Preceptors | Page 3 | Frontier Nursing University

Introducing the Clinical Outreach and Placement Unit

August 15, 2019 By frontieredu

The Clinical Outreach and Placement Unit Staff

Each of the graduate programs at Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is offered through distance education where students complete coursework online and clinical hours in their own communities across the country. The convenience that distance education brings to nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner students is one of FNU’s primary advantages, but it can also present unique challenges in locating quality clinical sites and preceptors to meet each student’s needs. Preceptors (nurse-midwives, nurse practitioners and other healthcare providers) play a crucial role in mentoring students and helping them gain the clinical experience they need for long-term success.

In direct response to the need to provide additional student support services during this important part of graduate nursing and midwifery education, FNU is proud to announce the creation of the new Clinical Outreach and Placement Unit.

The FNU Clinical Outreach and Placement Unit’s mission is to support FNU students by providing assistance and resources in locating clinical sites and preceptors, troubleshooting challenging situations and working one-on-one with students to navigate the overall clinical search process.

Director of Clinical Outreach and Placement Stephanie Boyd

Clinical Advisor Jamie Wheeler

The unit is led by Director of Clinical Outreach and Placement Stephanie Boyd and supported by Clinical Advisors Carisa Lipp and Jamie Wheeler as well as Clinical Services Coordinator Brittany Bachman.

The Clinical Advisors will work with students one-on-one and in small groups while the Clinical Services Coordinator will provide customer service and support to FNU preceptors. These staff members are seasoned FNU employees and have a great knowledge base of the FNU community and its systems.

Clinical Advisor Carisa Lipp

Clinical Services Coordinator Brittany Bachman

Student Jennifer Perez, RNC-OB, CFNP Class 163, has already benefited from working with her clinical advisor. She said, “My advisor has been an incredible resource and support to me and I appreciate how genuine, present, engaged and committed she is.”

The unit will focus on identifying appropriate clinical sites and preceptors for each student’s unique situation, facilitating student-preceptor relationships, and collaborating with Regional Clinical Faculty (RCFs) to better support each student. Managing case day activities will also be a function of the unit.

Students have responded with gratitude for the new resource now available to them. Loy E. Watson, ADN, RN, CFNP Class 144, said, “I am so glad that Frontier listens to the voice of the student body and cares enough to act. What a wonderful thing that Frontier is, yet again, filling a gap. The ongoing desire to meet the needs of students is truly what sets Frontier apart from other schools.”

FNU is committed to providing the necessary resources to help each student succeed, and the creation of the Clinical Outreach and Placement Unit supports this commitment.

To learn more about becoming a preceptor, visit Frontier.edu/preceptor.

FNU Faculty and Staff Recognized at ACNM Conference

June 20, 2019 By frontieredu

Faculty, staff, preceptors and students of Frontier Nursing University (FNU) recently attended the 64th Annual American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) Meeting, held May 18-22, 2019 in National Harbor, Maryland. We want to highlight the many FNU representatives who were recognized and received awards at the ACNM Conference. We commend all of these individuals for their tireless efforts as nurse-midwifery leaders.

Awards/Honors

Cathy Collins-Fulea, DNP, CNM – President-Elect for ACNM

Elois Edge, CNM, APRN, DNP, MSN – Incoming Region III Representative for ACNM

Alice Bailes, CNM, MSN, FACNM and Marsha Jackson, CNM, MSN, FACNM (Preceptors) – Dorothea M. Lang Pioneer Award

Jill Alliman, DNP, CNM, APRN – Midwifery Teaching Excellence Award (nominated and voted upon by midwifery students)

Emily McGahey, CNM, MSN – Midwifery Preceptor of the year

Megan Pena, BSN, RN-C, SNM – Texas Midwifery Creation Scholarship

FNU also had 17 faculty members give the following presentations at the ACNM conference.

Faculty/Alumni Presentations

Tonya Nicholson, DNP, CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE, FACNM

Educators Workshop
De-Centering Weight: Body Positive Midwifery Care and Caring for the Fat Folk: What It Really Means to Be an Obese Client
ACNM-ACOG Maternity Care Education and Practice Redesign: Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Janelle Komorowski, DNP, ARNP, CNM

Fear Factor: Does the Language of Risk Affect Perinatal Outcomes?

Donna Barisich, CNM

Basic and Advanced Suturing Workshops
Affiliate Leadership Workshop

Diana Jolles, PhD, CNM

Arriving at Best Practice: AABC Data and One of the PIs From the Arrive Trial
Round Table – Doctorates for Midwives, Which One is Right for You?
Round Table – QI for Reduction of Cesarean

Nena Harris, PhD, FNP-BC, CNM, CNE

Addressing Health Disparities Via Residential Primary Care for Homeless Women: A Free Clinic Case Management Model of Care for Women With Complex Health Care Needs

Jane Houston, DNP, CNM, MSN, FACNM

With Tanya Belcheff and Stephanie Martinez: Leading Organizational Change, The Essentials of LGBTQIA+ Inclusion in University Curricula and Health Care Settings Using Simulation and Case Study Exemplars

Linda Cole, CNM, DNP, CNE, FACNM

Round Table portion of Educators & Preceptors Workshop – Teaching Quality Improvement With Simulated Peer Review

Joani Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM

Coding and Billing for the Complex Women’s Healthcare Outpatient Visit

Megan Arbour, PhD, CNM, CNE, FACNM

With Tanya Tanner, etc. – Presenting on Sleep Qualitative Data
Round table portion of Educators & Preceptors Workshop – Evidence-Based Practice
With Kelly Walker and Judie Wika – Poster Presentation: “Building a Village of Support for the Fourth Trimester”

Vicki Burslem, MSN, CNM, FACNM

Basic and Advanced Suturing Workshop

Eileen Thrower, PhD, CNM, APRN, FACNM

Basic and Advanced Suturing Workshop
Affiliate Leader Workshop
Poster Presentation – “Virginia Midwifery History”

Heather Clarke, CNM, APRN, DNP, FACNM

Midwifery Education Panel

Julie L Daniels, DNP, CNM, CTTS

Basic & Advanced Suturing Workshop

Katie Moriarty, PhD, CNM, FACNM, CAFCI, RN

Roundtable: Educators & Preceptors: EBP
Poster Presentation – “Stress/Distress: Prenatal Mind-Body Interventions”
Leadership Affiliate Workshop
Region IV Session

Sarah Smith, DNP, CNM

Basic & Advanced Suturing Workshop

Charlotte Morris, DNP, MSN, MS, CNM,FACNM

Midwives of Color Social & Fundraiser Event

Catherine Collins-Fulea, DNP, CNM and Khara Jefferson, DNP, FNP

Poster Presentation – “Improving Timeliness of Obstetrical Triage Throughout in an Urban Tertiary Care Hospital”

Robin Jennifer Pass Tucker, MSN, CNM

Poster Presentation – “Midwives on a Mission: Where Harm Reduction Meets Sexual Health”

Case Day and Birth Equity Panel Presenters

Nena Harris
Venay Uecke
Mandesa Smith
Stephanie Martinez
Keisha Edwards
Kathryn Carr

Newly Inducted ACNM Fellows

Alumni

Elois Edge, CNM, APRN, DNP, MSN

Margaret Holcomb, CNM, DNP

Erin Wright, CNM, DNP, MS, APHN-BC

Preceptors

Erin Biscone, CNM, DNP

Christie Bryant, CNM, MSN

Celina Cunanan, CNM, MSN

Jenna LoGiudice, CNM, PhD, RN

Ebony Marcelle, CNM, MS

Katrina A Nardini, CNM, WHNP-BC, MSN, MPH

Kathleen Page, CNM, MSN

Bonita Shivraga, CNM, PhD, MS

Jennifer Woo, CNM, PhD, WHNP-BC, MSN

Amy Nacht, DNP, CNM, MPH, MSN

FNU Student Recognition

Alexandra Millett, FNU DNP Student – Scholarship

Nancy Reinhart, SNM, MPH – Christine N. Nuger CNM Memorial Scholarship

Corey Rogers, Class 158 – ACNM FNU Student Representative

Student Mentees of the FNU Diversity & Inclusion Office

Katrina George

Elizabeth Aviles

Aja Aviles-Soto

Alexandra Millet

Stacy Hepner

Ellen Apple

We are proud of each of these individuals for their honorable representation of FNU! Read about our time at the ACNM Conference here.

To find out more about FNU’s programs and offerings, visit Frontier.edu.

Preceptor Spotlight: Terry Sims, FNP

June 13, 2019 By frontieredu

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.

Terry Sims and Alice Dalena

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) Preceptor Terry Sims, FNP, was honored as FNU’s “Featured Preceptor” for the 2019 Spring Term. Terry was nominated by Alice Dalena (FNP Class 152), who graduated this past February.

Terry’s career began as a paramedic before going on to become a Registered Nurse. His experiences in emergency medicine as well as a brief stint as his county’s assistant coroner developed in him the ability to stay calm under pressure and maintain a positive attitude.

For the past 11 years, Terry has worked in rural South Carolina helping patients at Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Primary Care Great Falls. According to Alice, he sees up to 40 patients each day but takes the time to genuinely care for each one.

The rural town of Great Falls, S.C. once had a thriving economy due to the presence of a now-closed cotton mill, but has come on hard times in recent years. The population is prone to deficiencies typical of rural areas that FNU has always been passionate about remedying: poverty, lack of healthcare education and the need for a complete spectrum of healthcare.

At the MUSC clinic, Terry not only attends to his patients, but also performs his role as preceptor for up to three students at a time. Rather than being overwhelmed with his full plate, Alice reports Terry has a great sense of humor and takes time to patiently work with students, quizzing them on information.

Alice now has the privilege of working alongside her former preceptor at MUSC Primary Care. “I am forever thankful that Terry will always be my mentor,” she said.

Thank you, Terry, for being committed to helping so many FNU students while offering your patients the highest quality of care!

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

FNU Attends 64th Annual ACNM Meeting

June 10, 2019 By frontieredu

The 64th Annual American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) Meeting was held May 18-22, 2019 in National Harbor, MD at the Gaylord Resort & Convention Center with nearly 2000 attendees from across the country. Frontier Nursing University (FNU) had a large presence at the conference, highlighted by a large exhibition booth as well as a table selling items in the Midwifery Market.

Many FNU students, graduates, preceptors and faculty stopped by the booth, gave presentations and received awards and recognition for their continual hard work. All who attended were empowered by the impactful work the FNU community is doing around the nation.

The theme of this year’s exhibition booth celebrated the 80-year anniversary of FNU. Behind the booth hung a collage backdrop featuring photos from throughout FNU’s 80-year history. Booth workers promoted the “.80 for 80” campaign, asking donors to give $0.80 per day for a year and receive an exclusive 80th Anniversary lapel pin.

FNU students, faculty and alumni who attended were asked to share their favorite memory as a midwife or of FNU, and several memories were displayed at the booth. Another exhibit booth activity was a book signing with FNU Alumna Barbara Anderson for her new book, The Maternal Health Crisis in America Nursing Implications for Advocacy and Practice. Attendees also had the option to register to win an FNU 80-year gift basket.

Six students were selected to attend the ACNM Annual Meeting with their expenses covered as part of FNU’s Diversity & Impact Program mentee program which allows students to attend conferences with a faculty mentor . Katrina George, Elizabeth Aviles, Aja Aviles-Soto, Alexandra Millet, Stacy Hepner and Ellen Apple were selected to attend ACNM and enjoyed educational sessions and helped out at the FNU booth, the Midwifery Market and the reception.

One highlight of the ACNM Conference was FNU’s annual Alumni & Friends Reception. Prior to the start of the reception Dr. Tonya Nicholson led a “Heart of Midwifery” virtual session where she interviewed a number of attendees so that students at home could get a glimpse of the Annual Meeting. During the reception, more than 150 students, preceptors, alumni, faculty, staff and friends heard from FNU President and ACNM President Dr. Susan Stone as well as FNU Dean Joan Slager along with Tonya Nicholson, Angela Bailey, Jane Houston and Kitty Ernst as they spoke about the passion behind Frontier and the success of 2019 thus far. FNU Preceptors were also recognized during this event for their generous time and support they offer to our students. Attendees enjoyed a time of networking and community during the reception.

The FNU Case Day and Panel Event took place Monday, May 20th in conjunction with the ACNM Annual Meeting with RCF Dr. Tanya Belcheff and Director of the DNP Program, Dr. Jane Houston. Three cases were presented at the beginning of the program by Hogan, Hepner, and Hart.

The Birth Equity Panel brief created a wonderful safe space to talk about birth equity and justice with an engaged group of diverse students and providers. Keisha Edwards provided a kind, loving style as our facilitator, allowing the students to bring forth discussions on race and justice that were moving and meaningful to everyone in the room.

To see more photos from the conference, view the ACNM photo album.

Be on the lookout for an upcoming story highlighting the many FNU faculty, staff, preceptors and students who were recognized and received awards at the ACNM conference.

FNU Celebrates National Nurses Week

May 2, 2019 By frontieredu

This week, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) will join millions across the country to celebrate National Nurses Week. Beginning Monday, May 6, and culminating on the birthday of legendary nurse Florence Nightingale on Sunday, May 12, National Nurses Week marks a time for all of us impacted by nurses’ selfless work to celebrate together and express our appreciation. FNU honors all nurses during this holiday week, especially the thousands of FNU nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner alumni and students dedicated to serving women and families and carrying out the legacy that Mary Breckinridge set forth.

The theme of this year’s National Nurses Week, led by the American Nurses Association (ANA), is 4 Million Reasons to Celebrate – “a nod to nurses’ sheer numbers and an open invitation to thank a nurse for enriching our lives and the world we live in.”

The 4 million registered nurses comprise the largest group of health professionals in the United States. Nurses have been ranked as the professionals with the highest honesty and ethical standards by the American public for 17 consecutive years.

Here are several ways for FNU students, faculty and alumni to participate in National Nurses Week:

1. Attend the FREE Nurses4Us: Elevating the Profession! Webinar

Presented by ANA’s president Dr. Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, the webinar will provide insider strategies as experts discuss ways to increase nurses’ professional presence beyond hospital walls. Join the conversation on Twitter with #NursesWeekLive, where you can follow highlights from @ANANursingWorld and take part in a special Q&A session with nurse leaders. For more information and to register, visit the National Nurses Week website.

2. Organize an Event For Your Colleagues

Make the week special for the nurses you work with every day. Positive Promotions has rounded up 50 ways to celebrate National Nurses Week, including organizing a “Nurses Night Out” event, kicking off a “Nurse of the Month” recognition program and putting on an ice cream social.

3. Honor a Nurse (or Treat Yourself!) with a Unique Gift

The ANA has partnered with Jim Coleman to offer a wide variety of products through its Honor a Nurse program. Shop totes, shirts, water bottles, notebooks and more to find the perfect gift for your favorite nurse! View the entire product line at JimColemanStore.com.

4. Keep Up with Your 4 Million Fellow Nurses on Twitter

Follow @RNAction, @ANAEthics and @HealthyNurseUSA on Twitter to stay up-to-date on the nursing world, and see ways other nurses are celebrating #NursesWeek.

How do you plan to celebrate National Nursing Week? Share a photo on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook and tag Frontier Nursing University so that we can see how our students, faculty, preceptors and alumni are celebrating one another! Use #FNUAnswerTheCall so we can see how you and your colleagues are truly answering the call to serve your communities.

FNU Grads Revolutionizing Maternity Care through Strong Start Initiative

February 7, 2019 By frontieredu

A strong network of Frontier Nursing University (FNU) students, graduates and preceptors are spearheading a maternity revolution in the United States through their work at birth centers.

Birth centers (BCs) are health care facilities for childbirth where care is provided in the midwifery and wellness model. BCs are not hospitals, but rather freestanding entities integrated into the health care system and guided by principles of prevention, sensitivity, safety, appropriate medical intervention and cost-effectiveness.

The network of FNU students, graduates and preceptors working in BCs are supported through the Strong Start Initiative for Mothers and Newborns.

The American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) created Strong Start in order to support mothers throughout their pregnancies and postpartum. In it, each participant receives the direction and support she needs during her pregnancy to feel safe, secure and prepared to meet her healthy new baby.

According to a November 2018 report by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), women who received prenatal care in Strong Start BCs had better birth outcomes and lower costs relative to similar Medicaid beneficiaries not enrolled in Strong Start.

“In particular, rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, and cesarean section were lower among birth center participants, and costs were more than $2,000 lower per mother-infant pair during birth and the following year,” the report stated. “These promising birth center results may be useful to state Medicaid programs seeking to improve the health outcomes of their covered populations.”

The findings are evidence that BC maternity care has a larger potential impact on the reduction of preterm birth risk than any other recent medical or public health intervention, a sentiment that FNU closely echoes with its own holistic birth care values.

El Rio Birth & Women’s Health Center in Tucson, Ariz. has brought eight FNU CNM alumni onto staff. El Rio, situated on the U.S.-Mexico border, serves a varied and sometimes vulnerable population.

Director of Midwifery Services, Greta Gill, CNM, MSN, says El Rio’s community-based care model is what attracts so many like-minded FNU alumni.

“We are all mindful of the original mission of the Frontier Nursing Service,” she said. “We carry forth the tradition of compassionate and excellent care for the most vulnerable among us. Our outcomes are excellent and our patients love their care.”

El Rio nurse-midwife and FNU course faculty, Diana Jolles, CNM, PhD is responsible for creating opportunities for even more students and preceptors from the FNU community to participate in the care model at El Rio.

“FNU alumni are united by a shared vision and create community around that sisterhood,” said Greta. “Only another midwife can relate to the lifestyle, intense passion and huge fulfillment we get from this work.”

El Rio is just one of the 182 BCs participating in the Strong Start Initiative around the country.

“The Strong Start data has been affirming,” said Greta. “We now hope to see it drive decision-making at the health care policy level. Every woman deserves a midwife, and we want to expand access to our model of care.”

While the Strong Start Initiative has ended, the research shows that midwifery led care is important to the welfare of mothers across the nation. FNU encourages students to learn more about public healthcare models similar to the Strong Start Initiative through professional organizations such as American Association of Birth Centers or American College of Nurse Midwives.

“FNU students should leverage the network of alumni, preceptors, and graduates who are working in public healthcare models nationwide,” Dr. Jolles said.

As Frontier Nursing University strives to improve maternal health, we support the vast network of alumni, preceptors, graduates and students who are working in birth centers around the country. Together, they are impacting communities by bringing high-quality prenatal, birth and postpartum care to mothers and families. To learn more about the birth center model or find a birth center near you, visit BirthCenters.org.

Give a Gift from the Heart: Become a Preceptor at FNU

January 31, 2019 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University’s (FNU) unique distance education model allows its students to complete required experiences in clinical sites in their own communities. Clinical preceptors make this model possible by serving as teachers, role models and mentors to our students across the country.

Preceptors truly give meaningful gifts: their time, expertise and unwavering care.

The FNU community is incredibly grateful for the thousands of preceptors who have guided its students. With that said, even more willing preceptors are needed to give their time and commitment to help the growing number of students succeed.

FNU is excited to announce its “Gifts From the Heart” preceptor recruitment campaign, launching in February! We are calling on our incredible and widespread base of alumni to give the gift of precepting.

Story after story pours in from our students, detailing how their preceptors have impacted their education and personal lives. Just two of the many examples are below:

Alumna Swayzee Ramage and her newborn daughter with preceptor and nurse-midwife, Beth Carter

First as a preceptor, then as her nurse-midwife, Beth Carter, CNM, changed the life of then-student Swayzee Ramage, FNP-C.

Swayzee, in the DNP program (Class 31), completed her clinical rotation with Beth, a fellow FNU alumna, in 2018. She learned and grew as a nurse practitioner with Beth as her preceptor, but didn’t expect for their paths to cross again after the rotation was over.

In September, Swayzee was nearly full-term with a pregnancy, and she called on Beth’s clinic for her midwifery care when the time came. Beth was set to change jobs in October, but Swayzee’s labor began five weeks before her due date. Beth’s last midwifery job was delivering Swayzee’s healthy baby girl!

Beth acts as Swayzee's nurse-midwife during her birthBeth acts as Swayzee's nurse-midwife during her birth

Beth acts as Swayzee’s nurse-midwife as she gives birth

“Two worlds, two degrees and three lives all collide because of Frontier Nursing University,” said Swayzee.

“What a wonderful experience to be able to be cared for by a fellow preceptor, a fellow graduate of the school I have come to love, and also an amazing midwife. I will cherish this memory forever,” she said.

In another heartwarming account, preceptor Sonja Furse, DNP, PMHNP developed skills and confidence in student Jo-Ann Mars that prepared the student for the next step in her journey as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.

Through Sonja’s tutelage, Jo-Ann, RN, MS, MSN, EdD, FNP-BC, CNE, PMHS, PMHNP (Class 155), gained a desire to learn more about complex patients in order to provide better evidence-based care.

“Sonja was both my critic and support system at the same time,” said Jo-Ann. “She pushed me when I needed pushing, but was always there to guide and encourage me if I needed help.”

Sonja was honored as a “Featured Preceptor” for the Fall 2018 term. Thanks to Sonja, Jo-Ann is beginning her journey as part of the next generation of nurse practitioner success stories.

Preceptors are in the business of turning students’ dreams into reality. As these inspiring graduates become preceptors themselves, it is a gift that truly keeps on giving.

If you would like more information on the gift of precepting, visit Frontier.edu/GiftFromTheHeart. We thank you for considering giving a gift from your heart!

Staff Spotlight: Jamie Wheeler, MA

January 17, 2019 By frontieredu

A key piece of the Frontier Nursing University (FNU) graduate online nursing specialty programs is securing a preceptor and clinical site. Clinical Site Facilitator Jamie Wheeler, MA, spends her days connecting students with the preceptors and clinicals that best suit their unique needs.

Because the preceptor and clinical search can be very challenging and stressful for students, Jamie’s role allows her to focus on one student at a time. She provides them with tools and resources to navigate through the clinical search and credentialing processes.

Jamie is also passionate about leading webinars and educating her students. Each term, she presents a webinar called “Clinical Search 101: Tips for Locating Sites and Preceptors” that helps students prepare for their time in clinicals.

“I enjoy giving each student my full attention and helping to walk them through the process of securing sites and preceptors,” she said. “I love building rapport with our students and making this challenging time a little less stressful for them.”

Jamie has been in her position with FNU for six years, coming from a Student Affairs background at the University of Kentucky.

She chose Frontier because of its mission and dedication to serving rural and underserved populations. As a rural, northern Wisconsin native, Jamie felt at home at FNU and has found community amongst the staff and students.

“I truly have terrific colleagues and friendships here,” she said. “I am part of an amazing team!”

Jamie was also thankful for the FNU community as she became a mother. Though midwifery care was not initially on her radar, Jamie decided to seek a nurse-midwife for her pregnancies. In the two-minute video below, she talks about her decision and the impact it had on her birthing experience.

“Frontier was a wonderful place to be through two healthy pregnancies. It was awesome to have CNMs that answered my questions and supported me,” she said.

While she’s not in the office, Jamie loves cooking, baking, reading, being outside and spending time with her husband and two young daughters.

Thank you for the dedicated work that you do for our students, Jamie!