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Frontier Nursing University Named Gold “COVID Stops Here” Workplace

October 18, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) in Versailles, Kentucky, has been recognized as a Gold COVID Stops Here workplace for achieving over a 90% vaccination rate.

The COVID Stops Here campaign recognizes Kentucky workplaces that have achieved widespread vaccination against COVID-19. Organizations that have achieved at least a 70% vaccination rate are eligible to receive a designation.

“I am very pleased to report that currently 92% of our 88 Kentucky-based employees have been vaccinated against COVID,” FNU President Dr. Susan Stone said. “We are very proud of the leadership that our faculty, staff, students, and alumni have displayed in their communities all across the country during the pandemic. Locally, we were honored to partner with the Woodford County Health Department and serve as a vaccination site last spring. We hope that our example inspires others in the community to get vaccinated as well.”

The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce developed the COVID Stops Here campaign as a way to celebrate workplaces that are leading the fight to stop COVID-19 — and to encourage more organizations to join their ranks.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is Kentucky’s pathway to recovery. Frontier Nursing University is helping set the bar for vaccination in Kentucky by achieving Gold COVID Stops Here status — meaning at least 90% of their employees are now vaccinated against COVID-19. This is a great achievement and we thank them for helping our state stop this dangerous virus,” said Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Ashli Watts. “Employers are playing a very important role as we work to encourage vaccination in Kentucky. In order to finally put this virus behind us, we need Kentuckians to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Together we can stop this virus, let’s make sure that COVID stops here!”

Learn more at kychamber.com/CovidStopsHere

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About Frontier Nursing University:

The mission of FNU is to provide accessible nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner education to prepare competent, entrepreneurial, ethical, and compassionate leaders in primary care to serve all individuals with an emphasis on women and families in diverse, rural, and underserved populations. 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. In 2021, Frontier was named a “Great College to Work For” by the Great Colleges to Work For® program. To learn more about FNU and the programs and degrees offered, please visit Frontier.edu.

Frontier Nursing University Celebrates Faculty Accomplishments (April – June 2021)

July 23, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

Each year Frontier Nursing University (FNU) faculty leaves a lasting impact in the health care community. This blog highlights the research, presentations, and acknowledgments created and earned by faculty members between April and June of this year.

Paula Alexander-Delpech, Ph.D., PMHNP-BC, APRN, Associate Professor

Dr. Alexander Delpech is completing a two-year appointment on the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) inaugural Diversity Committee.

She is a member of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Group, and served as a faculty reviewer on the AACN Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Faculty Toolkit. In addition, she was selected to participate in the 2021-2022 cohort of the AACN’s Elevating Leaders in Academic Nursing Program (ELAN).

In collaboration with Billinda Tebbenhoff and Audrey Perry, DNP, CNM, CNE, Dr. Alexander-Delpech’s abstract was accepted for a poster presentation at the APNA 35th Annual Conference: “Revolutionizing Person-Centered Care Through the Integration of Teams STEEPS in a PMHNP Curriculum.”

Tia Andrighetti, DNP, CNM, CHSE-A, CNE, Innovation Coach and Simulation Coordinator

Dr. Andrighetti was appointed to the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME) Site Visitor Panel.

Megan Arbour, Ph.D., CNM, CNE

Dr. Arbour published “Clinical Implications for Women of a Low-Carbohydrate or Ketogenic Diet With Intermittent Fasting” in Nursing for Women’s Health in collaboration with Melissa Stec, Kelly C. Walker and Judith C. Wika.

Jan Engstrom, PhD, APRN, CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE

Dr. Engstrom volunteered with the Flagler County Health Department COVID-19 Vaccination Program, doing advanced clinical screenings for people desiring the vaccine. Dr. Engstrom volunteered at 36 sessions, screening about 3,500 people.

Jana Esden, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CNE

In April, Dr. Esden presented at the National Conference for Nurse Practitioners Spring 2021 Conference. She discussed the diagnosis and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia, using scenario-based synchronous group learning to improve student confidence in prescribing. The session was also recorded for the National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculties 47th Annual Conference.

Kendra Faucett, DNP, CNM, Assistant Professor

In May, Dr. Faucett presented, “Stand up and be Counted: Why Ensuring Birth Certificate Accuracy Should be the Priority of Every Midwife,” at the American College of Nurse-Midwives virtual annual conference. The presentation was in collaboration with Emily McGahey.

Meghan Garland, MSN, CNM

Garland published “Self-Efficacy, Outcome Expectations, Group Social Support, and Adherence to Physical Activity in African American Women,” in collaboration with JoEllen Wilbur, Louis Fogg, Shannon Halloway, Lynne Braun, and Arlene Miller.

She was awarded a competitive grant from the Midwest Nursing Research Society to support her research and internal funding from the Rush University College of Nursing. Her dissertation research is on the determinants of physical activity among pregnant Black women. Garland, who is pursuing her doctorate at Rush University’s College of Nursing, intends to develop culturally tailored physical activity interventions for women with limited access to high-quality care.

“I saw an opportunity to promote health in a population that frequently is overlooked or doesn’t receive the quality of health care that they deserve,” Garland said.

Jane Houston, DNP, CNM, FACNM

Dr. Houston received the Lang International Scholarship Award from the ACNM to virtually attend the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM).

Khara’ Jefferson, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, Assistant Professor

Dr. Jefferson published “Implementing a Standardized Cardiac Protocol for the Adolescent Preparticipation Sports Examination” in the Journal of Pediatric Health Care.

Laura Manns-James, Ph.D., CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE, Associate Professor

Dr. Manns-James, in collaboration with Nell Tharpe, Cindy Farley, Robin Jordan, Heather Bradford, Nena Harris and Heidi Fillmore, published “Clinical Practice Guidelines for Midwifery and Women’s Health (6th ed.) in Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Audrey Perry, DNP, CNM, CNE

Dr. Perry successfully won the primary election for School Board Director and will be moving on to November and the general election.

Kevin Scalf, DNP, PMHNP-BC

In April, Dr. Scalf presented “Demystifying Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Clinical Setting” at the Kentucky Association of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse-Midwives Annual Conference in Louisville, Ky.

Ana Verzone, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CNM

In collaboration with Forrest, C. L., Dr. Verzone published “Antibiotic Stewardship: Improving patient-Centered Right Care in Urgent Care Using a Shared Decision Aid and 5 Ds Tool” in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Sally Weiss, EdD, APRN, FNP-C, CNE, ANEF

Dr. Weiss was selected to sit on the education committee for the state organization Florida Nurse Practitioner Network. F.A. Davis also contacted her to contribute to a chapter on cellular regulation for Linda Caputi’s new book, Nursing Concepts a Practical Approach.

A huge congratulations to all of our faculty for everything they do to build a better world for the health care community and underserved populations!

FNU Offers New Course Focused on Providing Culturally Competent and Safe Care

May 13, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

In alignment with the school’s mission of providing accessible nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner education to prepare competent, entrepreneurial, ethical, and compassionate leaders in primary care to serve all individuals with an emphasis on women and families in diverse, rural, and underserved populations, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is excited to offer its new course, “Introduction to Cultural Safety.”

As our country continues to face racism and discrimination, FNU remains committed to taking a stand for diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and antiracism for marginalized populations. To meet this time of crisis, FNU is taking a systemic approach to thread DEI and anti-racism throughout the university. This course is only a small part of the work being done to actively expand institutional capacity for DEI and anti-racism work.

“The focus of the Introduction to Cultural Safety is on Native Americans, but the tenets can be applied to all populations,” Dr. Erin Tenney, the creator of the course, said. “In this course, we introduce the concept of cultural safety by centering on the Indigenous patient experience and learning to listen as the patient defines what safe care is.”

By the end of the Introduction to Cultural Safety, learners will be able to:

Define cultural safety
Identify the three key tenets of cultural safety
Explain the impacts of colonization on Indigenous people in the U.S.
Describe what culturally safe vs. culturally unsafe care may look like
Discuss personal and systems change strategies for improving the cultural safety of care

Dr. Tenney leads the course with guest instructor Dorene Waubanewquay Day. Day is an accomplished educator, midwife, activist, singer, and artist who consults with and works within many Indigenous and other communities and organizations to help restore and design culturally safe practices. In 2020, she was selected as a Luce Indigenous Fellow.

In addition to being clinical faculty at FNU, Dr. Tenney is a certified nurse-midwife and women’s health nurse practitioner, Doulas of North America (DONA) International birth doula trainer, writer, and photographer who has worked within Indigenous health centers and communities throughout her nursing career of almost 20 years.

Dr. Tenney credits Day with being her teacher and mentor, “particularly about women’s health and traditional lifeways, birth and parenting, life, death, grief, healing and more.” Together, they have traveled to Native communities in the U.S. and Canada, providing birth and women’s health training. They also offer culturally-based doula and midwifery teachings, in addition to cultural safety training for health providers in the U.S.

Those interested in the Introduction to Cultural Safety can enroll in the course at https://ceu.catalog.instructure.com/courses/introduction2cultural-safety.

This activity is approved for 3.0 contact hour(s) of continuing education by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Activity ID# 21034781. This activity was planned in accordance with AANP Accreditation Standards and Policies

This course and the many other diversity programs at the core of FNU have been essential as Frontier works to ensure sustainability, growth, and equitable services for our students, faculty, and staff. Even more importantly, this sort of work is essential in order for the university to truly fulfill its mission, achieve the goal of a diverse nursing and midwifery workforce, and improve health outcomes, especially for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Although we have made notable progress, it is imperative that our DEI and anti-racism work continue to evolve and persist in order for us to serve our communities successfully.

To find out more about FNU’s efforts to increase diversity and improve cultural knowledge, visit our Diversity Impact Program page. FNU’s Diversity Impact Program has been active for over ten years. The program was designed to promote an inclusive learning and workforce environment at FNU, with the goal of increasing diversity in the nursing and midwifery professions by recruiting and retaining underrepresented students and employees.

Editor’s Note: This program is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $2,065,200. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Frontier Nursing University Celebrates Nurses Week May 6-12th

May 10, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

Each year, Frontier Nursing University looks forward to May, when we join with the American Nurses Association (ANA) in celebrating National Nurses Week. Although these celebrations have looked a bit different the past two years, the enthusiasm has only increased. As of this year, National Nurses Week has become National Nurses Month, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has extended the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife into 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has seen a heightened need for nurses and midwives worldwide. The extension of the Year of the Nurse and Midwife demonstrates the continued support by WHO for the endless dedication and sacrifice of frontline workers throughout the pandemic.

As nurses and midwives approach work in the second year of COVID-19, support and encouragement for frontline workers continues to be essential to keep our country moving forward. This week, Frontier joins with people across the nation to celebrate nurses by following the weekly themes outlined by the ANA for National Nurses Month. Below you can find each week’s theme along with ways FNU has stepped up to support nurses throughout the past year:

Week 1: Self Care

When COVID-19 first closed down the FNU campus over a year ago, Frontier leadership quickly established a virtual hub for information and resources about the pandemic. On this page, students and faculty can find the most up-to-date data on the disease, as well as several self-care strategies provided by Dr. Jess Calohan, DNP, Associate Professor, and Department Chair of FNU’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program.

Frontier is proud that its campus has been utilized as a vaccination site. It has been an honor to be a part of moving our community in a safe and healthy direction. While the vaccination process continues, FNU is asking community members to share photos of receiving or administering the vaccine here.

Week 2: Recognition

As a nursing university, FNU is well aware of the sacrifices being made every day by the men and women serving on the frontlines. Throughout this year, the university has built a running blog to honor and share the stories of students, alumni, and faculty making a difference in the fight against COVID-19.

Week 3: Professional Development

Frontier has continued to be committed to its students and the overall nursing community throughout the pandemic. The university has worked to expand nursing education throughout the pandemic through continuing education (CE) opportunities. Current CE options available through Frontier include “Anxiety in Children and Adolescents: Trends in Treatment,” “Midwifery Pearls of Telehealth,” “Epigenetics for the Practicing Clinician,” and “Hot Topics in the Management of Perimenopause & Menopause: A Conventional & Integrative Approach.” Additionally, FNU has recently released a new course, “Introduction to Cultural Safety,” designed to help health care workers gain a deeper understanding of best practices for serving cultures different from their own. This course is available to the FNU community and anyone interested in providing quality service to people of all backgrounds.

Week 4: Community Engagement

During this period of isolation, Frontier has worked hard to expand community engagement and continue to provide support to faculty, staff and students alike. This has been done through Facebook groups, message boards, notes of encouragement, and so much more. During the past year, Frontier has found sharing stories of alumni, students, and preceptor successes to be an excellent resource for keeping the FNU family connected. If you are interested in sharing your story or know someone from FNU with a great story, please share it with the FNU communications team here.
On top of COVID-19, the past year has also put on display the harsh disparities and racism that still exist in the country today. With the deaths of George Floyd, Brenna Taylor, and so many others, FNU was determined to continue the school’s tradition of hosting a Diversity Impact Conference. 2020 marked the ten-year anniversary of the conference and although it was moved to a digital platform, the enthusiasm for the mission, fantastic speakers and presentations, and the opportunity to have important conversations revolving around race, gender, and identity remained the same.
In a further effort to stand in solidarity with marginalized individuals, FNU also released an anti-racism statement that can be found here.

Frontier is proud to continue to celebrate, support, and educate nurses throughout the difficulties of this past year. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about FNU and our commitment to lifting nurses of all ethnicities and backgrounds, visit our mission page.

The Road to Dreams Fulfilled

May 5, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

Nancy Reinhart, MPH, CNM, Class 155 knew what she was looking for, and was willing to travel as far as necessary to find it. Her journey has taken her from her hometown of Louisville to Hyden, Kentucky; Fort Hood, Texas; Shiprock, New Mexico; and, currently, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The common theme behind every choice and step she has made has been her drive to serve rural and underserved communities.

Even with that as her guide, however, Reinhart did not set out to be a nurse-midwife. That began to change when she participated in Frontier’s Courier program during the summer between her junior and senior years of college.

“My family has always been committed to helping people and giving service,” she said. “But the rural healthcare piece was inspired by my experience in the Courier program. I saw my first birth and it made a tremendous impact on me. I actually chose my master’s program because of that history.”

After her Courier experience — which included meeting current FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, who was the Midwifery Program Director at that time — Reinhart earned a masters’ degree in public health and began a job in social justice. Soon thereafter she was contacted by Frontier and offered the opportunity to run the Courier program.

“I just knew it was a good fit for me,” Reinhart said.

It was also the beginning of her journey to become a nurse-midwife. Like all staff and faculty members at FNU, Reinhart attended Frontier Bound as part of her orientation. That experience convinced her that her dream of becoming a nurse-midwife could be a reality.

“When I was at Frontier Bound I was so amazed at the diversity of people and ages that were starting this journey,” Reinhart said. “I had been thinking I was too old and too far along in life. I was putting up all these barriers against myself, but that dream just wasn’t leaving me and that really helped me to get over the hump. So I went ahead and started chipping away at the educational requirements while running the Courier program.”

One of those requirements — acquiring clinical hours — proved to be a bit of a challenge. She found opportunities close to home at the University of Louisville and the Tree of Life Birth Center in southern Indiana. She enjoyed working with Damara Jenkins, MSN, CMN, Class 48, her primary preceptor at both sites, but both sites were in very high demand with other student requests. She also wanted some of her training to be in a rural setting with a strong collaborative physician-midwife model. Determined to find the experience she was looking for, she decided to expand her search.

“There was an intense amount of clinical pressure on the sites local to me. As soon as I gave up a spot at both of the sites that I had for brief periods of time in Kentucky, they were taken by other students who needed clinical hours, particularly births,” Reinhart said. “I wanted to be at a higher volume site and one with a rural focus because that is how I envisioned practicing. That was a governing factor in why I chose to travel. It felt like to get what I was looking for, I was going to have to expand my horizons.”

That led her to the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood, Texas. There, her primary preceptor was FNU graduate Susan Clapp, MSN, CNM, Class 81. She next went to Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, New Mexico, where she was primarily precepted by Venay Uecke, CNM, and another FNU graduate, Kerena Satlzgiver, MSN, CNM, Class 91.

“I traveled quite far,” Reinhart laughed. “We took our whole family on a roadshow from July to December in 2019.” Reinhart’s family consists of her husband, Dave Mitchell, who is a therapist, and three children ages 4, 9, and 11.

Reinhart expressed her gratitude to all the preceptors who taught her and to all the families who allowed her to participate in their births as a student. She said she learned a tremendous amount from the regional variation in midwifery practices that she saw across four states during clinical.

When the successful “roadshow” came to an end, it was time to find a full-time opportunity. Once again, the family had a vision for their desired next step.

“My husband and I were pretty clear about what our priorities were,” Reinhart said. “I prioritized rural health as something I was committed to serving. So we looked at what places and locations both had job openings, were rural serving underserved, and were relatively close to home, family, and friends. I had job opportunities in New Mexico and far afield, but we limited our search to Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. I wanted to serve women in a rural area through a full-scope midwifery position with a good work-life balance. I also wanted to be in a place with really supportive physicians. I know what it’s like for midwives when they don’t have supportive physicians to work with. Gettysburg fit all those things for us.”

Reinhart joined WellSpan OB/GYN in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as a full-scope nurse-midwife in July 2020. The practice, which consists of four nurse-midwives and four physicians, is the only one in the area that offers 24/7 nurse-midwifery care.

“We serve several surrounding, rural counties,” Reinhart said. “We have a largely low socioeconomic class of women and families that we serve. This is an orchard and farming area, so we serve migrant workers and their families as a part of our base. Just like anywhere that you have a diverse population, we have language barriers. One thing I really value about our hospital is that we have in-person Spanish language translators. It is such a nice human touch to have that for someone going through labor and often scary situations.”

The COVID-19 Pandemic has only added to the fear and stress of those situations, for both the patients and their caregivers.

“One of the things I love about birth is the intimacy that midwives provide before, during, and after labor,” Reinhart said. “The pandemic definitely disrupts that process. Most of our patients are good champs about it, but it is a different experience when you’re in labor and you see your healthcare provider covered from head to toe with protective equipment. I grieve that for my patients and I look forward to a time when we can be more physically connected.”

Reinhart went on to point out the mental health impact of the pandemic. Feelings of anxiety and isolation are understandably magnified when loved ones are not able to be as involved in welcoming a new addition to the family as they would like.

“Sometimes partners aren’t allowed in the appointments depending on the level of infection we have in our county,” Reinhart said. “Postpartum, the experience with so many partnerships and families trying to have this source of joy in their home and not being able to share that baby’s life with loved ones because of the pandemic is pretty tough on people.”

Even after the pandemic is over, there will be other challenges in healthcare and society in general. While serving as a certified nurse-midwife is enough, Reinhart is determined to do more to help others. Already involved in the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), she intends to increase her participation and to seek more ways to make a difference in her community.

“Frontier curriculum provided a high level of dedication to the aspects of public health, how the social determinants of health underlie our practice, identifying the political and practical trends that impact how we serve our clients,” Reinhart said. “That got me thinking about how I think of myself as a midwife outside of the hospital. What are the things I can be involved with in my community and ACNM to make a difference in the lives of the clients I serve to work to dismantle racism and other obstacles that people face to be able to be well and healthy? Frontier helped me see that bigger picture within the context of midwifery.”

Even though she’s only been in Gettysburg less than a year, Reinhart said she is considering applying to the local human relations commission and plans to start a perinatal loss support group. Further on the horizon, she would like to get her doctorate and eventually teach. No matter how long the route, Reinhart has proven she’s willing to put in the work — and the miles — to reach whatever goal is in her sights.

Editor’s note: Nancy’s father, Philmar Reinhart, a longtime supporter of Frontier who was very supportive of Nancy’s journey into midwifery, passed away during the time it took this story to come to print. We mourn with the family and are thankful for Nancy and her father, who attended many FNU events.

Frontier Nursing University Offers Donation of the Wendover Bed & Breakfast and Retreat Center to Leslie County non-profit organization

May 3, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

Versailles, Ky. – Frontier Nursing University (FNU) announced today that it has offered to donate the historic home of Mary Breckinridge and surrounding properties to Leslie County Betterment, Inc.. In September of 2020, Leslie County Betterment, Inc. along with the Leslie County Community Foundation contacted FNU to request the donation of “the entire Wendover location (Big House, Garden House, Barn, Livery, Cottage, and Guard Shack) to Leslie County Betterment, Inc” with the goal to “utilize the facility for the betterment of Leslie County and its people…”

The proposed gift includes all land and buildings at what is now the Wendover Bed & Breakfast and Retreat Center, the value of which is estimated at nearly two million dollars. The property was the home of Mary Breckinridge and the Frontier Nursing Service. The decision to make the offer was made by the FNU Board of Directors at its meeting on April 29, 2021. The centerpiece of the property, the “Big House” was built in 1925 and is a National Historic Landmark. More information regarding the property can be found at wendoverbb.com.

“Wendover has been part of Frontier Nursing since our founding,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone. “Its incredible historical significance is perhaps only outshined by the many wonderful memories our students, faculty, and staff have made there. While we are sad to say goodbye to Wendover, we are very proud to be able to offer this gift to the people of Leslie County. We hope that it serves them well and that many more fond memories are made there.”

FNU is finalizing construction on its new campus in Versailles, Kentucky. The land, which was purchased in 2017, was the former home of The United Methodist Children’s Home. The new 217-acre campus maintains FNU’s presence in a rural county while providing more space to serve FNU’s more than 2,500 students.

About Frontier Nursing University:

The mission of FNU is to provide accessible nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner education to prepare competent, entrepreneurial, ethical, and compassionate leaders in primary care to serve all individuals with an emphasis on women and families in diverse, rural, and underserved populations. 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.

Media inquires can go to: Angela Bailey, Chief Advancement Officer, angela.bailey@frontier.edu

FNU Celebrates the Virtual International Day of The Midwife through Online Conference

April 26, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

The Frontier Nursing University (FNU) community is proud to once again celebrate and sponsor the annual Virtual International Day of the Midwife (VIDM). VIDM is a 24-hour free online conference that will take place Tuesday, May 4, and Wednesday, May 5, 2021. The event is intended for nurse-midwives and anyone interested in childbirth irrespective of international geographic borders.

This year’s conference will be exceptionally informative with over 40 speakers presenting – a record for the event. Event speakers will be streaming from 23 countries, with presentations offered in both English and Spanish. The majority of topics will revolve around this year’s conference theme, Birth Equity for All.

The celebration will kick off Tuesday, May 4, with a pre-session event featuring World Health Organization (WHO) Chief Nurse and Midwife Elizabeth Iro and WHO Midwifery Advisor Fran McConville, discussing “The State of the World’s Midwifery”. FNU has been highlighting these heroes over the past year by profiling faculty and students who have worked to help patients amidst COVID-19. These stories can be found in the university’s frontline blog.

FNU’s Jane F. Houston, DNP, CNM, MSN, FACNM, will continue to serve as master facilitator of this year’s event. Dr. Houston has served on this committee for many years and has previously participated as a speaker and facilitator. This year’s keynote speakers will include Soo Downe, Kaveri Mayra, and Sandra Oyarzo Torres. The full schedule of events can be found here.

VIDM is an excellent learning opportunity to hear from some of the brightest minds in midwifery. Students, faculty, alumni and the public are invited to tune in for free. To join the meetings log on to www.vidm.org for directions. To learn more about the history of VIDM and the visionary process of building an international online conference, read this article by FNU DNP program director, Jane Houston DNP CNM FACNM.

2020-2021: Year of the Nurse and the Midwife

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is proud to support and join the World Health Organization’s international campaign designating 2020 and 2021 as the “Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.” In recognizing the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, FNU joins the efforts to raise awareness of healthcare shortages in the U.S. and abroad; demonstrate the need for more nurses and nurse-midwives; educate the public of the value of nurses and nurse-midwives in their communities and advocate for access to quality healthcare for every individual.

Featured Preceptor: Tami Osborne, A Heart for Her Home Community

April 22, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

This quarter’s Frontier Nursing University featured preceptor, Tami Osborne, PMHNP, was nominated by student Leslie Duff, for her dedication and compassion for the people of Eastern Kentucky.

Here is what Duff had to say about her experience studying under Osborne:

“I was honored to spend several hundred hours working under Tami’s leadership. She has a true passion for improving the stigma of psychiatric mental health that runs deep in Eastern Kentucky. The biggest way she does this is through education. As a daily part of patient care, Osborne educates her patients about the various disease processes and medications. She teaches them genetics, trauma, and other factors that play into a person’s mental health. With each patient, she had the ability to help them see their psychiatric mental health conditions does not make them weak but allows them to grow through their journey.

Osborne is especially dedicated to helping and advocating for those suffering from substance abuse in the region. The care and concern that she offers these patients who are so often stigmatized truly impressed me. As I worked along Osborne, several of her patients in the MAT program at Appalachian Wellness shared with me their recovery stories. I was often told how Osborne helped them realize that they did have the power to overcome substance addiction, and how she gave them the strength they needed to believe they could live a better life. The story I remember most was a young man who lost everything, including custody and visitation rights to his children. He is now over a year clean, working, and able to spend time with his children. Tami truly makes a positive difference in this world, one patient at a time.”

Osborne is a fantastic fit for her career because it is a dream she has had ever since she was a little girl growing up in Eastern Kentucky. “I always knew I wanted to be a nurse,” Osborne says, “it just took some life experience for me to realize the best way I could help my home community.”

Osborne was married young, and after a few years, found herself divorced and living in Lexington, Ky. with three little girls. She attributes fair salaries and the high demand for nurses with helping her get through those years raising her daughters alone.

Osborne attended Eastern Kentucky University as a single mother, where she earned her bachelor’s in nursing. She worked as an aid at the University of Kentucky Hospital, but following graduation, began a new career at Eastern State Hospital, a psychiatric care facility in Lexington.

During the time she was working at Eastern State, Osborne married a wonderful man. Unfortunately, he passed away from a heart attack at a young age within a few years of their marriage. It was after this loss that Osborne decided it was time to return home.

“Eastern Kentucky has always been home to me, I tried to leave, but my heart never really followed. When I was coming to terms with the loss of my husband, I knew the best thing for me was to return to my roots,” Osborne said.

When Osborne returned home, she began working as an administrator within the local prison. Her psychiatric care foundation from Eastern State Hospital played a significant role in supporting her co-workers and the incarcerated persons in her new role.

Osborne said that psychiatric-mental health was always the nursing sector that interested her the most, so, on her 50th birthday, with her girls grown up, Osborne decided to go back to school to become a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP).

Shortly after finishing her degree, a past co-worker from the prison reached out. He was now the Juniper Health System CEO and wanted to hire Osborne as their first PMHNP.

In her current role, Osborne travels to five different Eastern Kentucky counties throughout the week, helping to break generational patterns of trauma that are unfortunately far too common in the region.

Osborne is especially passionate about treating women who have experienced trauma.

“I see so many women who were abused as children and then find themselves with one abusive partner after another. Unfortunately, this cycle continues as they have children of their own. They simply don’t know anything else,” Osborne said.

Although Osborne often only sees these women briefly for short medication appointments, she does everything she can in that time to uplift her patients and let them know there are other options.

“I will constantly correct negative self-talk and work to help them establish positive thoughts about themselves. I work on debriefing, grounding, and attempt to coach through fear-based issues. I am currently taking multiple continuing education units (CEU’s) on trauma so that I can continue to help women in these difficult situations,” Osborne said.

In addition to helping grown women, Osborne also works with high numbers of adolescents and teens overcoming trauma and neglect, cares for 30 medicated-assistant treatment (MAT) patients on their journey to overcoming addiction, and continues to step in at the prison whenever there is a need.

“My job is difficult, and I work a lot of hours, but that is because there is so much need in this community,” Osborne said. “I love the people of Eastern Kentucky, and I will always put my all into helping them overcome obstacles.”

Osborne is one of a limited number of PMHNPs in the area. Due to the lack of psychiatric care in Eastern Kentucky, precepting offers Osborne a look into a hopeful future for the region.

“I host three or four students at a time. All but one of them have been from Eastern Kentucky and plan on returning to the area to serve after graduation,” Osborne said. “Having this opportunity to bring new nurses to our region is critical work to me.”

Osborne enjoys many aspects of precepting and says she truly appreciates working with the students and listening to their ideas.

According to Osborne, the students always have great ideas and different approaches. She loves having multiple perspectives to learn from and to collaborate with one another.

“Eastern Kentucky will always be my home. I think it is the most beautiful place on earth, with the most genuine people you could ever meet. I am completely invested in advocating for these people and providing them with resources. Because this area has had fewer opportunities than many regions, there can be a lack of trust in professionals and outsiders. It is my goal that the people of Eastern Kentucky know that I have their backs.”

Thank you Tami for your hard work and dedication in bringing mental health resources to Eastern Kentucky. You are making positive changes that will impact these communities for decades to come.

FNU is always looking for preceptors like Osborne who will step up to the plate and educate the next generation of nurses. For more information on becoming a preceptor for FNU students, visit our preceptor page.