to lead improvement in reproductive health and advancement in reproductive science, Phyllis decided to join Kitty as a board member at FNU.

As a Professor Emerita Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Duke University School of Medicine and author of over 100 research articles and 32 review articles, Phyllis came highly acclaimed. In 2017, she and two colleagues were awarded a patent for “Treatment method and product for uterine fibroids using purified collagenase” (Patent 9,744,138).

Currently, Phyllis is working with FNU Professor and Course Coordinator Dr. Laura Manns-James to develop an epigenetics CM course for graduates and advanced practice nurses.

Phyllis also serves FNU by supporting students and sharing about Frontier with colleagues, community members, and friends.

Her favorite part about serving on the board is meeting students, especially through Diversity Impact weekend.

Though retired now, Phyllis doesn’t stop there. She serves as President of the Campion Fund, a non-profit that supports basic research in reproduction, and is a member of the Advisory Board for Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment.

Thank you, Dr. Leppert, for your valuable contribution to Frontier students and the FNU community!

At the heart of Frontier Nursing University is a talented and diverse community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, Couriers and preceptors. Spotlight blogs feature members of our FNU community that are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality health care to underserved and rural populations.

Frontier Nursing University to attend March for Moms in 2018

April 3, 2018 By frontieredu

The week before Mother’s Day, moms and advocates for moms will come together at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. at the second annual March for Moms rally. Frontier Nursing University (FNU) will be in Washington, D.C. again this year as a proud sponsor of the event. Below, we answer some important questions you might have about the rally and why FNU is joining thousands of other healthcare providers, women and advocates in our nation’s capital on May 6th.

What is the March for Moms and why should I participate?

March for Moms’ mission is “to help align and coordinate the efforts of families, health care providers, policymakers, and other partners who are acting to achieve the best possible health and well-being for all mothers.” This is aligned with FNU’s mission to educate nurses to become competent, entrepreneurial, ethical and compassionate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners who are leaders in the primary care of women and families with an emphasis on underserved and rural populations. At FNU, we are all about mothers because mothers are all about families.

Why is FNU supporting the March for Moms?

March for Moms’ platform is made up of bipartisan issues that FNU agrees are hugely important—from preventing an alarming rate of maternal death, to investing in moms with paid family leave. As a result of the rally, March for Moms hopes to establish maternal death review boards in every state, advocate for routine perinatal depression screening and mental health services, address causes of preterm birth, and acknowledge the role that racism and health inequity play in maternal health outcomes of women of color, particularly African American women.

FNU is involved because we want to be part of the solution. History shows that public discourse, protest and activism led by formal movements that are sustained over time will eventually begin to impact change. FNU will join together with March for moms and dozens of other organizations and consumers, health care professionals and policy leaders, businesses and diverse stakeholders, acting as one voice to be the change. The FNU community’s endorsement and participation in this even furthers the cause and passion of FNU’s founder, Mary Breckinridge.

Why do you feel it’s important for nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to support this cause?

As recognized leaders in maternal and infant healthcare, Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM) and Nurse Practitioners (NP) need to be politically active to help support change in important issues. There is no more important issue in healthcare than advancing and improving care for mothers. Improved care for mothers will inevitably affect positive change on families and communities. Nursing is historically one of the most trusted professions, thus making the voices of NPs and CNMs invaluable to the cause.

How can I get involved and make a difference?

FNU students, alumni, staff and faculty: Join the FNU March for Moms team in D.C. and participate in the rally on May 6, 2018. Find out details on our Facebook page or email Denise Barnett at Denise.Barrett@frontier.edu.

Businesses: Invest in the cause. Even a gift as little $10 can go a long way towards making sure the rally captures the attention of policymakers.

Citizens: Anyone can get involved. If you cannot attend or give, you can still be part of the action! Visit the March for Moms Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages and spread the word by sharing on your own social accounts.

The Gift of Precepting – Susan Clapp, CNM

March 30, 2018 By frontieredu

In the life of Susan Clapp, CNM, precepting is a gift that is both given and received. Susan was working in Labor & Delivery after receiving her LPN in 1992. At the time, one of her instructors who was a nurse-midwife got Susan very interested in the profession, but life took over. Between a husband and two babies, Susan’s dream of being a midwife sat in the wings until another midwife started working on her floor.

Susan enrolled in Frontier Nursing University (FNU) in Class 81 and received her CNM in 2012. During her time as a student, she was the recipient of mentoring by three different preceptors.

“I was so blessed. They were fantastic and they were lovely,” Susan says of her preceptors.

Now, as a full-scope nurse-midwife for the Department of Defense at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Ft. Hood, TX, Susan gets to pay that gift forward.

As many nurses know, precepting is not an easy task. Many students are leaders in a medical setting, and being a novice under the direction of a preceptor can prove a difficult transition for both parties. It can also be hard for students to find preceptors, and when they do, the hospital may not accept a preceptee or give first choice to medical residents.

Preceptors also face a challenge, because it adds so much work to their already-full plate of patients. A good preceptor expends extra hours for teaching and demonstrations while precepting, which can be draining and stressful.

Despite the difficulties that come with precepting, Susan estimates she has precepted around 20 students since her graduation from Frontier six years ago. Her team of nurse-midwives strives to constantly have a preceptee in rotation, so that the students can benefit from being in their practice.

One of her recent preceptees had a triumphant moment during a complicated, emergency case. Though Susan could tell she was nervous, she let her preceptee take the lead – and was ecstatic with how she took control of the situation.

“She did so good and it made me incredibly proud. We got out of the room and I was squealing like a teenager,” says Susan.

Moments like these are what Susan lives for – and the reason she continues precepting.

“I think it’s important because you need to give back to your community,” she says. “You need to grow the nurse practitioner and the provider profession. You’ve got to give back so that those students can grow. If you don’t do it, then nobody is going to do it.”

Susan doesn’t stop at precepting in her mission to give back to the midwifery community. She was President of the FNU Alumni Association Advisory Council president for 5 years, and now serves on the council as the Development Committee Chair. She also participates in FNU’s SAGE Mentoring Network and Wide Neighborhoods Ambassador Program. Frontier clearly takes a special place in Susan’s life.

“I went [to Frontier] and I found this whole, big huge community,” Susan says. “You have to find your people; I went there and found a huge community.”

Of the 20-or-so students that Susan has precepted, the cycle is coming full circle for a few of them as they are beginning to precept others. It’s a proud moment for Susan. But she also reminds the ones that haven’t started precepting that they don’t have to know everything.

“Ninety percent of your job is caring,” she says.

And for anyone doubting their qualifications as a preceptor, Susan has an answer:

“At first you feel so unworthy. You think about your preceptor as this huge mentor, they’re all-knowing, they’re like superheroes. And you think to yourself, ‘I’m not that person.’ But you are that person. You just have to step out there and do it.”

Courier Spotlight: Wendy Parker-Wood

March 19, 2018 By frontieredu

When Wendy Parker-Wood’s family visited the Big House at the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) grounds, Wendy knew it was a place she wanted to be. The then 12-year-old Wendy was fascinated by the stories her mother told of volunteering as a Christmas secretary at FNS in the 1930s, and she felt a strong connection to the work the Couriers did there.

In her senior year of high school in 1966, Wendy traveled to Wendover to participate in the Courier Program. She rode horses, grocery shopped for the cooks, transported sick children to Lexington and Cincinnati, prepared tea time, and acted as a tour guide for visitors. That first summer, Wendy and her fellow Couriers also took care of animals, assisted at the local clinics, and engaged with the community.

Wendy also assisted at the outpost clinics of Wolf Creek and Beechfork. On one memorable occasion, Wendy was called to observe an appendectomy. Due to not eating beforehand, she passed out, hit her head and woke up hours later after being treated!

In 1967, Wendy was asked to return to Wendover as a Senior Courier. Her second summer was spent teaching the new Couriers to drive the manual FNS jeeps. She and the other Couriers were allowed to name each new jeep that was purchased. Wendy then served another subsequent summer in 1968.

The Couriers had their fair share of fun – once even pranking Wendy with a healthy dose of cow manure – but Wendy also developed a great respect and admiration for FNS. Everyone had a specific job to do within the organization but at the end of the day, they came together to work as a community. Furthermore, up to that point, Wendy had not seen women running an organization like FNS. It was encouraging to observe successful female management on such a personal level, and it inspired Wendy to pursue such goals in her own life.

The culture and people that Wendy encountered in the community had a profound impact on her. She was exposed to a new way to life, and she enjoyed talking to the people in the area. Though Wendy loved FNS and the surrounding community, she decided to change directions when she was finished with college. She lived in Europe for five years after graduating, then began career in banking and worked for many years on Wall Street.

Throughout her time at Wendover, Wendy grew close with her fellow Couriers and many staff members, found a summer romance, enhanced her skills, and learned a lot about herself.

Above all else, FNS broadened her horizons in life, for which Wendy will be forever grateful.

“It’s just a special little place that stays right inside my heart,” Wendy says.

Do you feel a call to broaden your horizons through a career in Nurse-Midwifery? Click here for more information!

In 1928, Mary Breckinridge, founder of Frontier Nursing University established the Courier Program, recruiting young people to work in the Kentucky Mountains and learn about service to humanity. Couriers escorted guests safely through remote terrain, delivered medical supplies to remote outpost clinics, and helped nurse-midwives during home visits and births. Frontier has benefited tremendously from the 1,600 Couriers who have served since 1928.

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.