Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner | Page 5

Alumni Spotlight: Marli Parobek

November 14, 2019 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumna Marli Parobek, MS, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-C, noticed a growing need for better mental healthcare in her community and rose to meet the challenge.

Marli graduated from FNU in June 2018 as part of the first class of the Psychiatric-Mental Health NP post-graduate certificate.

A resident of her hometown, Yakima, Wa., Marli has been a nurse practitioner for 14 years. She is currently head of the inpatient psychiatric unit at Astria Toppenish Hospital, where her focus is mainly on voluntary and involuntary inpatient psychiatry, medical withdrawal and detox.

Yakima is a town in rural eastern Washington, a largely agricultural community. Much of the population is made up of minority races and, as is common in rural, blue-collar communities, struggles with poverty and substance abuse are prevalent.

Marli and the Astria psychiatric unit received federal and state grants to implement their psychiatric and detox programs, allowing them to offer a service that had previously not existed in eastern Washington.

The voluntary detox program for alcohol and opiate addicts is 3-5 days of 24/7 nursing care in the hospital. Marli prescribes detox medications and performs psychiatric evaluations for these patients until they are discharged to outpatient detox programs.

Marli’s unit also offers an involuntary inpatient suboxone program for psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia and severe bipolar disorder. The program offers secure, lock-down units and is staffed with chemical dependency therapists and social workers who offer individual and group therapy.

On Thursdays, Marli also does outpatient work with teens and other patients on the nearby Yakama Indian Reservation.

Marli chose to pursue the PMHNP degree to take her career to the next level. “I was a family nurse-practitioner for twelve years and I enjoyed it, but I started to feel too comfortable and wasn’t being challenged,” she said. “I also saw a lot of mental illness and felt ill-prepared to address the issue correctly with only an FNP degree.”

One of Marli’s biggest takeaways from her time in the PMHNP program was the importance of evidence-based practice as really the only way to offer proper care. “Now I know what I didn’t know!” she said.

The personalized support she received at FNU really impressed Marli, and now she is enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. “I love how FNU really wants their students to succeed,” she said. “Now the addition of a doctorate degree will set me apart personally and professionally.”

We are proud of Marli for continuing to challenge herself to increase the quality and scope of care she offers. Thank you for representing FNU well!

Alaska Spotlight: Kristina Amundson

September 19, 2019 By frontieredu

Since its foundation in 1939, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has adopted a mission of reaching rural, diverse and underserved populations. This mission is still being lived out today, where more than 80 FNU alumni are answering the call in Alaska. In the coming months, we will be highlighting several of these alumni who serve in our country’s most remote and unforgiving state.

Kristina Amundson, DNP, CNM, remembers vividly her days at FNU. Specifically, she recalls Kitty Ernst’s directive to the class: “Go forth and be a change.”

“At the time, I thought, ‘I’m just one person, how can I be a change?’” Amundson recalls. “But it’s just one step at a time. That’s my attitude in providing excellent healthcare. You have the ability to make a difference, so go do it.”

Amundson has indeed gone forth and made a change. Originally from Traverse City, Michigan, Amundson was working as a traveling labor nurse when she met the man who would become her husband in Alaska. The year was 2009, and she’s been there ever since, working first as a labor and delivery nurse and then as a nurse-midwife at Interior Women’s Health in Fairbanks. She also has privileges at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.

In her decade in Alaska, Amundson has come to realize that education is one of the biggest hurdles to healthcare for many people in the area.

“I find that women need increased access to evidence-based care, and the options in this community are sparse,” Amundson says. “The lack of knowledge of the available healthcare options results in a lack of self-advocacy to receive the best care. That’s the biggest thing, and I’m trying to address that.”

To address that gap, Amundson became an Evidence-Based Birth Instructor, offering her first class in January 2019. The six-week, evidence-based course teaches families what to expect during pregnancy and childbirth. Early interest came largely from her own patients, but she hopes to expand it to a much wider audience, including fellow healthcare professionals in the Fairbanks area.

Amundson attends 60-70 births per year and estimates she has a patient population of 40-50 pregnant women in her care at any given time, in addition to providing other women’s health care. Her goal to increase the exposure of her course might well be aided by a network of other FNU graduates who also work in Fairbanks. There are six other FNU graduates working as nurse-midwives in Fairbanks, including her sister-in-law, Courtney Amundson, MSN, CNM, Class 139, and Margaret Rader, MSN, CNM, Class 43, who was also one of Amundson’s preceptors.

“I think FNU has touched this community in a positive way,” Amundson says. “We have more midwives than obstetricians. If we didn’t have the ability to go to FNU and have extended learning, that wouldn’t be the case here.”

While Fairbanks is not rural, Amundson notes that many of her patients are from rural areas and have to go to great lengths to see her, some driving from as far as four hours away.

“There is a high native population here,” Amundson says. “They generally have poor access to healthcare because many live in villages with no clinics or they are closed in on an island.”

There is also limited access to specialists in Fairbanks. For example, the only access to a child cardiologist is once a month when a child cardiologist visits from Seattle. In some cases, patients have to travel to Anchorage or Seattle to find the specialists they need to see, which, Amundson notes, “can put an extreme financial hardship on a family.”

Another form of specialized care lacking in availability is appropriate mental health care. Amundson says that patients who are not suicidal and have no insurance are often unable to find help, and patients on Medicaid are put on a waiting list of up to a year.

“It is nearly impossible to find a place that will accept Medicaid insurance and even harder to find counseling for those who are not suicidal with Medicaid,” she says. “The patients that I see who are most affected by this are women suffering from perinatal or postpartum depression. In Alaska, I find that our incidence for this is a bit higher than the national prevalence. When I was doing my Doctor of Nursing Practice project, I surveyed and screened those seen in my clinic and 49% of women had some form (mild, moderate, severe) of depression in pregnancy or postpartum. I find that I am often prescribing for women who can’t seek care elsewhere. I am always encouraging counseling but the limited access is very problematic.”

To help address such gaps in access to mental healthcare across the country, FNU launched the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner degree path in 2017. Meanwhile, Amundson continues to be a champion for the quality of healthcare being provided in Fairbanks.

“People here advocate for change,” she says, noting that the cesarean rate is much lower than the national average. “I feel very positive about our community and how we are addressing healthcare issues.”

Indeed, Amundson and her fellow FNU nurse-midwives of Fairbanks are going forth and making a change.

FNU Names Jess Calohan, DNP, PMHNP-BC as New PMHNP Program Director

January 25, 2019 By frontieredu

Hyden, Ky. – Jess Calohan, DNP, PMHNP-BC, has been named the new director of Frontier Nursing University’s (FNU) Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program.

Calohan comes to FNU from George Washington University School of Nursing, where he was an assistant professor. He also is the owner and PMHNP at ClincWorksConsulting, a Telepsychiatry Company, in Potomac Falls, Va. and has served on the Distance Education and Accreditation Council in Washington, D.C., since 2013.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Calohan as the new director of our Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program,” said FNU President Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACM, FAAN. “He brings a wealth of experience that will allow the program to proceed on the path of excellence as it continues to develop, grow and ultimately provide clinicians who will serve those most in need of mental health services.”

Jess Calohan, DNP, PMHNP-BC

A retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army, Calohan served the military in a variety of medical positions for 20 years. Most recently, he was the Program Chair and Assistant Professor of the PMHNP program in the Graduate School of Nursing at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., from 2013-2017. His distinguished military record includes a long list of awards, including a Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, and eight Army Commendation Medals.

Calohan’s professional activities include memberships in the American Association for Men in Nursing, the American Psychiatric Nurses’ Association, and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. He is also a member of the editorial board of the Journal of American Psychiatric Nurses’ Association.

“I am honored to accept the PMHNP director position at FNU,” Dr. Calohan said. “I have long been impressed by FNU’s organizational values, model, and the success of its programs. I am excited to lead this program and continue FNU’s legacy of preparing outstanding students to provide excellent healthcare in their communities.”

Irma Jordan, DNP, APRN, FNP/PMHNP-BC, FAANP

FNU’s PMHNP program is further strengthened by the naming of Irma Jordan, DNP, APRN, FNP/PMHNP-BC, FAANP, as the permanent PMHNP Clinical Director effective in the 2019 spring term. Jordan has been serving a dual role as both the PMHNP Clinical Director and the Family Nurse Practitioner program Clinical Director, but will focus her attention entirely on the rapidly-growing PMHNP program moving forward.

FNU’s PMHNP program launched in January 2017. A PMHNP is an advanced practice nurse that seeks to improve mental health care and the overall health status of communities. With a focus on lifetime care for individuals, PMHNPs are committed to promoting mental health through assessment, diagnosis and treatment of behavioral problems, mental disorders and comorbid conditions.

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About Frontier Nursing University:

The mission of FNU is to provide accessible nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner education to prepare competent, entrepreneurial, ethical and compassionate leaders in primary care to serve all individuals with an emphasis on women and families in diverse, rural, and underserved populations. FNU offers graduate Nurse-Midwifery and Nurse-Practitioner distance education programs that can be pursued full- or part-time with the student’s home community serving as the classroom. Degrees and options offered include Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Post-Graduate Certificates. To learn more about FNU and the programs and degrees offered, please visit Frontier.edu.

2018 Year in Review

January 2, 2019 By frontieredu

2018 is wrapping up at Frontier Nursing University (FNU)! From individual student accomplishments to the Versailles campus acquisition, it was truly an exciting year to be part of the FNU community. Below are some of our highlights from 2018. Be sure to watch the “2018 FNU Year in Review” video at the bottom of the post as well.

Excellence in Teaching

Frontier’s MSN and PGC programs received continued accreditation from the Board of Commissioners of the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). ACEN granted the accreditation of each of the specialties offered in FNU’s master of science in nursing and post-graduate certificate programs, and the new psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) specialty, through 2025. The first PMHNP students graduated in March.

In July, FNU was awarded the Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The grant totals $1,376,800 in funding from 2018-2020, including $600,000 in student scholarships.

First Students Graduate from FNU’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program

Frontier Nursing University Awarded $1.3 Million HRSA Program Grant

Diversity and Inclusion

June held FNU’s eighth-annual Diversity Impact Student Conference. With workshops and activities revolving around the theme, “We Are One: Uniting Dreamers with Diverse Voices,” the four-day event helped attendees explore how to create meaningful connections within diverse communities. FNU was honored to receive the 2018 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education in October.

FNU Diversity Impact Celebrates 8 Years

A New Frontier: Versailles Campus

FNU is creating a new, accessible campus in Versailles, Ky. In September, FNU secured a contractor and began the renovations to several buildings and plots on the property. With expected completion tentatively set for 2020, you can stay up to date on the progress by subscribing for email updates or visiting Frontier.edu/versailles-kentucky-campus.

Read more:

FNU to Begin Work on Versailles Campus

Successful FNU Programs

From June to August, three Couriers served a vast number of Appalachian community members through their work in clinics and nonprofits. FNU also hosted its annual virtual events for National Midwifery Week (Sept. 30- Oct. 6) and National Nurse Practitioner Week (Nov. 11-18). Themed “Answer the Call to Service,” the free online sessions and continuing education opportunities provided participants with fuel to improve their leadership in the field.

Explore Sessions from This Year’s National Midwifery Week Virtual Event

What to Expect for FNU’s National Nurse Practitioner Week Virtual Event

Faculty & Staff Accomplishments

A couple of new staff and faculty members joined the FNU team in 2018. Debra Turner was brought on as the new Wendover operations manager, and Dr. Joan Slager was named dean of nursing. FNU President Dr. Susan Stone also received professional accolades when she was inducted as president of ACNM and elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

Several faculty members and alumni contributed to the American Journal of Nursing (AJN) book of the year. “Freestanding Birth Centers: Innovation, Evidence, Optimal Outcomes,” written by several FNU faculty members and alumni, was awarded first place in the 2017 AJN Book of the Year Awards in Maternal-Child Health.

Meet FNU’s New Dean of Nursing, Dr. Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM

FNU President Dr. Susan Stone Inducted as President of ACNM

Frontier Nursing University President Dr. Susan Stone Elected to National Academy of Medicine

FNU Alumni and Faculty Contribute to Textbook Awarded First Place in the 2017 AJN Book of the Year Awards in Maternal-Child Health

Student & Alumni Achievements

On October 26, more than 800 nurse-midwife and nurse practitioner graduates received their degrees at commencement. We wish each the best in their careers!

Alumni from 2017 showed the effectiveness of a properly-structured, affordable distance education nursing program as test-takers surpassed the national board examination averages. Graduates exceeded national averages in each of the CNM, WHNP, FNP, MSN and PGC examinations.

FNU Awards Degrees to Over 800 Nurse-Midwife and Nurse Practitioner Graduates

We are so proud of our accomplishments in the FNU Community in 2018. The support from our friends, alumni, faculty, students, staff, and Couriers has been invaluable to our growth and success. We welcome 2019 with open arms!

Featured Preceptor: Sonja Furse, DNP, PMHNP

December 10, 2018 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University preceptor Sonja Furse, DNP, PMHNP is the first psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner to be honored as a “Featured Preceptor” for the Fall 2018 term. Sonja was nominated by recent PMHNP program graduate, Jo-Ann Marrs.

Sonja serves as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner in the emergency department at the Mountain Home Veterans Administration Hospital in Johnson City, Tenn. As a 24-year veteran of the United States Air Force, Sonja gives back to veterans in her role. Her duties include emergency treatment, inpatient psychiatry, primary care, and intensive outpatient treatment.

Jo-Ann Mars, RN, MS, MSN, EdD, FNP-BC, CNE, PMHS was assigned as Sonja’s student while earning her PMNHP (Class 155), which she completed in November 2018.

“Everything she was and did spoke of competence, caring, professionalism and a love of her chosen profession and her patients,” said Jo-Ann.

Sonja prides herself in precision with regard to charting and documentation. As a preceptor, she was extremely patient and open to questions and discussion. With Jo-Ann’s perspective as a family nurse practitioner, the two worked together to understand medical conditions and medications that Sonja’s patients had or needed. They explored patient cases together and came up with diagnoses using the DSM 5 and jointly determined medication and admission status.

“I loved reading about new treatments with Sonja as we both learned together,” said Jo-Ann. “I really felt like we had a wonderful working relationship.”

Sonja also helped Jo-Ann push to expand her capabilities as a PMNHP, instilling 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.”

“She was the epitome of what you would want from a preceptor. I was very blessed to work with Sonja,” said Jo-Ann.

Sonja will receive a Starbucks gift card as a small token of our appreciation for her being a great preceptor. Thank you, Sonja, for your investment in our FNU students!

Go here to read more on previously recognized preceptors, or to nominate a preceptor. Interested in becoming a Frontier preceptor? Learn more.

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.

Benefits of Distance Learning

December 6, 2018 By frontieredu

Want To Earn an Advanced Nursing Degree? Try Distance Learning!

It seems like these days everyone is doing just about everything online, and that is particularly true when it comes to online courses and distance learning. In fact, according to U.S. News & World Report, there were over 6.3 million students who enrolled in at least one online course as of fall 2016, a growth of more than 5 percent from 2015.

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has embraced distance education and provided a fully web-based experience, with 100 percent of its students enrolled online. But before the internet was even in use for education, FNU piloted a community-based distance education nurse-midwifery program in 1989. The program was built to fulfill FNU’s mission to educate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to serve all individuals, with an emphasis on women and families in diverse, rural, and underserved populations.

With an array of online offerings three decades later, students seeking higher education in nursing and midwifery are meeting those goals at FNU. From 2013 to 2017, enrollment jumped from 1,934 to 2,263 students – an increase of 17 percent. Why are so many people turning to online programs?

The Benefits of Online Learning

Online and distance learning courses offer convenience and access that wasn’t possible with traditional programs in decades past. If you weren’t on or near campus, you were unable to take classes – until the internet became widely available. Now, students can enjoy the many benefits of online programs:

Access your coursework, assignments, and more from anywhere with internet availability
Work at your own pace to complete course work in a specified timeframe
Continue to work or focus on other obligations while earning your degree
No need to find on-campus housing or worry about transportation to classes
Choose from many affordable options

Programs That Help You, Help Others

Nursing programs are particularly popular because there is such a high demand for qualified nurses. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 203,800 nurse practitioner jobs in the U.S. as of 2016.

With that in mind, FNU’s community-based, distance education programs allow nurses to achieve their higher education goals by earning a master’s or doctoral degree. For those seeking a master’s degree or post-graduate certificate, FNU offers four specialties including nurse-midwifery, family nursing, women’s health care and psychiatric-mental health. Using clinics, hospitals, and preceptors in their own community allows FNU students to get the hands-on clinical experience required for their respective health care professions.

Completing graduate nursing education from a distance is possible, and it may open up a wide range of job opportunities – or help you work toward an even higher nursing degree.

The Time To Start Is Now

The great thing about online nursing courses is that it’s never too late to start! FNU offers four admitting classes throughout the year. Choose from any of FNU’s online programs and start earning your degree today. Check out our degree and specialty offerings and fill out an application today.

FNU Virtual Event Calls NPs to be Innovator-Leaders in the Field and at Home

November 29, 2018 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) placed a specific call on nurse practitioners during its National NP Week Virtual Event from Nov. 11-16. FNU educates nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives and prepares them to establish and/or manage a practice including innovative methods of providing primary care services. Through featured virtual sessions, nurse practitioners were urged to raise the standards by being innovator-leaders in their professional and personal lives.

Becoming Innovator-Leaders

Deputy Surgeon General, Rear Admiral (RADM) Sylvia Trent-Adams, PhD, RN, FAAN brought practical ways to add innovation and leadership to nursing practice with her virtual presentation, “Leading From Where You Are: The Role of the Nurse Innovator.”

Trent-Adams advises and supports the Surgeon General regarding operations of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps and in communicating the best available scientific information to advance the health of the nation.

As Deputy Surgeon General, Trent-Adams recognizes the need for nurse practitioners to step into a widening role. “This is important because at this point in time in health care, nurse practitioners have a significant role to play in improving the quality of care, access to care, and producing a much higher quality at a lower cost,” said Trent-Adams.

According to her, it starts with a willingness to lead. Leadership is the ability to inspire or influence others towards a goal. In a healthcare setting, this is manifested by creating a team-centric environment, working towards a specific vision and managing conflict.

Further, nurse practitioners must be innovators. The job is not only to provide excellent care, but also to create new pathways for nursing and the patients that they serve. Innovating practice-based solutions is a key in nursing practice. Identifying a problem or concern and addressing it in a mindful, structured way will empower patients and lead to improved outcomes.

The Nurse Practitioner as Entrepreneur

This requires adopting the spirit of an entrepreneur. “Being able to tell our stories as nurse-engineers, nurse-designers, nurse-advocates gives us a new bandwidth for opportunities to engage into areas of practice where we’ve not been before,” said Trent-Adams. To speak, write and post from a nurse’s perspective is to heighten awareness and create space for change.

“You may not be the CEO, you may not be the dean, you may not be the director, but you are a nurse, and you have something to bring to the table. So lead from where you are,” she said.

View RADM Trent-Adams’s presentation on nurse-innovators here or watch below.

Self-Care is Not Selfish

Eileen T. O’Grady RN, NP, PhD carries Trent-Adams’ concept one step further in her presentation, “Answer the Call to Service: Master the Self.” She urged participants to spend time taking care of themselves and their families.

Dr. Eileen O’Grady is a certified Nurse Practitioner and Wellness Coach who uses an evidence-based approach with people to reverse or entirely prevent disease. She believes deeply that more attention must be paid to getting us unstuck from lifestyles that do not support wellness.

Intentional change is needed to identify and remedy a life that is out of balance. Though health care providers cannot always control the efficiency of their practice or the culture of wellness therein, each can control his or her personal resilience, or “self-leadership.”

Dr. O’Grady’s research focuses on how individuals must define a balance between work, relationships and self. Health professionals, specifically, have difficulty separating the words “selfish” and “self-care.” Individuals that practice self-care are able to provide better care for others.

Growing Wise through Self-Leadership

Worldwide, the top four killers are insufficient exercise, unhealthy food, alcohol abuse and tobacco. “It’s astonishing that so much of what is causing all of these health problems are related to what we’re doing to our own bodies,” she said.

According to Dr. O’Grady, It’s imperative that health providers set workplace and personal boundaries, use a “hell yes” criteria for making decisions, prune away unhealthy friendships and protect their sleep.

Nurse practitioners must “grow wise” instead of old. Positive daily actions create a bedrock for a healthy, prosperous life. Once the bedrock is established, other non-urgent items can be prioritized properly. Growing wise requires a mindset shift, from loving oneself based on people’s approval from loving oneself based on one’s own approval.

When healthcare professionals are already fed and watered with proper self-care and self-leadership, they are more able to focus on their patient’s holistic wellness, providing innovative care, improving outcomes and shifting the landscape of health care one patient at a time.

View Dr. O’Grady’s presentation on mastering the self here or watch below.

Frontier Nursing University is the birthplace of nurse-midwifery and family nursing in America. FNU recently held its fourth annual virtual event in recognition of National Nurse Practitioner Week, Nov. 11-16. See more about FNU’s Family, Women’s Health Care, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner programs as well as the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Frontier.edu.

Students and Faculty Emphasize Diversity Through Conferences and Research

November 16, 2018 By frontieredu

Every year, Frontier Nursing University (FNU)’s diversity initiative sends student PRIDE ambassadors to conferences that highlight diversity in the primary care workforce. At these conferences, including ACNM Meeting & Exhibition and AANP National Conference, FNU creates a strong presence through faculty members, student mentees and booth volunteers providing information to prospective students. FNU made strong showings at the NAHN and NBNA in August (read about it here).

Throughout September and October, more strides have been made through the AAPINA, AAMN and GLMA conferences as well as a project by FNU faculty member Dr. Diane John, PhD, ARNP, FNP-BC in providing better care for diverse populations.

AAPINA Conference

Karen Ojeda and Dr. Valentin-Welch at AAPINA 2018

Dr. Valentin-Welch and Karen Ojeda at 2018 AAPINA Conference

The 15th annual Asian American/Pacific Islander Nurses Association (AAPINA) conference was held in Durham, N.C. from Sept. 22-23, 2018. FNU PRIDE Student Ambassador Karen Ojeda, along with Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Dr. Maria Valentin-Welch, attended the conference and represented the university with information on FNU’s distance education and specialty tracks.

The conference theme, “Local to Global: Future Directions for Research on Health Disparities,” embraced the overall goals that AAPINA has to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere, including current statistics and national information on the health status of Asian American/Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).

Conference workshops focused on healthcare issues facing the AAPI population, information on evidence-based research related to health disparities across the globe and the value of advanced practice opportunities for API nurses.

Attendees were encouraged by the AAPINA President, Dr. Alona Angosta, to carry the mission of AAPINA by addressing the current trends and future directions of health disparity research among API’s within their workplace and communities. The conference gave AAPINA members the opportunity to network and collaborate with nurses and researchers in various healthcare fields.

Frontier Nursing University provided a visible platform at the conference to inform prospective students of FNU’s specialty programs and its diversity initiatives. AAPINA continues to serve as an organization with a mission to increase visibility and diverse collaborations for Asian American and Pacific Islander nurses within the healthcare profession.

AAMN Annual Meeting & Exhibit

FNU PRIDE students at 2018 AAMN Annual Meeting & Exhibit

The 43rd American Assembly for Men in Nursing (AAMN) annual meeting and exhibit was held in Milwaukee, Wis. on Oct. 4-6, 2018. FNU PRIDE members and students Steve Carver and Jason Hone represented FNU as winners of the annual Student Ambassador essay contest hosted by FNU PRIDE. The essay contest is a writing initiative aimed at fostering student-leadership, academic retention, and professional development within nursing education.

The AAMN conference supports the professional growth of men in nursing. Sessions centered on increasing gender diversity in healthcare, and to bring awareness on discrimination towards men in the nursing field.

“Having experienced discrimination…it was heartening to know that I was not alone and that efforts are being made to improve these disparities,” said Hone.

Group discussions also focused on innovative solutions to combat the opioid crisis across the nation. “This event has enhanced my desire to specialize in addiction medicine and to become an active participant in decreasing this [opioid] epidemic and saving lives,” said Carver.

FNU PRIDE member and doctoral student, Homecia St. Clair, presented a poster entitled, “Don’t Push Me! I’m Close to the Edge! A Prospective Study of Depression in Men, Suicide Rates, and How It’s Affecting the Medical Community.”

Citing the fact that suicide is one of the biggest killers of men between ages 20-49, St. Clair’s presentation focused on some of the challenges men face with mental health when trying to seek help.

FNU received interest from prospective students for FNU’s new Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) specialty program, among other programs. The conference also provided a platform to inform students of FNU’s Diversity PRIDE student organization. CNFP students Jean Volm and Rachel Sixberry volunteered to represent FNU at the exhibit booth.

“Working at the FNU booth with other students was great,” said Hone. “Meeting them, hearing their stories, and engaging conference patrons with them was a highlight for me at this event.”

The networking opportunities at the AAMN annual conference continue to serve as a platform to increase FNU’s visibility and diversity initiatives with the organization. “This event has enhanced my desire to earn a DNP from Frontier Nursing University in order to make a difference in my community,” said Carver.

GLMA Nursing Summit

Holly Howell and Bethney Seifert at 2018 GLMA Nursing Summit

The goal of the 36th annual GLMA Nursing Summit that took place in Las Vegas, Nev. on Oct. 10-13, 2018 was to build an inclusive home that promotes capacity building for LGBTQ nurses, nurse allies and nurse supporters.

The summit provides a forum for mentorship, support, and networking to develop and refine skills necessary to promote health equity for LGBTQ individuals. Conference workshops focused on healthcare issues facing LGBTQ nurses and marginalized LGBTQ populations.

Discussions included research related to health equity, awareness of workplace policies for LGBTQ employees, sexual violence among LGBTQ identifying persons, trans-inclusive healthcare, and shared experiences of LGBTQ nursing students during their clinical and educational studies. Attendees were encouraged by Keynote Speaker, Dr. TaMara Griffin, Sacred Soul SEXucator and Holistic Healer, to practice self-care and to heal old traumas.

Two students volunteered to represent the university at GLMA with information on FNU’s distance education and specialty tracks, Holly Howell (CNEP) and Bethney Seifert (CDNP). GLMA continues with a mission to increase visibility for LGBTQ nurses within the healthcare profession.

Dr. Diane John’s research on heart disease in Broward County

Diane Y. John PhD, ARNP, FNP-BC

FNU Associate Professor Dr. Diane Y. John, PhD, ARNP, FNP-BC is improving the health outcomes of residents of Broward County, Fla. through a new project to reduce the risk of heart disease. Dr. John and a group of nurse practitioners, supported by the Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation (NPFH)/Astellas Promoting Heart Health Across the Age Span Award Program, attend community health events and talk with attendees to help them make positive health changes.

Dr. John’s clinical practice as an FNP includes working with populations across the lifespan, as well as community work with diverse populations. 16% of the people Diane serves are

65 and older; 51% are female; 30% are Black or African American; 29% are Hispanic or Latino, and many are of other minority ethnicities. This population also has a small percentage of persons living without health insurance under the age of 65, with a disability and/or in poverty.

Diane Y. John NP, Vicky Stone-Gale, NP and Diana Arrieta, NP participate in Community Health Fair sponsored by Broward County Public Schools, TRUE Back School Committee, First Baptist Church

Tom Schlepko, NP, Christine Lewis, NP, Jodi Pearson, NP and community advocate Dioxy Herrera participate in The Worshipers House Community Health Event in Hollywood, Fla.

Her project, “Nurse Practitioners’ Influence on Heart Healthy Behaviors,” will integrate motivational interviewing into a community education initiative to help patients change behaviors associated with heart disease.

Thank you to each of our FNU PRIDE ambassadors, students, staff and faculty members for continuing to make FNU’s presence known and respected in these diversity-oriented settings.