Medical Mission Trip an ‘Important Experience’ for Megan Gagner

August 28, 2023 By Frontier Nursing University

As a nurse-midwife at St. Lawrence Health System in Potsdam, New York, Dr. Megan Gagner, DNP (Class 30), APRN, CNM, is accustomed to working in a rural, underserved area. Potsdam is located in upstate New York, close to where Gagner grew up in St. Lawrence County, just 30 minutes from the Canadian border.

Gagner worked as a labor and delivery nurse at St. Lawrence Health for four and a half years while completing her nurse-midwifery degree at Frontier Nursing University.

“I fell in love with pregnancy and how fascinating it was,” Gagner said. “I decided to attend Frontier after the birth of my second child was delivered by Heather (Donovan) Hogan, DNP, CNM (Class 50), a Frontier alumnus who inspired me. I wanted to do what she did for other women. She was patient with me. She saw me at every visit and was there when I needed her the most at the delivery. She never seemed rushed. She reassured me and was full of empathy and compassion.”

Gagner has practiced as a nurse-midwife since 2018 and continued her journey at Frontier by completing the Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2019.

“I always wanted to have a Plan B, and I love teaching, so I did the companion DNP,” Gagner said. “It only made sense to continue to climb the ladder.”

Advancing her skills and knowledge has meant not only additional coursework but also the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Nicaragua earlier this year. It was a nine-day adventure that changed Gagner’s life.

She was invited on the trip through her connection with a local physician assistant (PA) program offered by Clarkson University in Potsdam. Eleven of the PA program’s students – seven of whom Gagner has precepted – and three preceptors were on the medical mission trip. The trip was organized in partnership with Los Rayos De Esperanza, a local non-governmental organization, as part of a six-year partnership between Clarkson’s Students Without Borders group and Los Rayos.

“We traveled to Diriomo, Nicaragua, to provide medical care to medically underserved communities,” Gagner said. “We provided care to more than 500 people in four days and gave away 150 vision glasses. We went to multiple areas in Nicaragua where we walked door to door offering medical assistance. We had a clinic set up on the base where people from the community could come. We visited communities and provided a pop-up clinic for people in the area. We offered a children’s health fair that served about 60 children between the ages of 4-14 years old, mommy-and-me classes, and education to the community health members. The community was very thankful and welcoming to us coming. They provided chairs for everyone at home visits, and the whole family would observe. It is a way of life that they accept.”

It was an eye-opening experience for Gagner, who hopes to return to Nicaragua on another mission trip next year. In the meantime, she is embracing what she learned and using it to become an even better nurse-midwife.

“It was an important experience that has changed my perception of healthcare and also my life,” Gagner said. “We don’t realize the things that are so basic for us that we take advantage of. For one week, we had cold showers, walked miles a day, and experienced no power for a couple of days. Time was nothing when we were in Nicaragua. It could take all day to be seen, and no one was upset. They would wait weeks or months to be seen and would be grateful.”

Even as we face healthcare provider shortages and many in the U.S. struggle to find accessible and affordable healthcare, Gagner said that her experience was a reminder that there is much to be grateful for.

“The mission trip changed my daily scope of practice by learning patience with myself and my patients,” Gagner said. “I returned as a more thankful, patient, and caring provider and mom.”

Learn more about advanced nursing degrees and specialties at Frontier Nursing University, including our online Doctor of Nursing Practice. Subscribe to our blog for the latest news and events at FNU and to get inspired with stories featuring our alumni, students, faculty and staff!

Frontier Nursing University Community Members Recognized at 2023 ACNM Conference

June 5, 2023 By Frontier Nursing University

Alumni Spotlight: April Clyde opens Nevada’s first freestanding birth center

March 13, 2023 By Frontier Nursing University

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 healthcare to underserved and rural populations.

Since 2002, FNU graduate April Clyde, CNM has dreamed of opening a birth center in her community of Las Vegas, Nevada. After years of gaining experience, pursuing higher education and advocating for new legislation in Nevada to accommodate midwives, her dream finally came true nearly 10 years later.

In 2021, Clyde opened Serenity Birth Center, which is Nevada’s first and only freestanding birth center. Clyde said that Serenity Birth Center upholds a woman’s autonomy in making informed choices about her healthcare and her baby’s healthcare, in alignment with her personal values and beliefs. The center also extends an invitation to the woman’s self-defined family to participate in the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum phases.

“Birth centers are an integrated part of the healthcare system and are guided by principles of prevention, sensitivity, safety, appropriate medical intervention and cost-effectiveness,” Clyde said.

Inspired to Open a Birth Center During Frontier Bound

Clyde’s journey began in 2000 when she began working as a labor and delivery nurse after earning her Bachelors in Nursing from the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

“I loved the work.” she said. “At the same time, I also craved more autonomy and to be involved from the beginning of pregnancy.”

Clyde enrolled at FNU to earn her Nurse-Midwifery Post-Graduate Certificate. She was initially inspired to open a birth center while at Frontier Bound in 2002, where she met the late Kitty Ernst, a leader in the nurse-midwifery movement in the U.S.

“I told her how much our community needed a birth center,” Clyde said. “She took both my hands in hers and looked directly into my eyes and said, ‘then you will need to open one.’ If Kitty thought that I should and that I could open a birth center, then I better get to work!”

Clyde graduated from FNU in 2004 as a member of CNEP Class 36. She said the university was an ideal choice for obtaining her post-graduate certificate.

“Frontier has such a rich history,” she said. “I also needed a distance education program as leaving my community wasn’t an option. Frontier was a perfect match.”

That same year, Clyde began working as a CNM with a group hospital practice. She was the only CNM at the hospital, which she said gave her the opportunity to exemplify the midwifery model of care. In 2006, she began providing care for home births to families who had previously given birth with her in the hospital. The next year, she began serving as a preceptor for FNU and currently employs two FNU alumni that she precepted.

Advocating for Nurse-Midwives in Nevada

Clyde opened her own birth practice, Baby’s 1st Day, in 2008. During this time, APRNs initiated efforts to alter the laws in Nevada to permit them to practice at the full extent of their education and without mandatory supervision from a physician. This endeavor proved successful in 2012. Subsequently, Clyde collaborated with fellow FNU graduate Melinda Hoskins to bring about modifications to the birth center laws in Nevada, allowing midwives to establish and manage them. The legislation was passed in 2018, and the following year, they commenced the construction of Serenity Birth Center.

Since opening, Serenity Birth Center has offered pre-conception, pregnancy care, and labor and delivery/postpartum care, along with women’s care services.

“We offer another choice in childbirth for Las Vegas,” Clyde said.

To this day, Clyde said she continues to stay in contact with many of her former classmates at FNU.

“Midwives are a generous bunch,” she said. “I have had lots of help from other CNEP grads.”

In her free time, Clyde enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, practicing yoga and traveling.

Thank you, April, for your demonstration of the distinctive expertise and enthusiasm possessed by FNU graduates through the care you provide for Nevada families.

Learn more about advanced nursing degrees and specialties at Frontier Nursing University. Subscribe to our blog for the latest news and events at FNU and to get inspired with stories featuring our alumni, students, faculty and staff!

Alumni Spotlight: Liz Carr pursues unique skill set in cardiovascular care and nurse-midwifery

January 9, 2023 By Frontier Nursing University

Though some may see the work of a cardiovascular intensive care unit nurse and the work of a nurse-midwife as somewhat disparate, Frontier Nursing University recent graduate Liz Carr is confident that her background working in an ICU translates well to nurse-midwifery. A resident of Lexington, Ky., Carr currently works at the University of Kentucky (UK) Healthcare Albert B Chandler Hospital Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit and recently earned her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Nurse-Midwifery from FNU.

“I chose a cardiovascular background very intentionally,” Carr said. “Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in pregnancy. I chose not to work labor and delivery as an RN, but still wanted to gain skills and knowledge I could apply as a midwife. I am so privileged to do a nursing job I love and also study something I love. While cardiovascular intensive care and midwifery are different, I am hopeful that my unique skill set will be an asset to my future patients and their communities.”

Originally from Atlanta, Carr earned her BSN from UK in 2017 and has worked at the Albert B Chandler Hospital Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit for approximately five years.

Carr has dreamed of becoming a nurse-midwife since she was 13 years old.

“In my middle school sex education class, we watched a video of an unmedicated vaginal birth. All of the other students were horrified, but I was riveted. I knew from that moment on that I wanted to be a birth worker and usher people through that powerful experience,” she said.

Throughout her time studying at FNU, Carr said she has particularly appreciated the strong sense of community among students and faculty members. This was illustrated for her when former faculty member Dr. Kendra Faucett sent her a list of all of the midwives in the area to assist in her search for preceptors.

“It was the moment that I felt like I was really in the right place with an amazing community of people who will always champion my success,” she said.

Carr worked at four clinical sites throughout her time at FNU, the last of which was with FNU alumni Paula Brandt at the recommendation of FNU clinical advisor Carisa Lipp.

“There was never anywhere else I would want to be. Frontier is the home of nurse-midwifery.”
- Liz Carr, BSN, RN, CCRN, CNM, FNU Alumni

“My rotation with Paula was not only what I needed to finish my clinical requirements, it was exactly what I needed to feel ready to go into practice,” she said. “It’s all thanks to the amazing Frontier network.”

Throughout her clinical experience at FNU, Carr said one of her proudest moments was when she was present for a patient’s first Pap smear. Using training she acquired from FNU, Carr said she was able to ease the patient’s anxiety about the procedure.

“As a student, it felt like such an important moment,” Carr said. “I had the chance to introduce someone to speculum exams in a way that was comfortable for her, and which will hopefully ensure she seeks out her routine health screenings without fear of pain. There was never anywhere else I would want to be. Frontier is the home of nurse-midwifery.”

Over the years, Carr has received several recognitions for her work in healthcare, including the University of Kentucky Healthcare Commitment to Nursing Excellence Award in 2017 and the University of Kentucky Healthcare Bronze Award for Innovation in 2020. She also is a three-time Daisy Award nominee and a 2022 participant in the Training in Abortion Care Residency.

In her free time, Carr enjoys reading, spending time with her dog, Cooper, and visiting her family in Atlanta.

Thank you, Liz, for choosing FNU to achieve your goal of earning your MSN in Nurse-Midwifery. We are proud to have had you as a student and wish you continued success in your next endeavors.

FNU Reflects on the Power of Rural Healthcare Providers this National Rural Health Day

November 14, 2022 By Frontier Nursing University

On Thursday, November 17, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) will join healthcare providers and organizations across the country to celebrate National Rural Health Day (NRHD). Organized by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, NRHD is an opportunity to bring awareness to the unique challenges that rural communities face and the efforts of rural healthcare providers to create positive change in these regions.

Founded in the Appalachian area of Kentucky, Frontier's mission 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. Today, 73 percent of FNU students live and complete their clinics in rural areas throughout the United States.

Alumni Spotlight: Meggan Smith grows family practice in rural North Carolina urgent care setting

Since earning her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) from FNU in 2019, Meggan Smith, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, (Class 169) has worked to strengthen family healthcare in rural North Carolina from the ground up. Working at Smoky Mountain Urgent Care and Family Medicine Center in Bryson City, Smith was instrumental in growing a much-needed family practice in the existing urgent care setting.

Smith serves patients in her home community of Graham County, North Carolina, where she recently was awarded a Readers’ Choice award by The Graham Star. A rural mountain area, Graham County has a population of approximately 8,500. For residents of the county, the closest hospital/emergency room is approximately a 35 to 45-minute drive, and only one other office offers primary care.

Alumni Spotlight: Cody Pittman hopes to reach more rural and underserved populations with mental telehealth practice

FNU alumni Cody Pittman, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, has worked full-time in correctional healthcare with the Kentucky Department of Corrections in LaGrange, Ky., for the past eight years. He also recently opened his own practice named Healing Neurons Psychiatry, which provides mental health services to patients via telehealth. Cody became a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) in November 2020 after earning his MSN from FNU.

Pittman says the focus of working in corrections is to try and rehabilitate patients so they are prepared to live healthy lives when released back into the community. Many of his patients have a history of polypharmacy and substance abuse/addiction.

Pittman recognized that there are simply not enough mental health providers, so he founded Healing Neurons Psychiatry to help fill that gap. With the patient in mind, Pittman decided to offer 100% telehealth services so that patients can make their appointments from the comfort of their own homes. Furthermore, telehealth ensures the privacy of those living in rural areas who fear they may be stigmatized if others see them walking into a mental health clinic.

Featured Preceptor: Shannon Conley, FNP, Providing Compassionate Care for Underserved, Rural Patients

Shannon Conley serves as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) for Big Sandy Health Care in Eastern Kentucky, a role she has taken on for the past 10 years. Working with a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), Conley interacts with many underserved adult patients, most of whom are dealing with chronic conditions and have obstacles when it comes to accessing treatment.

Keeping this in mind, Conley provides patients with transportation assistance, medical assistance and remains cognizant of the cost of medication. Conley also serves as a preceptor in her community, training future FNPs to address the shortage of providers in her region.

Student Spotlight: Paul Kibby, RN, hopes to change mental health stigma among rural men

FNU student Paul Kibby, RN, is using his experience in the healthcare field to break down the stigma surrounding mental health in his community. Kibby is pursuing an MSN with a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) specialty, in which he entered through FNU’s Bridge program (Class 174), and is set to graduate this year.

Kibby currently works with a new behavioral health clinic startup in Mountain View, Arkansas. Stone County, where Mountain View is located, has a federal poverty rate of over 20 percent, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

In his current role, Kibby is making efforts to research and change the stigma associated with mental health among rural men. He said he plans to do this by sending the local newspaper a letter to the editor, collaborating with the local community center, and having discussions with staff members at local banks, pharmacies, physicians offices, businesses and the local hospital to discuss the need to connect mental health with overall health care.

Join us in celebrating the value of rural communities and help shine a light on the health disparities facing these regions by sharing information about NRHD with your friends, colleagues, and social media followers. Visit the NRHD site to find ideas and resources.

Also, the Health Resources and Services Administration is offering virtual events this week for those interested in learning more about how they are advancing behavioral health care in rural communities.

NOSORH founded NRHD in 2011 to showcase the efforts of individuals and organizations going the extra mile to address the unique healthcare needs of rural communities. National Rural Health Day is an annual day of recognition which occurs on the third Thursday of November.

Alumni Spotlight: Stacey Eason’s midwifery practice focuses on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders

September 23, 2022 By Frontier Nursing University

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 (FNU) alumni Stacey Eason, ARPN, CNM, PMHNP-BC, earned her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Nurse-Midwifery in 2019. During her clinicals as a CNM student, she recognized the lack of care options for perinatal mental health. That’s when she decided to return to FNU to earn her Post-Graduate Certificate in the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program, which she received earlier this year.

Now, Eason uses both of these certifications from FNU in her career. A resident of Wichita, Kansas, Eason currently serves as both a CNM and a PMHNP at South Central Kansas Medical Center in Arkansas City, Kansas. She has been in this role since January.

“Family medicine providers have really done the best they can to care for the mental health needs of this community,” she said. “Many of the providers have expressed gratitude to have a psych-specialized provider available to care for the patients in this community.”

As a CNM, Eason works with two fellow FNU graduates, Tarena Sisk and Jamie Harrington. Much of Eason’s midwifery practice has been focused on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

Eason said her experience in midwifery has been beneficial when it comes to providing psychiatric care.

“As midwives, we see people at their most vulnerable place, and lift them into one of their greatest accomplishments,” she said. “Caring for people in dark mental health spaces is similar. They come to me at their most vulnerable, and as we work together, they are able to experience accomplishments they didn’t think possible.”

“As midwives, we see people at their most vulnerable place, and lift them into one of their greatest accomplishments…Providing compassionate, non-judgmental care allows people to feel safe in seeking care for both mental health needs and substance use needs.”
– Stacey Eason, ARPN, CNM, PMHNP-BC, FNU Alumnus

Eason’s patient population is largely rural and lower-income, with a prevalence of substance abuse in the community.

“Providing compassionate, non-judgmental care allows people to feel safe in seeking care for both mental health needs and substance use needs,” she said.

Eason was initially inspired to earn her MSN from FNU because a co-worker was attending the university. She said though she had the option to earn her MSN locally, FNU appealed to her because of the emphasis on out-of-hospital births in the program.

“I decided then, that if I ever made it to the point of being able to pursue my midwifery dreams, it would be with FNU,” she said. “It was the only school I applied to, and I was originally waitlisted. What a relief, with just four short weeks before Frontier Bound, to be offered a seat in class 163!”

Though Eason initially was only interested in becoming a CNM, she said she was inspired to pursue a degree in psych upon recognizing the need for mental health services among women during her Community-Based Nurse-Midwifery Education Program clinicals.

“Way back in that first nursing program I attended, I swore I’d never do psych nursing,” she said. “And here I am, living in that rare place where I am passionate and fulfilled by my career.”

In addition to her work as a CNM and a PMHNP, Eason also serves as president of the Kansas Chapter of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. She also is a preceptor for current FNU students.

Thank you, Stacey, for using your knowledge as both a CNM and a PMHNP to provide compassionate care for underserved patients in your community. We are proud that you chose to study at FNU on two occasions throughout your journey.

Become a Preceptor

Eason has seven children and four grandchildren. She enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons and listening to audiobooks. She particularly seeks out authors of color, in particular, women and nonbinary authors. She describes herself as actively anti-racist and a strong advocate for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC rights and for reductions in health disparities.

Learn more about FNU’s Nurse-Midwifery and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner programs.

Alumni Spotlight: Lisa Kiser focuses on community response to migration in the Borderlands

September 2, 2022 By Frontier Nursing University

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumni Lisa Kiser, CNM, WHNP, DNP, holds a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree in both Nurse-Midwifery and Women’s Health Care and a Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). All three degrees were earned at FNU.

“I knew that Frontier had the educational philosophy to support me to be successful in all three of my degrees,” she said.

A resident of Tucson, Arizona, Kiser currently serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Arizona College of Nursing. She teaches three days a week in the DNP program, where she specializes in teaching women’s health. She also works as a women’s health nurse practitioner at United Community Health Center two days a week. She is very excited to be part of the team that is starting a nurse-midwifery program at the University of Arizona. The program is focused on increasing the diversity of midwives practicing and teaching in the state.

“I knew that Frontier had the educational philosophy to support me to be successful in all three of my degrees…and its philosophy of education and service has continued to shape my work.”
– Lisa Kiser, CNM, WHNP, DNP

In addition, Kiser also uses her experience as a healthcare provider in the Borderlands in her community service work. She volunteers with Clinica Amistad, a nonprofit free clinic, and Casa Alitas, a migrant welcome center, both of which are based in Tucson.

Casa Alitas has provided food, health care, short-term housing, clean clothing, and travel support for migrants since 2014.

“I am part of a community response team to help welcome 100 to 300 people who are migrating a day to our community,” Kiser said. “Our work is to assess the guests arriving each day, address any immediate health needs, and connect people to services in their receiving communities.”

Throughout her time as a healthcare professional in Tucson, Kiser has worked to develop partnerships with colleges of nursing in Mexico. As a native of Tucson, Kiser said she has a deep appreciation for and commitment to the Borderlands.

“The work I want to focus on is our community response to migration in the Borderlands,” she said. Kiser has helped to create binational, service-learning opportunities where students can work together in interprofessional teams to address health issues specific to the border.

Kiser has received several accolades throughout her career, including the Women’s Health Award for 2021 by the March of Dimes Arizona.

Throughout her many endeavors, Kiser said she has worked with several FNU graduates who have shared her philosophy and approach to care and education.

“Frontier was the perfect place for me to receive all three of my degrees, and its philosophy of education and service has continued to shape my work,” she said. “I am deeply grateful.”

Thank you, Lisa, for your commitment to your community, your commitment to nursing education, and for your commitment to FNU over the years.

Learn more about FNU’s Nurse-Midwifery program, Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner program and the Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Student Spotlight: Crystal Iddings will be the first in her family to earn a doctoral degree

August 18, 2022 By Frontier Nursing University

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) student Crystal Iddings, CNM, aspires to earn the highest degree in her field: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). She is currently on track to achieve this goal next year as she earns her DNP from FNU.

Currently serving as a Certified Nurse-Midwife, Iddings plans to continue working in this capacity after graduation with the goal of eventually teaching nurse-midwifery to others. Iddings said as someone who originates from a lower socioeconomic background, achieving the highest degree in her field was an important goal. She said she is the first person in her family to earn a graduate degree and will be the first to earn a doctoral degree.

“I hope that my children and cousins see me make it, so they know they can too,” she said.

Before attending FNU, Iddings earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas at Tyler. She went on to complete her Master of Science in Midwifery from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Iddings said she chose to study at FNU because the university has a “reputation of gold.”

While studying at FNU, Iddings serves patients in her town of Ames, Iowa, a community located north of Des Moines with a population of just over 66,000.

“ I chose to study at FNU because the university has a reputation of gold…As a CNM, I am able to provide quality, safe care to those I serve.”
– Crystal Iddings, CNM, DNP Student

Iddings has worked for over a decade as a Labor and Delivery Nurse and has served as a CNM for the past year. She works at McFarland Clinic in Ames, a healthcare clinic that has locations throughout central Iowa. Some services Iddings provides include annual exams, STI testing, problem gynecology treatment, contraceptive counseling and prescriptions, prenatal care, labor and delivery support, and post-delivery support. At her clinic, Iddings serves patients in the surrounding rural communities to provide safe and accessible health care.

At the clinic, Iddings’ patient population is diverse, ranging in sexual orientation, culture, race, religion and socioecomic status.

“As a CNM, I am able to provide quality, safe care to those I serve,” she said.

Outside of her commitments as a CNM and student, Iddings and her wife have four children, all of whom were adopted through the foster care system. She and her wife plan to host a foreign exchange student this year. Iddings enjoys kayaking, swimming, traveling, dancing, singing, and sports.

Thank you, Crystal, for choosing FNU to achieve your goal of earning a DNP. We are proud to have you as a student and are excited to see how you will continue to impact the healthcare of your community and the patients you serve.

Learn more about FNU’s online doctor of nursing practice program.