Student Spotlight | Frontier Nursing University

Sybilla Myers’ DNP Project Focuses on Overall Wellness During the Pandemic

June 17, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

As the COVID-19 Pandemic took hold of the country last spring, the protocols — particularly in the first several months — were to stay inside. Gyms were closed. Many parks had limited access or no parking available. Finding ways to exercise regularly became a challenge. Additionally, as businesses closed or reduced hours, more and more time was spent at home and, for many, a sedentary lifestyle became the norm.

It didn’t take long for the jokes and memes to begin and soon the “COVID-15” became the term for 15 pounds of weight gain due to the pandemic. Helping people find ways to alter their lifestyle during COVID and develop or renew healthy habits became the centerpiece of then-DNP student Sybilla Myers’ quality improvement project.

Students in FNU’s DNP program must complete a quality improvement project. This project, which is generally conducted with their patient population at their place of work, involves one term dedicated to identifying the project, collecting data, and recruiting participants. After the term break, the students then begin implementing the project, tracking the data and results which are included in a final paper.

Like others in her class, Myers, DNP Class 33, APRN, FNP-C, had planned to do a completely different quality improvement project than the one she ended up doing. Myers was born in Germany and moved to the United States when she was three. Now an American citizen, she lives in Virginia but works in Washington, D.C., as an International Health Coordinator for a federal organization. She is also an adjunct professor of nursing at Stratford University and a mother of three children ranging in age from 9 to 15.

Myers had intended to do a quality improvement project to implement a case management system at the federal organization for which she works. The arrival of COVID, however, meant all of the organization’s volunteers were evacuated home and she would have no new medivacs to implement her project.

“I talked to my advisor, Dr. Chris Kennedy, who served as an incredible faculty mentor,” Myers said. “His recommendation was to do something that might be able to live past this project. Then I started thinking about it and decided on a virtual wellness project which could live past the pandemic and be implemented in primary care environments.”

Responding quickly to the pandemic and its impact on FNU’s DNP students, the FNU faculty had developed four quality improvement projects which could be conducted virtually. Since many clinics and organizations were closed, this offered a chance for the students to continue without delaying their academic progress.

“I didn’t want to take a hiatus,” Myers said. “My entire experience with FNU had been organized and thoughtful and I didn’t know what, but I knew something would fall into place that would allow me to continue on my DNP journey. I sat back and waited between term breaks. As expected, it didn’t take long for the FNU faculty to make an announcement that we would be given the option of implementing an IRB-approved virtual project..”

The project that drew her interest was a wellness project. The project involved ways for the participants to increase their physical activity, their hydration, and their mental well-being in ways that are attainable during the pandemic. To solicit the necessary volunteer participants, Myers took to social media. Once her group of approximately 30 participants was assembled, she created a closed group in which she released information and guidance about the project. She also met with each participant individually to work with them on their goals and overall progress. She provided tools and suggested resources, including apps for yoga, running, walking, hydration, and mental health. For some of her older participants who were less familiar with apps, Myers offered other ways to monitor their progress.

“My project was tailored to the individual needs of the participant,” Myers said. “Early on in the pandemic just going anywhere was difficult, so it was all about meeting their needs and learning how they could alter their exercise and lifestyle pattern to maintain wellness.”

Participants recorded their daily activity and progress on a Google form. The reporting was less about measurables such as weight loss and more about how they were feeling in each of the categories. A validated questionnaire was utilized at the beginning and end of the project to determine if there was an overall increase in wellness.

“They were doing so well on the apps, but when you asked them how they were feeling overall it was midline. It didn’t improve,” Myers said. “So, even though they were at their highest level of app use and goal attainment, you had to consider the outside force of being four months into social distancing and the pandemic. Even when people were exercising to their goal or higher, hydrating, eating well, using the mental health apps, they still were not feeling great.”

Despite the overall progress being hindered by the strain of the pandemic, Myers was encouraged by the overall results and her participants’ continued progress beyond the project.

“In following up with them after the project, they still continue to use the apps that they were implementing during my project to continue their wellness journey. I feel like it definitely helped them.”

Myers’ poster board for the project was presented at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and her quality improvement Squire paper, Improving the Perception of Wellness in a Virtual Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Doctoral Nursing Practice Volume 14, Number 2. She also was able to finally implement her original case management plan within her place of work, completing, in a sense, two quality improvement projects instead of one.

“I feel like I’m the biggest cheerleader for FNU,” Myers said. “Many of my classmates and I were elated when they came up with the virtual project possibilities for us. The faculty went out of their way to be available to us and help guide us through our many questions. We were at a loss, but the DNP faculty were so positive and supportive. These virtual projects were hard, but they were supposed to be hard. Throughout this abrupt transition from on-the-ground to virtual implementation, I always felt completely supported by the FNU DNP faculty. I’m so grateful that I didn’t have to take a hiatus. This is a once in a 100-year pandemic and the silver lining for me was the opportunity to continue a rigorous DNP program on my original timeline.”

Student Spotlight: Rachel Featherstone- Filling the Gap of Post-Birth Care

May 21, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) Student Rachel Featherstone, WHNP-BC, MSN, PMH-C, has spent their career finding problems in the world around them and looking for ways to meet those needs. Originally a member of the United States Army, Featherstone began to think about switching their career path after having a challenging birthing experience within an Army hospital.

“I felt disrespected by a lot of the hospital staff and had a very emotionally draining delivery,” Featherstone said. “I walked away from that experience thinking when I get out of the military, I’m going to make a difference for other people in this position and become a midwife.”

After finishing their time in the military, Featherstone became certified as a nurse and then moved on to FNU to pursue a Certified Nurse-Midwife degree when they realized that midwifery might not be the best fit for them after all.

“As a single mother who was already sleep-deprived, the schedule of a nurse-midwife simply didn’t seem like one that I would be able to sustain,” Featherstone said. “During that time, I also realized that my favorite part of midwifery wasn’t the births. What I really loved was sitting down and talking to people and building relationships with them as they transitioned into parenthood.”

Following this revelation, Featherstone pivoted to the Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) program with the intention of pursuing a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) degree following graduation. Featherstone is currently in the clinical portion of earning their PMHNP.

Once Featherstone earned their WHNP, they were given an exciting opportunity to build a cutting edge interventional psychiatry clinic with a physician where they were able to dive into research on neurotransmitters and learn all about mental health on a cellular level. However, they really missed working with pregnant and postpartum families. So, when COVID-19 changed the face of healthcare, Featherstone realized it was time to open their own telehealth practice.

“I knew I wanted to work where the need was the greatest,” Featherstone said. “After significant research, Idaho was the place I chose to open my telehealth clinic.”

Featherstone chose Idaho because every county in the state is underserved in mental health services. Additionally, in 2020, Idaho saw an influx of population as people in California sought a cheaper cost of living. Families from multiple western states fled wildfires and chose to reside in a less volatile area.

“Idaho was in desperate need of mental care before 2020,” Featherstone said, “even though I live in Virginia, I knew this was the community that most needed my services.”

In November, Featherstone opened Eucaplytus Health, a private practice focusing on perinatal mental health. Upon opening, Featherstone reached out to the public health department, the doula community, and Idaho pediatricians to build a network that could best connect them to new patients who could be screen and treated early.

One of Featherstone’s mottos for Eucaplytus Health is “bringing the heart of midwifery to mental health.” Featherstone chose this because although they transitioned away from midwifery, they still feel very connected to the mission of building relationships, sharing helpful information, and honoring the decisions of their patients.

“Perinatal health is so misunderstood by healthcare providers for how common these issues are,” Featherstone said.

Between 1 in 5 and 1 in 7 birth parents experience a mood disorder. Yet, many parents are afraid to take drugs for their mental health because they are scared of the effects on the baby. However, most of what these parents have heard is misinformation. The reality is that the risks are much higher for a new parent experiencing mental distress than for a fetus or baby whose parent is stable on psychiatric medication.

“I believe it is important to prepare birthing parents for the emotions they may face and inform them that medication is better for them and their baby than suffering,” Featherstone said.

“It is the 6-9 month postpartum period where we see the highest rates of suicides and overdoses following a pregnancy,” Featherstone said. “This is due to several factors. At this time, it is common for parents to have returned to work, be caring for multiple children, and have an expectation of feeling ‘normal’ again, when, instead, the family is constantly evolving and there is usually a lot of chronic sleep deprivation. Unfortunately, the combination of these factors can lead to a breaking point.”

“I truly believe that the most important part of my job is listening,” Featherstone said. “So many women simply need someone to genuinely ask them how they are feeling, how their body is doing, and what struggles they are facing. OBGYNs and psychiatrists both do great work, but they are often overwhelmed by the unique needs of these patients. We need more people specifically trained and dedicated to helping parents in these transitional stages.”

Featherstone is committed to reaching as many parents as possible with their services and has partnered with every form of willing insurance. Eucalyptus Health accepts Medicaid, Medicare, Tricare, and many commercial plans, with sliding scale also offered.

“I struggled to find the right help when I needed it; I want to make sure that as many people as possible know that there are options,” Featherstone said. “Reaching underserved populations is what brought me to healthcare, and that is why I feel so aligned with Frontier.”

“I have also been very pleased with the way FNU has addressed racial disparities in the history of the university, as well as how they have respected my requests and concerns as a non-binary provider. I am proud to be part of such an inclusive community that I see continuously working to do better to understand and support marginalized people.”

Thank you, Featherstone, for your dedication to caring for underserved communities and bridging the gap between birth and psychiatric care. We cannot wait to watch the ripples of your work extend across the country as more providers become aware of this need.

Click the links to learn more about Frontier’s Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner Program, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program, and our growing Diversity Inclusion Program.

Student Spotlight: Jason Hone

May 21, 2019 By frontieredu

At the heart of Frontier Nursing University is a talented and diverse community of faculty, students, alumni and preceptors. Spotlight blogs feature members of our FNU community that are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality health care to underserved and rural populations.

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) student Jason Hone, BSN, RN is answering the call to advocate for future patients, influencing the reform of a major healthcare legislation in his home state of Utah.

Until March 6, 2019, Utah state law required newly graduated Nurse Practitioners (NPs) to maintain Consultation & Referral (C&R) agreements with physicians for two years or 2,000 hours, whichever came first. Utah physicians had been collecting up to $22,000 per year from new NPs with no requirement for follow-ups on their end.

After learning of these requirements through research done during his NP700, “Role of the Nurse Practitioner” course at FNU, Jason, a Utah Nurse Practitioners (UNP) scholarship recipient, was invited to participate in a UNP luncheon. The luncheon’s goal was to bring legislative representatives on board with UNP’s mission of changing the C&R laws through the passing of bill HB336.

Jason was deeply impacted by this meeting and further calls to action from the UNP legislative chair. He took action, contacting two powerful lobbyist/activist groups in his area: Libertas and the Sutherland Institute. After explaining UNP’s position and petitioning their support, both influential groups were inspired to back Jason and UNP publicly on HB336, despite strong opposition from the Utah Medical Association (UMA), which threatened to kill the bill should it make it to the Senate.

Kirt Larson, MSN, FNP-C, Jason’s future preceptor, shared his frustration at the C&R legislation’s negative impact on him. Because his small practice could not find a physician willing to accept less than $500 per month for a C&R agreement, Kirt was unable to afford to hire a recent graduate he had trained.

Jason Hone helping at the FNU exhibit booth at the National Student Nurses Association convention in Salt Lake City

When HB336 made it to the legislative floor for the vote, UMA resisted the arguments made by UNP. Jason told Kirt’s story to the UNP legislative chair and it was used in the official rebuttal to force UMA into negotiations.

The agreement reached by UMA, UNP and the bill sponsor removed the C&R requirement for almost all new graduates with a couple of reasonable exceptions. UMA offered no resistance as HB336 made its way through subsequent votes and was eventually ratified on March 6.

After the bill passed, Jason received kind words from UNP legislative chair Dr. Beth Luthy, FNP. She was amazed at the amount of support he was able to raise and ensured him that his efforts made a big impact on the favorable outcome.

“For me, it was a matter of simply talking to people. Regardless of position or title, people are people,” Jason said.

“As nurses, we talk to new patients, their families and other medical professionals every day. Taking action to improve the practice environment for NPs is just another way of advocating for future patients. We should not be afraid to talk to anyone when it comes to advocating for our profession, for our patients, or to educate, empower or improve our communities.”

Jason has already secured the support of Libertas and the Sutherland Institute for next year’s legislative plans. He is excited to continue the work of advocating for nurses and patients.

“This has been an amazing and rewarding experience. One voice can make a difference! I hope other students realize what kind of a difference they can each make by just talking to people,” Jason said.

Jason will begin clinicals this summer as he works toward his Family Nurse Practitioner master’s degree as a member of FNU Class 166.

Student Spotlight: Kevin Brunacini, APRN, FNP-C

February 1, 2018 By frontieredu

Kevin Brunacini, APRN, FNP-C doesn’t have IV bags, electric beds, or machines to work with in his practice. Instead, he uses his computer, and through the screen is able to serve vulnerable and rural populations.

Kevin, a Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice student at Frontier Nursing University (FNU), owns and operates a virtual consultatory medical and nutritional practice called The Diet Doc in Northern Kentucky. The aim of the practice is to transform patients from the inside-out as they become their own best nutritionist through empowered health behaviors.

A little over three years ago, Kevin noticed a problem in several of his patients: weight maintenance. Having lost and kept off 121 pounds himself, he set out to help patients achieve the same kinds of feats without the same kind of resources or education that he had.

The Diet Doc is Kevin’s solution, a way to teach the true psychology of eating through curriculum and one-on-one appointments, so that patients can have enduring weight loss success.

Kevin is working towards his DNP so that he can better advocate for his patients.

“Ultimately, it will lead to better care delivery, improved patient outcomes and further autonomy, and strengthen the credibility of the profession,” said Kevin.

He currently serves his community, a mix of rural and urban populations, by presenting nutrition and health education seminars through local health advocacy groups. He also submits written contributions to these groups and others, and provides one-on-one nutrition consultations with especially vulnerable populations. Kevin was the recipient of the Residential Partner of the Year Award of the Life Learning Center in 2017.

He chose Frontier for its highly-regarded DNP program, as well as its history and prestige.

“Due to my unique practice focus, Frontier encouraged an entrepreneurial focus in order for me to learn about the DNP essentials and apply them towards improving my practice and clinical skills,” Kevin said.

Throughout the first half of his DNP, Kevin has already found the Frontier network to be a strong force in his education.

“It can be alienating on your own, but to be surrounded by others who have succeeded before me and believe I can succeed encourages me even more to be part of the Frontier legacy,” he said.

Thank you, Kevin, for your dedication to serving a unique and vulnerable population! We are proud to have you as an FNU student.

At the heart of Frontier Nursing University is a talented and diverse community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, Couriers and preceptors. Spotlight blogs feature members of our FNU community who are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality health care to underserved and rural populations.