In honor of her commitment to precepting nursing students, Dr. Cathy Cook, DNP, APRN-FPA, CNM, FACNM was named a recipient of the Distinguished Preceptor Award given by Frontier Nursing University (FNU). The award was presented at the FNU Alumni Hall of Fame and Service Awards Dinner on Thursday, September 25, at the Kentucky Castle in Versailles, Kentucky.
The Distinguished Preceptor Award recognizes a graduate providing long-standing support and commitment to the mission and work of FNU through precepting students.
Dr. Cook, who is a obtained her Certified Nurse-Midwife and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees at FNU, worked as a certified nurse-midwife from 1998-2020, primarily practicing in Galesburg, Illinois. She specialized in natural childbirth and providing individualized education and prenatal care to expectant mothers. She has since received Full Practice Authority and opened her own aesthetic and hormone optimization clinic.
While maintaining this demanding career, Dr. Cook has been eager to give back as a preceptor. Preceptors are experienced licensed clinicians who supervise nursing students during their clinical practicum. In total, Cook has served as a preceptor to an incredible 270 Frontier students.
“Students teach us as much as we teach them,” said Dr. Cook, who is also on faculty at Frontier. “They help us see things through new eyes. Some of us who have been practicing for a long time may not know the newest items in healthcare. Students can teach us those things if we are open and willing to learn from them.”
Dr. Cook was previously presented with FNU’s Distinguished Service to Alma Mater award (2021), in recognition of her wide range of contributions to the university. The award specifically honors graduates who have supported Frontier through volunteer efforts and/or donor support.
Dr. Cook’s additional awards include the Kitty Ernst Scholarship (1997), induction in the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society (2017), and American College of Nurse-Midwives Fellow (2022).
