Preceptors | Page 2 | Frontier Nursing University

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.

Telehealth Offers Solutions to Precepting During the Pandemic

February 15, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

Jeff Anderson, DNP, MS, PMHNP-BC, began his role as Regional Clinical Faculty (RCF) in the PMHNP program at FNU in March 2020, just as the COVID-19 Pandemic became widespread throughout the United States. Just like the other RCFs and students, Anderson had to adjust quickly to a new way of work.

As clinics began to shut down or reduce on-site personnel due to the pandemic, many students were faced with the prospect of losing their clinical sites.

“There have been several instances where either the preceptor or the clinic stopped taking students as the COVID numbers went up,” said Anderson, who resides in Idaho and works with students primarily in the northwestern part of the country. “In those cases, we had to suspend the preceptor relationship because the student was no longer allowed in the clinic. We have had students who, because a clinical site shut down, had to go on academic hiatus.”

Anderson himself faced hurdles connecting with preceptors. Instead of meeting with preceptors face to face, as is the norm, the meetings have largely been held via video.

“In the time I’ve been with Frontier, I’ve only traveled once to meet with a preceptor face to face,” Anderson said. “It’s kind of the way business is done now.”

Not only has video conferencing enabled Anderson to meet with preceptors, but it has also enabled many of his psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) students to continue to progress at their clinical sites. Anderson said that most of the roughly 30 students he has had over the past few terms have transitioned to at least some level of telehealth with their preceptors.

“For the students who have found a good situation with a preceptor, it has really been convenient for them to do telehealth from their own home,” he said. “We have had students do clinicals in which they stay at home and they log in to a Zoom type meeting with the patient and the preceptor. We have also have the situation where the preceptor is still going to their office and the student meets them in their office, so the student and preceptor are both in the office but the patient joins via telehealth.”

Though there are some drawbacks such as not being able to see a patient’s body language, Anderson said that telehealth provides a viable option, particularly for PMHNP students.

“Mental health is unique compared to the other specialties at Frontier because mental health treatment really lends itself to telehealth,” he said. “I don’t see a big drop in the quality with telehealth versus face to face. In my own practice, when I see patients, it’s 100 percent telehealth now. Because of the jumpstart provided by COVID, telehealth is going to be significantly more prevalent in the future. It is a very important part of the students’ education to participate in and understand telehealth because it may be a big piece of their practices going forward.”

Anderson said that even post-pandemic, telehealth might prove to be the preferred option for many patients who otherwise might have difficulty attending an appointment. In mental health care, virtual visits have not often been an option as insurance companies have been resistant to pay for telehealth.

“It is hard to say there’s anything positive coming from the pandemic, but if there was it would be that insurance companies that have in the past have been somewhat reluctant to pay for telehealth now will have a year’s worth of data showing that it is just as effective,” Anderson said. “In some ways, I think telehealth might be more effective because the no-show rates go down. Mental health patients can telehealth right from their home where they are more comfortable.”

Most of the PMHNP students who have been able to have face-to-face visits with patients have done so where the patients are admitted and living on-site. Other students have found telehealth to be a tool to acquire clinical hours with preceptors in other states.

“Telehealth actually opened some doors for precepting in that a lot of states are compact states where an RN license from one state is valid in the other state,” Anderson said. “What that allows is that, if we have a student in Colorado who can’t find any sites in their state, they can reach out to any other compact state and look for a provider that’s doing telehealth and willing to take on a student. They’re really not limited to their state anymore. I’ve actually had some students who have obtained an RN license in a non-compact state because they had a willing telehealth preceptor in that state.”

While an end to the pandemic will surely result in a significant return to in-person healthcare, Anderson said that the past year has shown that telehealth is here to stay.

“This is a real-world experience,” he said of the widespread adjustment to and implementation of telehealth. “Telehealth is definitely an important aspect of the psychiatric mental health NP student’s education at this point and moving forward.”

Preceptor Spotlight: Phyllis Lynn

January 8, 2021 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 our FNU community members that are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality healthcare to underserved and rural populations.

Born and raised in Jamaica, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) preceptor Mrs. Phyllis Lynn first became a certified midwife in 1967 while working as an RN staff nurse on a postpartum unit.

“In Jamaica, to move up in my career, I had to become a certified midwife. I didn’t want to do it, but my superior insisted I would be a great midwife and pushed me to get certified. I was young; it turns out she knew what I needed better than I did,” Lynn said.

A few years later, Lynn relocated to the United States, where she was recertified as an American nurse-midwife in 1974.

Lynn spent nearly 25 years at her first post in the United States at Interfaith Medical Center, where she worked her way up and spent many years as the supervisor of labor and delivery. In 1993, Lynn spearheaded and opened a new labor and delivery service within the Maimonides medical network in Brooklyn.

Maimonides Midwifery Practice has since served thousands of families and grown to a team of 14 licensed midwives who have completed their master of science in nursing. Since opening the midwifery practice, Lynn has made a point of precepting students, especially nurse-midwife students, whenever possible.

“It is our job as midwives to continue to grow the profession. If we don’t advocate for ourselves, who will? Many people don’t understand what midwifery is or why it’s such a valuable profession. As midwives, we must work every day to help them understand,” Lynn said.

Lynn also encourages all of the students she precepts to continue their education and get their doctorate.

“Schools like FNU make continuing your education very obtainable. I always tell my students that if this is truly something they love, why not go as far as you can with it to help as many patients as possible?” Lynn says.

Lynn doesn’t only believe in a better education for current nursing and nurse-midwife students but is also a strong advocate for patient education. She believes the best way to get a patient to follow necessary health measures is to educate them and provide them with a thorough explanation.

“We have all had patients that, despite our best efforts, don’t follow through on the things we’ve advised. I have found that the best way to encourage action is through constant education. Do not only tell them the ‘what,’ but you also have to explain the ‘why’.” Lynn said. “Then after educating, I break things down into simple steps so that lifestyle changes seem easier to reach.”

Lynn also has another secret for encouraging stubborn expecting mothers to follow health and diet changes- explain the impact of these changes to the husband or boyfriend.

“Women often have cravings and might ask their partner for a cheeseburger or a plate of chili fries, or something else that is not good for the baby. If I tell the father of the effect these foods could have on the mother and the baby, he becomes much less likely to get those foods. Instead, he will encourage healthy choices. I truly believe education is everything.” Lynn said.

Every day, Lynn is delighted to have spent nearly 60 years supporting mothers, families and students in a profession that she loves.

“I am 78. Over the years, there have been days where I’ve been tired, but I have never felt burnt out. I have found my life’s purpose, which is something I wish for everyone. I will retire someday, but I will probably still volunteer. Nursing and midwifery mean so much to me. I can’t imagine working in a more wonderful profession with more wonderful people,” Lynn said

Thank you, Mrs. Lynn, for your continued dedication to nurse-midwives and the nursing profession as a whole. You have made a significant impact on our community, and we are grateful for your continued service.

To read about previously recognized preceptors or to nominate a preceptor, click here.

Are you interested in becoming a Frontier preceptor? Learn more here.

FNU Honors National Rural Health Day

November 5, 2020 By Frontier Nursing University

On November 19, Frontier Nursing University (FNU), along with healthcare providers across the country, will come together to celebrate National Rural Health Day (NRHD). NRHD gives the healthcare community a chance to celebrate the community-minded, “can do” spirit that prevails in rural America while bringing light to the unique healthcare challenges that rural citizens face and showcasing the dedicated work of rural healthcare providers.

In previous years, FNU had celebrated with a weekend of virtual events educating others on the importance of rural health and spreading best practices to other healthcare providers. Last year’s CE session hosted by Dean of Nursing, Dr. Slager, can still be viewed here through the end of the year. With the ongoing pandemic this year, FNU had to make the difficult choice to allocate efforts elsewhere and instead continued to focus on the mission they share with NRHD of bringing quality care to rural communities.

Throughout the year, FNU students, faculty and alumni have been out on the frontlines fighting COVID-19 in rural communities. Some examples of FNU frontliners include Jamie Westlund, serving in rural Hawaii amidst a PPE shortage, Korah Schwab extending COVID-19 care to rural immigrant communities in N. C., and Kevin Scalf, PMHNP-BC, who has been increasing mental health care for citizens of rural Eastern Ky. It has been a challenging year, but even a pandemic can’t stop FNU from extending care to underserved communities.

Those interested in joining FNU to further rural community outreach can take NRHD’s Power of Rural Pledge and commit to advocating for rural communities in four ways throughout the coming year.

Collaboration

Seek out new relationships that will bring additional resources into the rural healthcare fold. Once these relationships are established, it becomes easier to share ideas, resources and information as supporters work together in the common interest of rural health and wellness.

Communication

Use all available channels and mediums to spread the word about the Power of Rural. Stay connected with the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) throughout the year and then follow, like, forward, post, and pin stories, ideas, facts, and opportunities to further build partnerships with those working to make a difference in rural healthcare.

Innovation

Share facts and information about the need to improve access and outcomes in rural communities with those who influence policy and resource allocation. Then, inform those entering the healthcare workforce about the many fulfilling opportunities available in rural communities.

Education

Engage partners from non-healthcare industries to help create additional solutions to prevailing challenges by developing ideas, programs, and models that continue to transform and positively impact rural healthcare. Together we can explore and implement new approaches to reach these at-risk rural populations.

Although FNU’s primary focus is education, the university works hard each day to follow all four portions of the Power of Rural Pledge. FNU collaborates with existing rural nurse practitioners by engaging them as preceptors for their students and growing the network of nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives throughout rural America. A wide variety of FNU’s communications are also focused on spreading awareness about the importance of rural healthcare. Follow FNU on Facebook, Twitter, or visit their blog to keep up to date on rural health initiatives. Additionally, FNU is consistently updating methods and curriculum to best serve rural communities. One part of every Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student’s journey includes collaborating with their clinical site to lead a rapid cycle quality improvement project. These projects work to improve a specific area of the student’s clinical site to better care for the community they serve.

Individuals interested in working alongside FNU to advocate for NRHD can visit the NRHD website’s toolkit, which features an array of downloadable resources such as flyers, social media graphics, and event ideas that can be used to spread the word. Further support for NRHD can also be given through fiscal contributions here.

Since its foundation more than 80 years ago, FNU has been committed to serving rural communities and their unique healthcare needs. It is the university’s mission to continue supporting these communities by encouraging new health care workers to go out and provide care to these essential American regions.

Thank you to all of the FNU staff, faculty, students, and preceptors who make rural America a priority!

Frontier University Celebrates Their 2020 Homecoming Award Winners

October 20, 2020 By Frontier Nursing University

Each year, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumni and faculty gather for fun, fellowship, sharing memories and to celebrate the accomplishments of their peers at the annual Homecoming event. Although COVID-19 prevented the university from hosting an in-person gathering this fall, the university still worked hard to honor those who have shined exceptionally bright this year through its annual Homecoming awards.

The annual Homecoming awards fall into two primary categories including The Distinguished Service to Society Award, which provides recognition for alumni who go above and beyond to provide exceptional service in their communities; and The Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award, which honors alumni who have supported Frontier through volunteer efforts and/or donor support. Additionally, FNU also presents its Mary Breckinridge Lifetime Service Award and Unbridled Spirit Award for members of the FNU community who have shown unyielding support to the school.

The community at FNU is proud of the accomplishments of these award winners and the many ways in which they have represented FNU and its mission. Here are this year’s Homecoming award winners:

Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award:

Rebeca Barroso, DNP, MSN, RN, CNM, FACNM

Rebeca Barroso lives in St. Paul, Minn., where she was in full-scope nurse-midwifery clinical practice for more than 20 years, after 22 years in direct-entry midwifery practice. Dr. Barroso, who earned both her nurse-midwifery certificate and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from FNU, served as an assistant professor at Frontier from 2011 to 2016. She is currently an associate professor at St. Catherine University in Saint Paul, Minn., where she teaches the graduate level maternal-infant content and pathophysiology for the nurse practitioner students.

Dr. Barroso has an extensive clinical midwifery background, working with vulnerable women experiencing health disparities from multiple cultural backgrounds. In 2008, Dr. Barroso was the recipient of the Community Service Award granted by Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis for her work with patients from these underserved populations.

Dr. Barroso is a co‐editor of Best Practices in Midwifery: Using the Evidence to Implement Change, Second Edition (2016), and DNP Capstone Projects: Exemplars of Excellence in Practice (2015). She is a fellow of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. In 2011, Dr. Barroso won ACNM’s W. Newton Long Award for the Advancement of Midwifery.

Throughout her career, Dr. Barroso has been a dedicated supporter of FNU. She has precepted more than a dozen Frontier students and has been a generous donor for more than 20 years. FNU thanks Dr. Barroso for her remarkable commitment to her profession, her community, and to Frontier. FNU is proud to present her with the 2020 Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award.

Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award:

Rebecca Feldman, CNM, PMHNP

Rebecca Feldman is a nurse-midwife, psychiatric nurse practitioner, and psychotherapist in maternal mental health. She sees clients in private practice in the offices of Boro Park Ob/Gyn and Midwives, and at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Queens, N.Y., as part of the perinatal psychiatry team.

She earned her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from FNU and a Post Master’s in Psychiatric Nursing from NYU. Feldman, who has delivered more than 70 babies, has a broad range of nursing experience, as well as ten years of experience as a nurse-midwife. Her vast experience helped her identify an area of need in women’s health care -perinatal mental health. She applied for grants to start mothers’ groups in English and Spanish. She made these evidence-based support groups available to mothers at no cost and continues to provide mental health services to clients with underlying mental health diagnoses or perinatal mood disorders.

Feldman provides mental health care during all aspects of family building, including preconception planning, families struggling with infertility, postpartum parents, as well as those surviving pregnancy, infant or child loss. She facilitates a weekly group for pregnant or postpartum clients struggling with depression and/or anxiety, and payment is only by donation.

In addition to her service to her patients, she is also a leader and advocate. She is a frequent guest speaker on maternal mental health and is an advocate for making maternal mental health care accessible to all families in need. Feldman has seemingly always been willing to give her time and expertise to assist others. Even as a student at FNU, she hosted case days in her home. As a graduate, she has precepted FNU students every year since becoming eligible to do so in 2016.

Feldman is a credit to her FNU training and a most worthy recipient of the 2020 Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award.

Distinguished Service to Society Award:

Rachel Lien, FNP

Rachel Lien, who earned her MSN and Family Nurse Practitioner degrees from Frontier, quickly applied what she learned at the school. Shortly after graduation, she signed on at a pediatric inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Massachusetts, where patients from all over the world came for specialized treatment.

Based on Lien’s work with patients from Arabic-speaking countries, her community service in interfaith dialogue groups, and a Moroccan American community group, she was awarded the Kathryn Davis Peace Fellowship. This fellowship allowed her to study Arabic for a full summer. An additional scholarship from One Nurse At A Time led her to Pakistan, where she volunteered at a hospital and clinic. Lien worked in the newborn inpatient unit and taught classes to promote health and wellness among the staff and students.

Next, Lien traveled to Greece to work at a clinic in a refugee camp. Working abroad taught her that one person traveling to volunteer was not enough and how politics, culture, and organizational structure contribute to the vast disparities in health worldwide.

With these experiences and new insights, Lien returned to Massachusetts to continue learning and preparing herself to be a more significant agent of change. She is now pursuing her DNP at Frontier and working at Franklin Family Practice. Her tireless efforts to learn how to best serve her community, paired with her commitment to improving health outcomes worldwide, are inspiring. Rachel Lien is an outstanding example of providing service to others, and, for that reason, FNU is proud to honor her as the winner of the 2020 Distinguished Service to Society Award.

Distinguished Service to Society Award:

Melva Craft-Blacksheare, DNP, MS, RN, CNM

Dr. Melva Craft-Blacksheare is an Associate Professor of Nursing at the University of Michigan-Flint School of Nursing. She has been a registered nurse (RN) for over 40 years and a certified nurse-midwife (CNM) for 26. Dr. Craft-Blacksheare, who earned her CNM from FNU, practices as a centering pregnancy facilitator with the St. John Providence Health System in the Metro Detroit area.

Dr. Craft-Blacksheare is the lead faculty at the University of Michigan-Flint for Maternity Nursing and Issues in Women’s Health courses. She also co-chairs DNP student research projects and serves on the curriculum committee, student concerns committee, and is a former advisory member of the Women’s Educational Center. She is a co-chair for the A.C.T.S (A Chance to Succeed) Mentoring Program. She is on the steering committee of Genesys Hospital Centering Pregnancy.

Dr. Craft-Blacksheare is a member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, Association of Women’s Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, and the Greater Flint Black Nurses Association. She has been the project director for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant “New Careers in Nursing” to increase nursing workforce diversity. She is a chartered member of the Chi Eta Phi, Sorority Inc. Iota Chi Chi Chapter, an international professional nursing sorority whose mission is “service for humanity.”

As a leader in her field and at her university, Dr. Craft-Blacksheare embodies the spirit of Frontier. A preceptor to FNU students, she continues to give back to FNU and the nurse-midwifery profession as an educator, researcher, and practitioner. For her decades of service and commitment to FNU, Dr. Melva Craft-Blacksheare is the very deserving winner of this year’s Distinguished Service to Society Award.

During each Homecoming Ceremony, FNU also presents awards to some of their most dedicated and passionate supporters. This year’s winners include:

Mary Breckinridge Lifetime Service Award:

Dr. Susan Graham and Dr. Jon Kucera

Dr. Susan Graham, a member of the extended Breckinridge family, and her husband, Dr. Jon Kucera, are longtime FNU supporters. They have inspired others to give as well, such as matching donations to FNU on Giving Tuesday.

Their gifts have supported many FNU initiatives, including student scholarships and the Kitty Ernst Midwifery Endowed Chair Fund. In 2019 they made a pledge for the construction of a walking path around the Versailles campus.

Not only do they support FNU with financial gifts, but also with gifts of time and expertise. Susan is an active member of FNU’s Leadership Council and stays closely connected to the university and its mission.

With the deepest gratitude for their support, FNU proudly presents Dr. Susan Graham and Dr. John Kucera with the Mary Breckinridge Lifetime Service Award.

Unbridled Spirit Award:

Ellen Bayard

Ellen Bayard served as a Frontier Nursing Service Courier from the early fall of 1968 to the late spring of 1969. Since that time, her generous annual contributions have helped to further the mission and work of Frontier. In addition to her financial commitment, Ms. Bayard has volunteered her time and talents as a member of the Courier Advisory Council.

In recognition and gratitude for her service as Courier, advisor, and supporter, FNU is proud to present the Unbridled Spirit Award to Ellen Bayard.

Thanks again to all of FNU’s dedicated alumni, friends, and supporters. We couldn’t do this without you, and we wouldn’t want to! To learn more about other alumni activities and how to stay involved, visit FNU’s alumni page. For more information on how to become a donor and help Frontier spread quality care to underserved communities, click here.

Building the Future of the Healthcare System: The Value of Becoming a Preceptor Today

August 20, 2020 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is a community of students, educators, graduates and staff working together to expand access to quality, compassionate care in rural and underserved populations. To continue placing attentive, responsible advanced practice nurses into the field, we need partners who believe in our mission. With more than 2,400 nurse-midwife and nurse practitioner students from all 50 states, we are always in need of kind, intelligent, professional preceptors to lead our passionate students through their clinical experience. Will you be the one to answer the call?

By volunteering time and services as a preceptor, qualified nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners can touch innumerable lives and make a vital difference in the future of nursing and midwifery. Preceptors serve as the graduate nursing student’s teacher, supervisor and evaluator during their clinical practicum, giving them incredible influence over what kind of nurse the student will become.

In recent months the world has seen an increased need and appreciation for those in the nursing profession. More than ever, it is imperative that our country has educated, quality healthcare workers. When a certified nurse-midwife or nurse practitioner steps up to become a preceptor, they choose to meet the needs of communities across the country by bringing energetic new nurses to the field during these unprecedented times.

“My preceptor is very valuable to me,” said Stephanie Allotey, MSN, CNM, DNP, Class 31. “You can feel and know that they want you here and want you to become the best nurse-midwife.”

Nephthalie Hypolite, CNM, was inspired to become a preceptor because of her experience being “challenged and pushed” to become the midwife she is today.

“I would encourage anyone who is considering being a preceptor to go for it. You have nothing to lose, and you have everything to gain,” said Hypolite. “The friendships that you build with the new generation of midwives, the fact that you learn along with your students, and that you’re giving back to the midwifery community is just invaluable.”

She had many more great things to say in her video for our “Becoming a Preceptor” series.

Our faculty and staff are aware that choosing to become a preceptor is a big decision, and we are eager to support our preceptors throughout that journey. FNU’s clinical services coordinator will work with preceptors to help them utilize the online preceptor profile portal, provide information regarding FNU’s Master and Expert Preceptor programs, and answer questions regarding preceptor honorariums. In addition, Regional Clinical Faculty (RCF) are available to support the preceptor by providing guidance in student clinical issues.

In addition to providing faculty support to our preceptors, FNU also makes sure to reward those willing to help create dedicated nurses through various benefit programs. All preceptors at FNU gain access to free Continuing Education Units (CEUs) on essential topics like pharmacology and online training courses like, “The Gift of Precepting” and “The Master Preceptor,” which our faculty designed to help our preceptors have the best experience possible. Additionally, preceptors will earn a 10 percent discount on all non-matriculating courses at FNU, obtain documentation of their precepting hours for recertification purposes, and receive an honorarium based on the percentage of time spent precepting students.

According to Audra Cave, DNP, FNP-BC, preceptor in Spindale, NC, precepting presents an excellent opportunity to give back to the community of family nurse practitioners (FNPs).

“I want to help the next generation of FNP providers as I had help along the way too,” said Cave. “I also learn from students. Precepting keeps me on my toes.”

FNU is a school founded on making a difference in our world through honest, compassionate nursing and midwifery care. We believe we further that mission when we onboard excellent preceptors to help us bring confident, new nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners into the field. Our preceptor program is centered around providing a productive and beneficial program for both student and preceptor, and our testimonials show just how impactful this program can be.

If supporting a future generation of nurse-midwives as a preceptor sounds like an excellent fit for you, please fill out our preceptor inquiry form. An FNU representative will follow up with you on the next steps for taking on this inspiring role. You can also learn more about precepting in our “Becoming a Preceptor” video series on YouTube.

For additional information, email our Department of Clinical Outreach and Placement at ClinicalAdvising@frontier.edu.

Getting to Know the New President of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, Dr. Catherine Collins-Fulea

July 30, 2020 By frontieredu

Last month, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) proudly announced that Dr. Catherine Collins-Fulea, DNP, CNM, FACNM, Assistant Professor at FNU, had been inducted as the new president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). She succeeds FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, as ACNM’s president. ACNM is the professional association that represents certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs) in the United States.

Dr. Collins-Fulea has been an active member of ACNM for all of her career. During her time with ACNM, she has chaired multiple committees, developed and implemented the organization’s benchmark system, and served two terms as vice president. Additionally, in 2003, the ACNM Foundation presented her with the prestigious Dorthea Lang Pioneer Award in recognition of her vital contributions to the group.

In 2018, Dr. Collins-Fulea obtained her Doctor of Nursing Practice from FNU and joined FNU as an assistant professor in January 2019.

This week we had the honor of sitting down with Dr. Collins-Fulea to learn a little more about her journey to her position as ACNM President, her passion for nurse-midwifery, and what goals she has for the future of ACNM and the midwifery community as a whole.

Where did your passion for nurse-midwifery begin?

I grew up in Canada but ended up attending nursing school in Oxford, England after hearing about the program through one of my father’s friends. Truthfully, getting involved with nurse-midwifery was a complete accident; I needed another elective in order to practice in Canada or America and I chose nurse-midwifery with no idea of the impact it would have on the rest of my life.

In England, I had been socialized to believe that everyone is delivered by a nurse-midwife. There were no power struggles with the doctors…that’s just how it was done. When I got my first nursing job in Detroit, I saw an American culture where giving women a spinal or telling them to cross their legs to postpone birth while waiting for a private doctor to conduct the delivery was common. I hated that model, and I only lasted six months before realizing that what I really wanted to do was practice and promote nurse-midwifery in the United States.

So although I wasn’t called to nurse-midwifery in the same way that many of my colleagues were, I am extremely passionate about the practice. I had been educated in a culture that collectively agreed upon the value of nurse-midwifery and when I came here and saw the hurdles American nurse-midwives were facing, I knew I needed to make a difference.

What has been your career path so far and how has it led you to your current role as faculty at FNU?

After I completed the mandatory refresher course in nurse-midwifery that was a prerequisite to sitting for the American boards, I became the fourth practicing nurse-midwife in the state of Michigan in 1981. I then opened an in-hospital birth center at Grace Hospital in Detroit. I was able to grow that practice to three nurse-midwives, but the hospital wasn’t willing to commit to any further expansion so I began to look elsewhere.

In 1991, I teamed up with the Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) to open a practice with six other nurse-midwives. The HFHS stood firmly with us through some initial opposition as we worked to create a cohesive culture between doctors and nurse-midwives. During my 27 years with the HFHS, it grew from seven to 22 midwives who served a network of two hospitals and eight different outpatient clinics. As we extended the reach of midwives in the area, we also worked to educate the healthcare community on the importance of our work. We taught nurse-midwifery students as well as OB-GYN residents, and we quickly saw the benefits of training side-by-side. The OB-GYN students learned to respect nurse-midwifery, became educated on our model of care, and almost all of them would go on to work with or hire nurse-midwives in the future.

December 27, 2018, I delivered my last baby before joining FNU. I had first heard about FNU in 1991 when I became a preceptor for someone from the school’s first nurse-midwifery distance education class. I have since worked with many FNU students and graduates and was confident that FNU would be a great fit for me. I graduated from FNU in December of 2018 and joined the faculty of FNU’s doctorate program in January of 2019. The flexible hours of teaching work perfectly with my new role as ACNM president. I love mentoring the DNP students through their quality improvement initiatives and I am so grateful that I am able to both teach and lead ACNM.

What are you most excited about with your new role as ACNM president?

I am most excited about working toward being an inclusive organization and continuing to work toward an environment of belonging where everyone is welcome and feels a responsibility to the greater midwifery community. We have a lot of great minds conducting research on maternal mortality and morbidity, the ability to practice, barriers to practice and so much more. I believe the next step is uniting every midwife in the United States to feel that vital sense of belonging and acceptance, so that is where I would really like to focus.

Now more than ever, we need to focus our efforts on listening to midwives who have experienced racism within midwifery education, within their personal lives, and even within ACNM. I am committed to turning any exclusive agenda around and making sure that everyone feels that they have a place in our community. It won’t be easy, and it won’t happen overnight, but one way or another, my biggest goal is to set us on the path forward to equality within our organization and the greater nurse-midwifery community.

What are the biggest challenges that you will face in your new role as ACNM president?

I think the biggest hurdle is going to be convincing each individual nurse-midwife how important it is that everyone feels valued and accepted. No matter how big our goals are, if we don’t have that basic foundation, we simply won’t be as effective as we could be. When we all work together with a sense of belonging and purpose, more people are going to want to get involved and be willing to donate precious time and energy towards our goals.

This goes hand in hand with the second obstacle of convincing those who aren’t members of ACMN to join us. The more members we have, the stronger our voice can be. In the 70s and 80s, ACNM had a lot more people willing to get involved because if we didn’t stand up and volunteer for the nurse-midwifery community, we weren’t going to be able to practice. I think we have grown more comfortable in recent years. There are not as many barriers to practice now, but it is always important to the future of nurse-midwifery that we organize together. We need people to volunteer; if they don’t have the time to volunteer, we also appreciate financial support. When we are able to work together using the expertise that everyone brings to the table, we will truly thrive.

What is a fun fact about you?

I have a motorcycle license. My husband bought a Harley Davidson and I decided if he could do it, I could do it. I took lessons and I bought myself a little Suzuki.

Thank you for answering the call to service, Dr. Collins-Fulea! The Frontier community is excited to be under your leadership and see how you will continue to positively impact the world of nurse-midwifery in this new role. Interested in learning more about Dr. Collins-Fulea? Go here to read about her induction.

What is a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)?

Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are educated in two disciplines: midwifery and nursing. They earn graduate degrees, complete a midwifery education program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME), and pass a national certification examination administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) to receive the professional designation of CNM. Certified Midwives (CMs) are educated in the discipline of midwifery. They earn graduate degrees, meet health and science education requirements, complete a midwifery education program accredited by ACME, and pass the same national certification examination as CNMs to receive the professional designation of CM.

Featured Preceptor Karl Lambert Offers Creative Solutions for Underserved Patients

June 9, 2020 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 healthcare to underserved and rural populations.

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) preceptor Karl Lambert, ARNP, was honored as FNU’s Featured Preceptor for the 2020 spring term. Karl was nominated by Olga Rybakov (NP student).

Karl has been a nurse practitioner for more than 20 years. He started out at a large family practice organization but felt he could better serve his community of East Wenatchee, Wash. by opening RediMedi Integrative Clinic in 2006.

Since its opening, Karl has brought a warm approach to his work in serving his community. Olga said, “Karl is a professional, kind and compassionate provider. He thinks outside the box and is always looking for ways to improve patient care and provide more affordable services.”

As the CEO of RediMedi Integrative Clinic, Karl has been able to develop and implement the Direct Patient Care Model. For a set monthly fee, patients have unlimited access to their primary care practitioners. It has allowed him to help patients because they have unlimited access to health care without having to worry about what’s covered and what’s not.

“Karl takes care of many uninsured patients. His primary care model is exemplary,” Olga said. “If patients need care outside of primary care, he meets people where they are financially and finds ways to get them specialty care at a fraction of the price.”

Thank you, Karl, for answering the call to service in the East Wenatchee community and showing students how to do the same!

Visit Frontier.edu/Preceptors to read about previously recognized preceptors or to nominate a preceptor.