FNU President's 2014 Annual Report

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“We have grown like the Banyan Tree... with branches yielding shade and fruit to wide neighborhoods...” – Mary Breckinridge

annual report

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president ’ s 2014 annual report

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Board of Directors..........................................2 Letter from the Chairman of the Board..........3 Letter from the President...............................4

table of contents

Letter from the Dean......................................5 2014 by the Numbers....................................6 2014 Year in Review.......................................8 75th Anniversary Celebration....................................... 8 Accolades, Awards & Grants....................................... 11 Highlights of 2014...................................................... 12 Courier Program......................................................... 16

Our Programs...............................................17 ADN-MSN Bridge........................................................ 17 CNEP and CWHCNP.................................................... 18 CFNP.......................................................................... 20 PM-DNP...................................................................... 21

2014 Strategic Goals...................................22 Strategic Goal 1.......................................................... 22 Strategic Goal 2.......................................................... 24 Strategic Goal 3.......................................................... 26 Strategic Goal 4.......................................................... 27 Strategic Goal 5.......................................................... 29 Strategic Goal 6.......................................................... 31 Strategic Goal 7.......................................................... 32 Strategic Goal 8.......................................................... 34

FNU Faculty..................................................35 FNU Staff.....................................................36

board of directors frontirer nursing university

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president ’ s 2014 annual report

Seated: Marion McCartney, Phyllis Leppert, Nancy Hines Standing: Ken Tuggle, Michael Carter, Wallace Campbell Not pictured: Mike Rust, John Foley, Nancy Fugate-Woods, Peter Schwartz, Kitty Ernst

Dear Friends, In 2014 we had the honor of celebrating 75 years as a school—living the vision of Mrs. Breckinridge to care for mothers and babies and the families who care for them. Our graduates understand what it means to care for families and communities better than most.

I hope that you will take as much delight as do the Board of Directors in the many achievements of our students, faculty, and staff. These outstanding accomplishments affirm that we are doing the right things as a University.

Michael Carter, DNSc, DNP, FNP Chair, Board of Directors Frontier Nursing University

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letter from the chairman of the board

Many things have changed over the years since we began.

We now have roads where few existed when we began. We have high speed electronic communications to move voice and video, which means education can come to the learner rather than the reverse. And we have health care miracles unfolding every day that can do much to help our graduates improve the quality of life for those in their care. What has remained central to our work and guides much of what we do is that the needs of our families and communities form the context for all we do. This requires nurses to balance science, economics, politics, humor, faith, and many other attributes that form the matrix of life. We believe Frontier Nursing University prepares our graduates to thrive in these environments.

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Dear Friends, During 2014, FNU celebrated it’s 75th anniversary. When Mary Breckinridge established the Frontier Graduate School of Midwifery in 1939, she was working to meet the immediate need of the Frontier Nursing Service for trained midwives, but she was also fulfilling her original intention to open a midwifery school. The mass exodus of the British nurse-midwives brought on by World War II caused a strain on the Frontier Nursing Service. This pressure prompted FNS to quickly move forward with plans for the midwifery school. The first class of two students began in November 1939 and as they say: ”the rest is history.”

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letter from the president

At Frontier, we are very proud of our history and the legacy of leaders and pioneers who have blazed the trail for our institution, for midwives, for nurse practitioners, and for women and families in rural areas. We are honored to recognize 75 individuals and organizations who have played an important role in the success and growth of Frontier Nursing University. These honorees were recognized on our 75th anniversary website (www.pioneersforhealthcare.org) and during the 75th weekend events in October.

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While we pause to reflect and celebrate on our first 75 years, we are continuing to blaze full steam ahead into the next 75 years. In 2014, we graduated the largest number of nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners in our history; we have nearly 100 highly qualified faculty who represent the very best in our fields; and our alumni are representing Frontier as highly qualified healthcare providers as well as leaders in their communities.

Our $10 million endowment campaign will fund scholarships, faculty development, and facilities in perpetuity. Endowed funds will serve to support these three main components of our institution for its foreseeable future. With more than 1500 enrolled students, just 1% receive scholarships—building the endowment for scholarships is critical for their success. Our Hyden, KY and Wendover, KY buildings are registered on the National Historic Registry, and The Big House at Wendover is a National Historic Landmark. Endowed funds will support the annual maintenance and unexpected needs of these facilities. Finally, endowed funds for faculty will support key positions and resources for our faculty. We invite you to support these goals by making your own financial investment in the future of Frontier Nursing University.

Please join us as we continue to celebrate our first 75 years and as we blaze a trail into the future as Pioneers for Healthcare. We invite you to visit us in Kentucky any time.

Susan E. Stone, DNSc, CNM, FAAN, FACNM President Frontier Nursing University

president ’ s 2014 annual report

Dear Friends, Since being named Dean of Frontier Nursing University in September 2013, it has been my honor to lead this institution forward. This was a natural progression of my nearly fifteen years with Frontier and I am excited for the challenge. Frontier Nursing University is a leader in advanced nursing and midwifery education and we will continually strive for excellence in our curriculum, learning outcomes, and performance.

We continue to adapt and evolve our programs to meet the increasingly rigorous expectations for advanced practice nurses and midwives. The MSN + Companion DNP curriculum allows all of our students to choose to complete the highest level of nursing and midwifery education seamlessly or exit with a Master’s degree. The post-master’s DNP (PMDNP) allows our graduates and graduates of other programs to return to graduate education. We review curricula for programs continually and measure our competencies based on the competencies from accrediting agencies, national recommendations, and our own expectations for Frontier graduates.

Frontier pass rates on certification exams are consistently higher than the national average. FNU focuses on providing great student services through high quality retention programming, enhanced financial support, and focused attention on our students. Finally, our clinical simulations training continues to introduce new, innovative practices that increase students’ confidence as they enter their clinical training.

Thank you for supporting FNU as we strive for excellence. Our academic success is reliant on a strong network of faculty, preceptors, staff, students, alumni, and financial supporters. We are grateful for the role each of you play in our achievements. Together we are improving healthcare one graduate at a time.

Sincerely,

letter from the dean

We focus on creating community and connection amongst our faculty, staff, students, preceptors, and alumni in order to foster success for each student and ensure top quality health care provided by our graduates. The FNU Community of Inquiry elevates the social, cognitive, and teaching presence within our institution in order to improve learning outcomes and produce excellent providers. Students consistently report feeling well-connected to Frontier.

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Julie Marfell, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP Dean Frontier Nursing University

president ’ s 2014 annual report

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2014 by the numbers

53 CASE MANAGEMENT DAYS FNU hosted 53 Case Management Days— virtually and in 22 states (Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington). Eight of the Days were virtual, providing opportunities for group learning and networking. These events provide an opportunity for students and faculty to gather in regional sites and at which clinical practicum students present case studies to FNU faculty, alumni, preceptors, and fellow students drew over 650 participants in 2014.

4,198 CLINICAL SITES In 2014, credentialing was maintained for 3,013 previously established clinical sites. An additional 1,095 new sites were added in 2014—for a total of 4,198 in all 50 states, Germany, and Guam. All of these sites have been visited by faculty to assure they can provide a quality learning environment for our students.

6,406 FNU PRECEPTORS

In 2014, there were 6,406 credentialed preceptors in the FNU database, which included 1,629 new preceptors added during the 2014 year. Preceptors serve as the primary teachers of clinical skills for our students during their clinical practicum. They are supported by our Regional Clinical Faculty.

Utah Regional Clinical Faculty host, Mary Jones, enjoys a case day on May 19th, 2014 in St. George, UT with students.

Susan Nilsen, CNM, and the team of Nurse-Midwives University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX— 2014 Featured FNU Preceptors

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EXHIBITS AT STATE, LOCAL, OR NATIONAL EVENTS FNU exhibited at nearly 40 conferences and career fairs in 2014.

This total includes 12 national and nine statewide or regional conferences. Three of the national conferences were focused on minority audiences for FNU’s PRIDE Diversity initiative. Nearly 20 of the total events were small conferences and college or hospital career fairs. FNU also had a presence at several additional events through advertising, sponsorship, or other marketing efforts.

president ’ s 2014 annual report

739 STUDENT ADMISSIONS FNU had a record number of graduates in 2014 and admitted 739 new students. Faculty and staff continue to grow to meet the needs of the expanding student body.

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12 CLINICAL BOUND SESSIONS Clinical Bound sessions are conducted to strengthen our students’ skills by strengthening their hands-on clinical management skills.

They practice clinical skills such as suturing, hand maneuvers for birth, physical assessment, and patient-management situations.

The Bounds are held on our Hyden campus.

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FRONTIER BOUND ORIENTATION SESSIONS All Frontier students begin their Frontier program by attending orientation sessions called Frontier Bound. These sessions are held on our Hyden campus to welcome and prepare students for their educational journey. In 2014, eight Frontier Bounds welcomed our MSN students; four Bridge Bounds welcomed our ADN-MSN students; and four DNP Bounds welcome our PM-DNP students.

STORIES IN THE MEDIA In 2014, More than 25 articles featuring FNU were published in magazines, newspapers, websites and other written media in 2014; these stories featured exciting topics including our 75th anniversary, our well-loved history, our unique programs and our outstanding students and graduates. From Christy Turlington-Burns’ “Every Mother Counts” blog to the USA Today online education feature, awareness of FNU was on the rise throughout the year.

Several articles targeting consumers—mothers-to-be as well as all women—featured FNU or interviews with one of our faculty. These articles were published on sites including Spafinder, MindBodyGreen and Huffington Post.

In digital media, FNU President Susan Stone and Dean of Nursing Julie Marfell as well as several of our graduates were interviewed for more than 25 news segments and videos which appeared both on TV and online. In addition to news interviews for local NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox stations that were aired throughout FNU’s home state of Kentucky, the University was featured in TV shows including “kNOwMORE Nonprofits”, “Our Mountains” and the Kentucky Educational Television show “Connections with Renee Shaw.” A number of videos were created to promote midwifery and nurse practitioner care and distributed through social media and other online communications venues.

In addition to media coverage, FNU was approached by artists wanting to feature the Frontier Nursing Service or Mary Breckinridge in various creative works from a spoken opera to a play to a drama series. We will report more on these exciting opportunities as they develop.

3,077 LIBRARY DOCUMENT REQUESTS FULFILLED

president ’ s 2014 annual report

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During 2014, FNU’s library handled 3,077 document requests, completed 581 reference transactions, and hosted 19 webinars. More than 100,000 searches were conducted in FNU’s most popular databases. While the library maintains an extensive collection of online resources, its real strength is in the connections our librarians and library staff make with students. Our librarians are critical faculty members teaching the essential skill of information literacy. It is not possible to engage in evidence based practice without a deep knowledge of how to access appropriate information.

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2014 year in review

75th

Anniversary Celebration

In October 2014, Frontier Nursing University prepared to graduate our largest class ever. We also had the thrill of celebrating the legacy that led to our current success—the 75th anniversary of the founding of FNU. nurse practitioner education programs to students worldwide” To celebrate the work being done by nursemidwives and nurse practitioners, Frontier honored 75 people as part of the 75th anniversary, whose stories may be found on PioneersforHealthcare.org.

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vents in Lexington and Hyden, KY were held to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the FNU community, which Mary Breckinridge described as having “grown like the banyan tree, with branches yielding shade and fruit to wide neighborhoods.”

Indeed, Dr. Michael Carter, Chair of Frontier’s Board of Directors, observed “The Frontier network has become so vast, you can be anywhere in the United States and not be very far from a Frontier graduate who is providing high-quality, compassionate health care in their community.” A school that started humbly in the hills of Eastern Kentucky in 1939 has grown to become the largest provider of nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners in the nation.

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To celebrate 75 years, Frontier Nursing University held a celebration worthy of nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners worldwide by bringing them back to their Kentucky roots. “In 1939 when Mary Breckinridge enrolled the first two students to the Frontier Graduate School of Midwifery in Hyden, she founded a legacy that has improved the lives of mothers and children for 75 years,” said Frontier President Dr. Susan Stone. “What started with Mrs. Breckinridge’s vision has evolved and grown to be a highly regarded nursing university offering nurse-midwifery and

president ’ s 2014 annual report

Early festivities began on Saturday, September 6, 2014, when FNU hosted an exciting local community event called Family Fun Day at Hyden and Wendover. With our 75th anniversary, this was just the perfect year to host a community event to increase awareness of FNU and to offer a fun, free activity for local families and our own staff and their families. Activities included a challenging scavenger hunt through all the historic buildings at the Hyden Campus, music by local Bluegrass musicians, and free food and games at the Livery at Wendover. About 75 people attended this event, which was heavily promoted in the local newspaper, on radio stations, and to the local businesses and schools.

In early October, events for the 75th anniversary offered a taste of Frontier for alumni, students, staff, preceptors, Couriers, friends, and supporters from across the country. Festivities kicked off October 3rd with a Friday evening reception at the BodleyBullock House in downtown Lexington. Nearly 80 guests enjoyed barbeque dinner catered by Bluegrass Committee member Selma Owens and traditional bluegrass music provided by Dean Osborne and his band. On Saturday morning, more than thirty guests gathered at a Lexington Tea House called Shakespeare & Co. to enjoy a brunch with guest speaker, Silas House. Silas is a nationally bestselling author, an educator, the winner of numerous writing awards, and the son of a Frontier baby. He moved the audience with his personal connection to FNU and his deep love of the community where we have our roots. Meanwhile, others were escorted to Hyden to take a tour of the FNU Campus and Wendover.

The annual Mary Breckinridge Festival was held on October 4th in FNU’s hometown of Hyden, KY. FNU’s Hyden Day Trip event was planned as part of the 75th Anniversary weekend celebration and guests enjoyed watching the parade and spending some time to explore the festival. As a continuing tradition FNU Hyden staff members designed a float for the parade; this year they incorporated the University’s 75th Anniversary theme. Susan Stone, FNU President; Tonya Nicholson, Program Director of Midwifery and Women’s Health; and alumnus Kendra Adkisson, dressed in historic Frontier Nursing Service uniforms for the parade. Dr. Susan Stone drove a Frontier Nursing Service restored jeep in the parade accompanied by the parade Grand Marshall, Kitty Ernst, who is the FNU Mary Breckinridge Chair of Midwifery and esteemed 1951 alumnus. The jeep reflected the mode of travel that FNS nurses used decades ago. Other notable guests included FNU graduate Kendra Adkisson and her children. Several staff members also participated, including Katie Moses.

The Saturday festivities concluded with an elegant Gala hosted at the Lexington Convention Center in the beautiful downtown area. Guests were greeted with displays of memorabilia and other decorations to elicit an atmosphere reminiscent of Hyden. In the ballroom, guests enjoyed beautiful centerpieces donated by the

Bluegrass Committee and the Cottage Garden Club. Guests enjoyed a sumptuous dinner and music by the Torques. Dessert featured a cake donated by Bluegrass Committee member Martha Copeland—designed as a replica of Wendover. The experience was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate with one another and remember the grand legacy of our Frontier experiences.

To wrap up the weekend, on Sunday guests were given the opportunity to visit with Couriers and later to experience the excitement of Keeneland racing! Former Couriers were invited to a beautiful downtown art space for brunch to reminisce about their experiences Sunday morning. Dr. Anne Cockerham’s new book, Unbridled Service: Growing Up and Giving Back as a Frontier Nursing Service Courier, 1928-2010, which tells the colorful story of the FNS Courier program, was featured at the Courier Brunch.

Later that afternoon, a traditional Kentucky lunch and horse races provided the perfect close to a whirlwind weekend.

president ’ s 2014 annual report

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far left: Linda Roach, Chair of the Bluegrass Committee, with Kitty Ernst; top middle: Dr. Susan Stone and Kitty Ernst at Mary Breckenridge Parade; far right top: Denise Barrett with honoree Lees Breckinridge Yunits, Chair of the Boston Committee, and her daughter Casey; bottom right: Frontier staff and faculty at 75th Gala

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2014 year in review frontirer nursing university

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“ In 1939, when Mary Breckinridge enrolled the first two students to the Frontier Graduate School of Midwifery in Hyden, she founded a legacy that has improved the lives of mothers and children for 75 years.”

clockwise from top: Silas House enthralled the audience with his reflections on FNU and the mountains of Eastern Kentucky during the Saturday morning brunch; Unbridled Service: Growing Up and Giving Back as a Frontier Nursing Service Courier, 1928-2010, by Dr. Anne Z. Cockerham which tells the colorful story of the Frontier Nursing Service Courier program was featured at the Courier breakfast; President Susan Stone pictured with honoree, Peter Breckinridge Coffin; Nearly 40 guests traveled to Hyden to tour Wendover and the Hyden campus.

president ’ s 2014 annual report

Accolades,

Awards & Grants Frontier Nursing University Ranks High

Outstanding Nurse Educator Award

Frontier Nursing University’s nurse-midwifery program has been named #1 in the country by the 2015 U.S. News & World Report rankings. FNU’s master of science in nursing (MSN) program ranks in the 2014 Top 50 Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs by U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News evaluated several factors to rank the best online graduate nursing degree programs, including faculty credentials, graduation rates, academic and career support services and ratings by peer institutions. FNU is listed as #41 out of nearly 140 online nursing schools.

Congratulations to Dr. Judi Daniels, FNU faculty member, who was named Kentucky’s 2014 Outstanding Nurse Educator. Dr. Daniels was nominated by colleagues and students and was chosen as the recipient of the award by Publishing Concepts, Inc., the country’s largest publisher of State Boards of Nursing journals. In addition to a cash award and a plaque, Dr. Daniels was featured in a story in the Kentucky Board of Nursing journal. FNU was also given a check in Dr. Daniel’s honor for a nursing scholarship.To read more about the accolades that earned Dr. Daniels this award, visit frontier.edu/webdocs/marketing/kbn_nurse_educator_award.pdf.

Frontier Nursing University Receives $700,000 in Scholarships for Advanced Practice Nursing and Midwifery Students Planning to Serve Rural and/or Disadvantaged Communities FNU was awarded a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship (AENT) program. This two-year grant totals $700,000 and will provide direct support to 280 students over the grant period.

FNU will award 280 scholarships, valued at $2,500 each, over the two-year grant period. This grant funding for traineeships will pay all or part of the costs of the tuition, books, and fees of the program of advanced nurse education. Priority is given to students who plan to practice in rural and/or medically underserved communities. FNU graduates are educated to provide primary care and are a precise fit with the goals of the AENT program. With 76% of FNU students residing in federally designated rural counties, FNU has a pool of students who can benefit greatly from this assistance.

American Journal of Nursing (AJN) Book of the Year Award frontirer nursing university

Announced in 2014, the textbook Best Practices in Midwifery: Using the Evidence to Implement Change, was awarded a 2013 American Journal of Nursing (AJN) Book of the Year award.

Published by Springer Publishing Company, Best Practices in Midwifery is a second place winner in the Maternal-Child Nursing/Childbirthing category. The AJN Book of the Year awards demonstrate the most valuable texts annually as chosen by their panel of judges. This text is edited by FNU Post-Master’s DNP Program Director Barbara Anderson (recently retired) and FNU President Susan Stone, and all contributors are FNU faculty and alumni. All book royalties are being donated for scholarships to FNU students.

president ’ s 2014 annual report

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2014 year in review

Highlights of 2014 Healthy Enrollment Students beginning in January 2014, entered the new MSN + Companion DNP curriculum. This newly designed curriculum allows all FNU students to choose to seamlessly transition to the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree without a break in their studies, or they may exit with the Master of Science in Nursing degree. FNU continues to offer the post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (PM-DNP).

New enrollments remained strong in 2014, with 700 new students. Midwifery enrollment increased and FNP and women’s health had a slight decrease. Students and graduates continue to represent all fifty states with the majority residing in federally designated rural counties and health professional shortage areas. We are proud to be making a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of families in rural America and underserved urban areas.

987 915

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

556

600

514

635

800

758

750 805 855

1000

898

Enrollment by Specialty and Calendar Year

400

0 Nurse-midwifery

Family Nurse Practitioner

Women’s Health

MSN Completion

8 7 13 17 9

9 6 8 7 4

90 102 110 118 111

200

Women’s Health Completion

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Growing the nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner professions

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FNU graduated nearly one-third of the newly certified nurse-midwives in the United States in 2014. The scope of our nurse-midwifery program places enormous responsibility on Frontier to provide the highest quality education possible in order to the profession of midwifery grow in numbers and to validate the quality and effectiveness of nurse-midwifery care. Likewise, our family nurse practitioner program is one of the largest in the country, and with a focus on recruiting from rural and underserved areas. In fact, 76% of students and graduates in 2014 reside in rural areas of the country. Their advanced education will allow them to increase access to primary

president ’ s 2014 annual report

care for those underserved populations that need it the most. FNU graduates continued to have higher pass rates than the average on the national certification exams which demonstrates the quality and rigor of the Frontier education. Additionally, FNU maintains accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Accreditation, the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and the Accrediting Commission for Midwifery Education in order to maintain the highest standards and meet all required competencies for these professions.

MSN and Post-Master’s Certificate Graduates by Specialty

253 242

300 250

138

5 2 4 5 3

50 0 Nurse-midwifery

Family Nurse Practitioner

Women’s Health

MSN Completion

7 6 10 14 10

18 24 28 40 43

72 75

100

95

150

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

154 168

179 174

200

Women’s Health Completion

Continuing to Innovate FNU strives to be a leader in innovative methods for teaching advanced nursing and midwifery via distance education. In 2014, new tools were introduced to deliver course content including the selection of CANVAS Learning Management System as our new course delivery software which will be implemented in 2015, continued use of hands-on simulation during the Clinical Bound campus sessions, and new ways to simulate experiences in the online environment. Faculty have a variety of online tools to use that allow live interaction between students and between students and faculty. These tools allow faculty to create and interactive community of learning. We also have a full-time Instructional Designer on faculty who to assists with the design of course activities. The achievements of faculty are highlighted within this report, and many have shared best practices in professional organizations.

Clinical Preceptors

top: Kimberly Bertram CNEP 110, with Preceptor Laurie Hersey, CNM, Charleston Birth Place, SC; bottom left: 2014 Featured FNU Preceptors, University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX; bottom right: Lindsey Wells, CFNP 103, with Preceptor Dr. Cherese Severson

president ’ s 2014 annual report

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Strong, dedicated clinical preceptors in our home communities is the backbone of Frontier Nursing University.

To better identify and provide additional resources for preceptors, Dr. Tonya Nicholson and Dr. Rhonda Arthur presented preceptor training at five national professional conferences during 2014. These presentations were well attended and brought additional willing preceptors to FNU. We also updated our FNU preceptor web page. Our attractive and user friendly page provides additional resources and detailed information for our preceptors. We began spotlighting one of our outstanding preceptors each term to show our appreciation and highlight the great work they are doing with our students. We also laid the foundation for an “Immediate needs” preceptor plan in 2014. We are now collecting information on preceptors who are willing to become credentialed immediately and be available for students who are experiencing difficulty locating a preceptor. While still in the early implementation stages, to date we have 135 immediate needs preceptors identified.

We are looking forward to 2015 to continue our focus and forward progress on locating and training excellent preceptors for our students.

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2014 year in review

Strategic Planning The 2014 year was also a planning year for the future of FNU. Every five years, the Board of Directors sets a five-year Strategic Planning Goals upon which annual, monthly, and even weekly plans are based. The entire Frontier community participated in the development of this plan. President Stone led six retreats with various FNU and community groups, including the Board of Directors, faculty, staff, students, alumni, Couriers and supporters over the course of the year to gather input into the planning process. Additionally several surveys were completed. This input was used to create the 2015-2019 Strategic Planning Goals which were approved by faculty, staff, and ultimately the Board of Directors in October 2014. The five-year plan includes some exciting goals such as examining feasibility of adding the psychiatric nurse practitioner program, adding an ADN- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, implementing a diversity initiative across FNU, and establishing the Faculty Innovation Center for Online Learning, amongst many other goals and objectives.

New strategic goals have been identified for the next five years, and the Frontier community is looking forward to making progress as we continue to move our university forward and graduate great nurse and nurse-midwife leaders.

Goal 1: Continue to develop new and improve current programs Objective 1. Continue the development of the MSN+DNP curriculum.

Objective 2. Continue the implementation, expansion and evaluation of the COI project.

Objective 3. Develop the preceptor certification program improving quality and readiness.

Objective 4. Develop and improve the clinical site placement process.

Goal 2: Explore new educational program options that support and enhance the mission of FNU. Objective 1. Transition the ADN to MSN Bridge program to an ADN-BSN program with a community health focus.

Objective 2. Further explore the addition of a psychiatric nurse practitioner program option beginning with a feasibility study.

Goal 3: Create a diverse environment that promotes and enriches the opportunity for all persons to succeed.

Objective 1. Increase the percentage of students, faculty and staff from underrepresented groups to a 20% minimum.

Objective 2. Attract and develop a diverse Board of Directors and Administration.

Objective 3. Expand Pride diversity initiative into all university aspects.

Goal 4: Student - Decrease the attrition rate to 15% or less across all programs.

Objective 1. Continue the development of the student advisor program and the faculty-student mentor program.

Objective 2. Create a system that allows efficient data collection and analysis to further define the areas of attrition and target efforts accordingly (analyze SMS function compared to needs).

Objective 3. Complete root cause analysis with groups of students.

Goal 5: Foster a productive, inclusive, creative, and positive university environment for all constituents.

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Objective 1. Complete the development and implementation of the Shared Governance initiative.

Objective 2. Complete the Delphi study of the definition of Community of Caring.

Objective 3. Assure effective communication patterns across the University.

Objective 4. Create efficient and effective workflow processes across the university.

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Goal 6: Provide faculty development opportunities designed to assure success in their roles as teacher, practitioner and scholar.

Objective 1. Further survey faculty to define needs and seek ideas related to success.

Objective 2. Develop a plan (includes seeking funding) for a Center for Teaching Innovation.

Objective 3. Continue to explore and evaluate opportunities for faculty practice.

president ’ s 2014 annual report

Goal 7: Ensure the effective use of administrative and technical systems to improve service.

Objective 1. Implement the new LMS (Canvas).

Objective 2. Improve reporting and integrated delivery of data from PowerCampus, Canvas, Typhon, and other university systems.

Objective 3. Migrate and develop new website with integration into new portal.

Goal 8: Continuously improve and maintain facilities to meet the needs of students, faculty and staff.

Objective 1. Continue to assess and renovate current facilities to meet student, faculty and staff needs.

Goal 9: Develop and implement programs designed to secure resources to support programs and operations.

Objective 1. Grow the annual fund from $1M to $2M by 2019.

Objective 2. Complete a $10M Endowment Campaign to support students, faculty and facilities.

Objective 3. Develop a comprehensive alumni relations program designed to engage graduates in giving, recruiting, precepting, and collaborating with one another.

Objective 4. Offer Courier Internship Program as a summer internship program in service learning with a focus on serving rural and underserved communities.

Objective 5: Secure private and federal grant funding to support scholarships, programs, facilities, and special projects.

Objective 6: Preserve, celebrate, and share the history of Frontier Nursing Service through operation of the Wendover Bed & Breakfast Inn.

Goal 10: Develop a long-range financial plan to support the strategic planning process.

Objective 1. Fully develop new foundation as an entity.

Objective 2. Incorporate the Foundation into the 5 year financial forecast model.

Objective 3. Complete financial analysis of all projects contained in this plan.

FNU welcomes new Board member Frontier Nursing University was honored to welcome Robert Montague to the Board of Directors. Mr. Montague is a native of Washington, DC, although he has been a resident of Virginia for the past fifty years.

The grandson of Anne Steele Wilson, first cousin of Mary Breckinridge, Mr. Montague first learned of the FNS through his grandmother’s work. He also attended the first Mary Breckinridge Day while he was an Assistant Attorney General of Kentucky from 1961 through 1964. Mr. Montague has an extensive background in historic preservation which includes active service on several boards, commissions, and organizations dealing with historic preservation and conservation issues and ownership of three houses currently on the National Register of Historic Places. His academic experience includes faculty positions at the University of Virginia teaching historic preservation law and numerous law review articles published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the American Society of Planning Officials.

In Memoriam when I haven’t been connected with FNS. It has been my life since 1954, since I was 21 years old. I live it. I breathe it.”

In her quiet but passionate way, Jane Leigh Powell advanced the care of childbearing women throughout the United States and abroad. Families in many areas can now select birthing opportunities that include birthing centers because of her sustained focus on developing these options to hospital deliveries. For her sustained commitment to women, babies and the families who care for them, the Board of Directors of Frontier Nursing University awarded to Jane Leigh Powell the degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, honorus causa. This award was announced and presented during the October 24, 2014 commencement ceremonies in Hyden, Kentucky.

president ’ s 2014 annual report

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Jane Leigh Powell, 80, of Ridgeland, formerly of Glen Cove, NY, died on Saturday, August 30th, 2014, after a long illness. Jane Leigh Powell devoted most of her adult life toward advancing nursemidwifery, birth centers, and primary care. She began this lifelong passion by working as a junior Courier with Frontier Nursing Service in 1954 and then continued to serve through the 1950s as a senior Courier. Throughout her life, Ms. Powell served in roles with Frontier. In 1977 she was named to the FNS Board of Governors and eventually served as National Chairman. Leigh’s dedication to the Frontier Nursing Service is summed up in her own words, “There has never been a time

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2014 year in review

Courier Program

T

he new community-based Courier Program, following in the legacy of our original 1500 Couriers’ contributions to the Frontier community, entered its second year with Frontier Nursing University with a terrific group of Couriers. Modern Couriers, usually undergraduate students, are assigned to do service at rural health clinics and birth centers in the Appalachian region under mentorship of FNU nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives. The goals of the modern Courier Program are to: • introduce Couriers to the value of public health, advanced practice nursing, and primary healthcare services to people living in rural and underserved communities • support clinical and other community sites by meeting critical needs that would otherwise go unmet • foster cultural humility through Courier engagement with diverse communities and fellow Couriers • facilitate Couriers’ experience of FNU’s mission in action and encourage them to embody the Frontier legacy in their later vocations and personal lives.

frontirer nursing university

In Summer 2014, FNU hosted eight Couriers. Emily Scotto, originally from western Massachusetts, served at the White House Clinic in McKee, Ky. Aimee Jakeman is majoring in Integrative Physiology and minoring in Women’s Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

She served the Mountain Comprehensive Healthcare Women’s Clinic in Whitesburg, Ky, as her future

16

goal is to become a certified Nurse-Midwife.

Yi Lian Klimecki of Tucson, AZ, is a nursing student at Seattle University and served the Women’s Wellness and Maternity Center in Madisonville, TN. Lee Ann Adelsheim, who served the ARH Mary Breckinridge Hospital system, is from Pittsburgh, PA and attends Allegheny College. She is interested in global public health. Diane Kim hails from San Jose, CA and attends Williams College where she is in the pre-med program. She served the Hazard Clinic in Hazard, Ky. Matt Wilson, of Newbury, NH, served the ARH Mary Breckinridge Hospital system. He currently attends Colby College in Maine. Marissa Savoie is from California and attends Columbia University. She served the Lisa Ross Birth Center in Knoxville, TN. Rachel Tullio served the Little Flower Clinic in Hazard, KY, and hails from Rochester, NY. She currently attends Notre Dame where she is a premed student with a double minor in poverty studies and anthropology.

The 2014 Couriers amassed a total of 1500 volunteer service hours to clinics and community groups during the summer. Every Courier of the group said they would recommend the program to others and 90% of the program’s sites signed up to host a Courier again in 2015. A special THANK YOU was extended to FNU alumni at these sites who make this program possible by mentoring our couriers in the FNU model of leadership and healthcare.

2014 Couriers (left to right): Aimee Jakeman, Rachel Tulio, Marissa Savoie, Diane Kim, Yi Lian Klimecki, Lee Ann Adelsheim, Matt Wilson, Emily Scotto

president ’ s 2014 annual report

Our Programs ADN-MSN Bridge

The Bridge option for entering the MSN program at FNU is now in its 9th year. The Bridge makes it possible for nurses with an associate’s degree in nursing as their highest degree earned to enter into FNU’s graduate program.

Under the leadership of Dr. Trish Voss, the Bridge continues to be a highly sought after option for registered nurses who desire to become nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners. We have served almost 900 students since that first Bridge Bound in January 2007. Of the students admitted in the first four years of the program, more than 75% have graduated to date and are out in their communities across the nation, providing excellent health care.

During 2014, 114 students were admitted to FNU via the Bridge, and 81 students who began their degree program as Bridge students graduated. This summer, students from Bridge Class 108, the first Bridge class to enter the new MSN + Companion DNP curriculum, will start coming back to Hyden for Clinical Bound. Soon they will be on their way to earning their DNP as part of the first group to complete the companion DNP in 2016. Our Bridge graduates are carrying out the FNU mission all across the United States and many have gone on to complete their doctoral degrees, either at FNU or elsewhere. Others are serving as the sole primary care providers in their rural communities, living the FNU mission of providing care to families in underserved areas.

Dr. Brian Webster, Bridge Class 69

We also have our first Bridge graduate to become part of the FNU faculty— Dr. Brian Webster, Bridge Class 69. Dr. Webster began the Bridge in the fall of 2009, and graduated with his MSN as a Family Nurse Practitioner in the summer of 2012. While a student at FNU, Dr. Webster learned of his receipt of the Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Humanitarian Citizenship Award for his volunteer work as a nurse in Haiti. His faculty and peers later recognized his outstanding service as a student at FNU by awarding him the Leadership Award for FNP students. We are proud to have Dr. Webster on the FNU faculty!

100

59

71

80

20

Bridge Women’s Health

46

40

53

53

48

4

Bridge Midwifery

10

40

0

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Students no longer admitted to Women’s Health option after 2011

president ’ s 2014 annual report

frontirer nursing university

46

60

Bridge Family Nurse Practitioner

98

98

Students Enrolled in Bridge by Calendar Year

17

our programs: 2014

MSN Nurse-Midwifery (CNEP) and Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner (CWHCNP) We continue to celebrate robust numbers of nurses seeking midwifery and women’s health care nurse practitioner education, as well as the successes of those who choose FNU for that education.

In 2014, FNU welcomed 322 students admitted to the MSN + Companion DNP program in nurse-midwifery (CNEP) and 38 students in the women’s health care nurse practitioner track (CWHCNP). Graduate numbers were impressive with 174 nurse-midwifery graduates and 43 women’s health care nurse practitioners(WHNP) graduates. In 2014, FNU graduates had an overall American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) examination pass rate of 94% compared with the average national overall pass rate of 92%. The National Certification Corporation (NCC) which certifies the WHNP graduates does not release the pass rate figures early each year, so 2014 rates are unavailable as of publication of this report. However, our 54 WHNP graduates who took the exam in 2013 had an impressive 94.4% pass rate on the NCC certification exam.

The Midwifery and Women’s Health Department faculty, led by Associate Dean Dr. Anne Cockerham, continues to grow in number and excel at the work of educating the next generation of clinicians. In 2014, the department welcomed the following didactic course faculty: Jill Alliman to teach in NM700 Role of the Nurse-Midwife, Kim Baraona who teaches in PC702 Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Linda McDaniel who teaches in NM702 Midwifery Care during Pregnancy and NM706 Advanced Midwifery Care of Childbearing Women and Newborns. New Regional Clinical Faculty members include: Judy Butler (California); Dawn Lovelace (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming); Niessa Meier (New Mexico, Nevada, and Texas); and Amy Palmer (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin).

Judy Butler teaches in PC703 Evidence Based Practice, in addition to her RCF duties. The entire faculty devoted a great deal of time and attention to course revision and development to align our courses with the MSN + Companion DNP curriculum and in an effort to enhance students’ critical thinking and collaboration skills.

frontirer nursing university

Associate Dean Dr. Anne Cockerham

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president ’ s 2014 annual report

2014 was a banner year for women’s health and midwifery for FNU! FNU was well represented at the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) annual meeting with 9 faculty presenters as well as the following honors/awards: • Susan Stone, Chair of the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME) • Tonya Nicholson, DOME chairperson • Barbara Anderson, elected to the ACNM Board Region VII Representative • Kim Couch, Distinguished Service Award • Anne Cockerham, Teacher Excellence Award • Laura Manns-James, ACNM Foundation Graduate Fellowship Award

left: Sarah Monson and Ebony Simpson, Pride student ambassadors and FNU essay contest winners; right: Drs. Tonya Nicholson, Program Director of Midwifery and Women’s Health and Anne Cockerham, Association Dean of Academic Affairs

805

750 635 102

110

118

111

514

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Nurse-Midwifery

Women’s Health

2012

2013

2014

Women’s Health

FNU was also represented at the Annual Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) meeting in Orlando, FL. Dr Tonya Nicholson presented at this meeting.

president ’ s 2014 annual report

frontirer nursing university

Nurse-Midwifery

43

2011

40 28

2010

24

18

72

75

138

174

179

Nurse-Midwifery and Women’s Health Degrees

Two FNU alumni were awarded honors at the ACNM 2014 Conference: Monica Newby, MSN, CNM (CNEP Class 1), received an ACNM Excellence in Teaching Award and Tanya Bailey, MSN, CNM (CNEP Class 28), was inducted as an ACNM Fellow.

During 2014, Toni King, student nurse midwife, was awarded an American Association of University Women Career Development Grant of $12,000. These grants provide funding to women who hold a bachelor’s degree and are preparing to advance or change careers or re-enter the workforce. Primary consideration is given to women of color and women pursuing their first advanced degree or credentials in nontraditional fields.

855

Nurse-Midwifery and Women’s Health Enrollment

90

FNU students were recognized at ACNM in 2014, with the following honors: • Jennifer Rudnik, CNEP 113, 3rd place, ACNM 20th Century Midwives Legacy Project • Allison Scholl, CNEP 106, 3rd place, ACNM 20th Century Midwives Legacy Project • Gretchen Scott, CNEP 106, Honorable Mention for the ACNM 20th Century Midwives Legacy Project • Sarah Drexler, CNEP 91, Poster: Colorado Nurse-Midwifery History • Christy Anderson, CNEP 109, MN Affiliate of ACNM-Student scholarship recipient • Alisha Wilkes, CNEP 103, WA Affiliate of ACNM- Student scholarship recipient • Sarah Monson, CNEP 119, PRIDE student ambassador & FNU essay contest winner • Ebony Simpson, CNEP 104, PRIDE student ambassador & FNU essay contest winner • Adrianna Hernandez, ACNM Page Rep

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our programs: 2014

MSN Family Nurse Practitioner (CFNP) The Department of Family Nursing led by Associate Dean of Family Nursing, Dr. Lisa Chappell, continues to grow in the number of qualified nurses who are admitted and who succeed in the family nurse practitioner program.

The family nurse practitioner program at FNU admitted 279 students into the MSN + Companion DNP program in 2014. Also in 2014, we graduated 242 family nurse practitioners. The examination pass rate on the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners certification examination for FNU graduate family nurse practitioners was 97%.

left to right: Julie Marfell, Dean of Nursing; Diane John, Assistant Professor; and Lisa Chappell, Associate Dean of Family Nursing

In 2014, the Department of Family Nursing welcomed new didactic faculty: Vicky Stone-Gale who teaches in PC700 Introduction to Scholarly Writing and PC702 Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Rachel Mack to teach in PC700 Introduction to Scholarly Writing, Bunny Pounds who teaches in PC706 Advanced Physical Assessment. New Regional Clinical Faculty joining the Family Nurse Department in 2014 included Mary Ellen Bickerstaff (Washington, California, Oregon), Anna Louisa (Kentucky), and Maureen Northway (Alaska, Hawaii). During 2014 the faculty in the Department of Family Nursing worked tirelessly in course design and revision in the creation of the new MSN + Companion DNP program.

Our FNP faculty made notable contributions in their professions and as educators during 2014. Dr. Jana Esden contributed items for the certification exam for the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner’s Certification Program in 2014. Dr. Judi Daniels received the Kentucky Nurse Educator award for 2014 and the FNU Student Choice Award for Teaching Excellence.

Family Nurse Practitioner Enrollment 987 898

Family Nurse Practitioner Degrees 915 253

758 556

154

242

168

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95

20

2010

2011

president ’ s 2014 annual report

2012

2013

2014

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (PM-DNP) The Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program continued to grow and admitted four cohorts during 2014, increasing our enrollment to 138 new students.

Fifty-six DNP degrees were awarded—an increase of 17 graduates over the previous year! Our PM-DNP program has progressed under the excellent leadership of Dr. Barbara Anderson, who served as Director of the program for four years and retired December 31, 2014. Frontier hosted a successful accreditation visit from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) for our PM-DNP program in the fall of 2014.

DNP Enrollment 138 103 76

Frontier was awarded $50,000 from the Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar program, which supports education development of new nursing faculty and helps students address the needs of future patients. Our DNP Jonas Scholars for 2014-2015 are Lauren Ervin, Victoria Evans, and Janet Thurston from DNP 14 and Julie McCarron from DNP 16 cohort. Student, Niessa Meier, DNP 16, was elected to serve as President of the Texas chapter of the American College of Nurse Midwives, and student Stefanie Tyler, DNP 16, presented at the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health during 2014. Laura Valle, DNP 16, was selected to serve on the exam committee for the American Midwifery Certification Board. Janet Thurston, DNP 14, had a manuscript accepted for publication in the Journal for Nurse Practitioners: “Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records.” Susan Knowles, DNP 13, was invited to speak on the “heart of Nursing” at the Cochise College Nursing Recognition event in May 2014 attended by 500 people and simulcast online.

Faculty colleagues, Drs. Karsnitz, John, Short, and Yount, who teach in the DNP program, presented at the national DNP Conference in 2014 on advances in distance learning in DNP education. Dr. Romina Lo Montano, DNP 11, presented at the STTI International Nursing Research Congress in Hong Kong during 2014. Dr. Lo-Montano also published “Best practice guidelines for uncomplicated urinary tract infections to reduce rates of antibiotic resistance: A CE module for clinicians” in the Virginia Henderson library.

65

58

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

DNP Degrees 56

39 34 22

2010

25

2011

2012

2013

2014

frontirer nursing university president ’ s 2014 annual report

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2014 strategic goals

1

Strategic Goal 1: Continue to expand current programs and explore new programs that support and enhance the mission of FNU

Meeting the DNP Demand

Frontier DNP Class 14

I

frontirer nursing university

n January of 2014, Frontier Nursing University began offering a newly developed curriculum for registered nurses who wish to become nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners. The new curriculum is designed to prepare nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to be excellent beginning level clinicians and have the expertise needed to translate evidence into best practices so that mothers, babies, and families receive the highest quality care.

Graduates may choose to exit with a MSN or continue to obtain a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.

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The MSN+ Companion DNP program plan was designed to grant a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree and offer a seamless transition to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. The advantage of this program plan is that students can elect to complete both MSN and the DNP degrees without interrupting their studies.

The sequencing of the courses provides for the inclusion of foundational doctoral concepts early in the students program that facilitate a higher level critical analysis of

president ’ s 2014 annual report

evidence based care during the specialty courses for the nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner tracks. Only students who were enrolled in the Frontier MSN program after Winter Term 2014 are eligible to complete the Companion DNP. Students enrolled in the FNU MSN prior to the Winter Term 2014 and students who are not FNU graduates must complete the Post Masters (PM)-DNP. When students complete the requirements for the MSN they may choose to continue in the Companion DNP program or step out with the MSN. This is the ideal curriculum for nurses who want either a MSN degree or an MSN plus Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Conferring the MSN along the way allows the students to sit for the national certification exam and begin their work as clinicians in their communities. Allowing students to receive both degrees in a seamless manner facilitates the students’ ability to begin working in their communities and continue their education.

The revisions to the MSN + Companion DNP curriculum has been underway since the Summer Term of 2013. To date 22 MSN courses have been revised to incorporate the DNP Essentials and are now being taught to the students enrolled in the program since 2014. The onsite Clinical Bound skills intensive and the clinical practicum courses have been revised and will open in the Spring Term of 2015. There are two MSN didactic courses that will launch in the Summer Term of 2015 and three Companion DNP didactic courses and two clinical practicum courses that will launch in 2016, thus completing the transition to the new curriculum.

The Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (PM-DNP) program, which began in 2008, has a total of 181 DNP graduates. This is a 15-month program and requires 33 credits to complete the DNP. Dr. Barbara Anderson led this program from 2010 until the end of 2014 when she retired from FNU. Many of the graduates from the PM-DNP program have presented or published their work since graduation. They have also been appointed to local, state, and national boards of directors for professional and health care organizations and received awards or honors for their work. One hundred and eighty one PM-DNP student capstone papers were archived in the FNU library with a searchable database during 2014.

The new curriculum is designed to prepare nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to be excellent beginning level clinicians and have the expertise needed to translate evidence into best practices so that

mothers, babies, and families receive the highest quality care.

Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) + Companion Doctor of Nursing Practice (Companion DNP) Program Credits and Hours

Completion Time in Months

Program

Credits

Full-Time

Part-Time

Nurse-midwifery

63

30

39

Family Nurse Practitioner

61

30

39

Womens Healthcare Nurse Practitioner

61

30

39

Companion DNP*

17

9

n/a

*Available only to students enrolled in the MSN starting in January 2014

frontirer nursing university president ’ s 2014 annual report

23

2014 strategic goals

2

Strategic Goal 2: Implement the Community of Inquiry (COI) model at FNU

Building the Frontier Community F

ive years ago, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) chose to create a Community of Inquiry (COI) as a Quality Enhancement Project (QEP). The entire FNU community was engaged in the process of choosing the QEP topic. A QEP Committee was formed and students and faculty were surveyed. Experts were brought in to present topics to the faculty. Focus groups and brainstorming sessions were held for both students and faculty. The process of deciding on the topic revolved around developing innovative teaching strategies to engage students and improve learning outcomes.

The QEP Committee chose the COI framework because it encompasses concepts of increasing connections in a community and using innovative teaching methods to increase deep learning and critical thinking skills. The COI framework was developed specifically for an online environment. The COI Model for online teaching and learning is described in terms of three types of presence: 1) social presence, which is the ability of the learners to project themselves socially and emotionally as real people in an online environment; 2) teaching presence, established by the faculty via the design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive social process for the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile learning outcomes; and 3) cognitive presence, which is described in the model as the extent to which learners are able to construct and confirm meaning through sustained reflection and discourse (Garrison,

Social Presence Setting Climate

Cognitive Presence

Supporting Discourse Educational Experience

Selecting Content

Teaching Presence

Community of Inquiry (COI) Model Garrison, Anderson, Archer (2000)

et al., 2000). At the junction of these three presences higher order or deep learning takes place. (Garrison, et al., 2001) The experience of engaging in the QEP has been valuable to the Frontier community and our students. The COI theoretical framework is a positive development as it introduces consistency in course development. Use of this framework also provides important formative evaluation data that allows the faculty to monitor courses, modify teaching strategies when appropriate, and reevaluate changes made to instruction. Development of effective distance learning courses using technology appropriately, while engaging students, was accomplished by the process of course redesign. Faculty members have enhanced the use of technology in the courses to increase both teaching and social presence. Currently 100% of the courses are designed to include components that increase student interaction.

The COI In Action frontirer nursing university

Social Presence | Cultural Sensitivity: During 2014, the Civility Committee received IRB approval to conduct a Delphi study titled A Delphi Study to Define Culture of Caring in a Graduate Online Learning Community. This study is ongoing and results are expected in early 2015. The study aims to include members representing the Frontier Community; including staff, faculty, students, alumni, preceptors, administrative personnel, and board members to create a consensus-derived definition of FNU’s Culture of Caring.

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president ’ s 2014 annual report

The COI provides a common language to describe how the courses are structured across the FNU community. Every course brought forward to the Curriculum Committee is assessed for the three presences. The university employs an assessment coordinator and an instructional designer who work with the faculty to strive for improvement in the courses every term. A new learning management system, scheduled to launch in 2015, will further increase our ability to employ technology in the courses. Tk20 assessment software has been added to assist with university assessment.

For each of the challenges identified for the university at the start of the process, improvements have been made by using the COI as the framework for the courses. Critical thinking skills that students bring from their nursing education are strengthened during their graduate education. Our data demonstrates that the students entered the program as deep learners and remained deep learners throughout the program.

For measuring the cognitive presence a question in the term survey asks if FNU has created a strong Community of Inquiry, where interactions promote meaningful inquiry and deep learning. All three measurements—teaching, social, and cognitive—showed an increase of 12-13 points from the baseline data from the index class in Spring Term 2010 to Fall Term 2014.

All courses were completely redesigned using a framework to help engage the students in meaningful learning. The course redesign process took two years to complete. During this time, technology used to engage students in learning has increased in all of the courses in a manner that provides interaction between the students, and between the students and the faculty. Innovative technology to provide effective distance learning courses will continue to evolve as technology continues to improve and thus allows more interactive assignments.

At the end of the program, students value learning and working within a community. A survey was sent to the faculty and students at the end of the five year strategic plan to gather information for the preparation of the upcoming strategic plan. The majority of the faculty and current students at FNU report that it is important to continue the COI as a strategic measurement process. The COI framework has changed and improved the culture of the university. It gives a common language and ongoing information to improve the interaction in the courses between students and between the students and faculty. As FNU develops a new QEP, the COI framework will remain embedded in the courses. The faculty members will continue to engage the students in learning and increase critical thinking through the effective use of technology in the distance learning courses.

Quality Enhancement Plan/COI Outcomes 60 54.1

54.4 54.7

54.3

54.3

53.7

49

49.5

49.3

50

35.7

35.9

36.3

50

40

30

50.8

54.4 54.5

55.2

55.2

55.9

55.7

55.9

50.1

50.2

50.6

50.7

51.1

50.9 51.1

36.6

36.9

37.1

37.4

37.9 37.5

55.7

54.8

55.9

51

50.6

51.2

37.5

37.3

37.5

56.3 56.6

55.6

55.9

52.3 52.3

51.8

52.1

38.2

37.7

38.1

41.1

32

34.2

37

38

Cognitive Presence | Reflection: During 2014, the use of reflection to enhance the cognitive presence for students and faculty was advanced through all FNU programs.

Reflection assignments and rubrics were developed and a reflective activity is now included in all courses and documented in Course Review forms. Students and faculty were oriented of reflection processes at Frontier Bounds and Clinical Bounds. Reflection processes and evaluation are ongoing and outcomes are included in E Portfolio.

president ’ s 2014 annual report

frontirer nursing university

Teaching Presence | Online Simulation: The Wide Neighborhoods committee was developed in 2014 and completed a plan with establishment of goals and objectives for continuing implementation of online simulations throughout curriculum over the next three years.The committee evaluated several online resources and initiated the integration of the NEEHR Perfect electronic health records into select courses in fall 2014.

The Wide Neighborhoods committee is overseeing collection of data regarding simulation activities that FNU faculty are already using within their courses.

37.6

25

2014 strategic goals

3

Strategic Goal 3: Promote excellence in faculty scholarly work

Making Strides in Scholarship T

he faculty at FNU continues to expand their scholarly work. In 2014, our faculty published 44 publications, including book chapters, books, and journal articles in scholarly journals. Our faculty are active in professional associations and presented 13 refereed and 53 invited presentations at society conferences and other venues. Frontier faculty scholarly presentations and publications are announced on the Frontier Facebook page and the Banyan Tree portal, and faculty scholarly achievements are reported in Frontier publications such as the President’s Annual Report and the annual Alumni Magazine.

During 2014, Frontier established a system of rank, and updated the Faculty Handbook to include rank policies.

All faculty applied for a rank, and the appointments were approved by the Board of Directors in 2014. The rank system will enable faculty to develop personal development plans in collaboration with their deans or program directors. This development will be passed to the students as the skill of our faculty grows even stronger.

frontirer nursing university

A mentoring plan is in place that allows experienced faculty members to mentor less experienced faculty in areas of scholarly work and productivity, and development sessions are scheduled regularly to enhance teaching skills and faculty role development. A course, Faculty 101, was launched in 2014 designed to focus exclusively

26

on faculty development and resources and recordings of speakers are housed in our learning management system within this course. Bi-monthly faculty meetings are held in a virtual environment. These meetings focus on educational topics identified by the faculty and staff as important to their work.

A tremendous faculty accomplishment during 2014 was the design of the MSN + Companion DNP Program curriculum. This process required extensive time and dedication as the courses were developed and revised to include the DNP Essentials. Innovative teaching strategies are utilized in the courses to increase student engagement and to broaden faculty scholarship in educational methods. The goal is to improve student learning outcomes. Many of the professional presentations done by faculty members this year highlighted the teaching strategies used in their assigned courses.

In 2014, FNU added a Writing Support Specialist to our faculty. Gail Spake, MA, supports faculty with integration of developmental writing activities into curriculum and assists with course development for writing and communication components. Ms. Spake will provide resources for students and faculty for development of writing skills and to strengthen critical thinking skills and will offer publishing support, editorial services, and writing development workshops for faculty.

Tanya Tanner, Phd, MBA, CNM and Tonya Nicholson, DNP, CNM, WHNPBC, CNE presented on Frontier culture at American College of Nurse Midwives conference in 2014

president ’ s 2014 annual report

4

Strategic Goal 4: Ensure the effective use of administrative and technical systems to improve service.

Investing in Our Workforce

F

rontier Nursing University continually assesses its workforce and systems to ensure the optimum support for our busy students. In 2014 we continued to expand our staff to meet the needs of the growing student body. We value the important role staff play in the success of our students and continue to focus on providing continuing education and development opportunities for all staff.

employees of Frontier Nursing University. The Leadership Team meets monthly with the goals of developing activities and processes to improve communications, encouraging employee engagement, reviewing and developing human resources policies, and providing training for leaders and all employees.

Technology Investments Shared Governance A committee comprised of faculty and staff has been formed in order to develop a system of shared governance at FNU. The staff and faculty committee members were elected by their peers to represent the different perspectives and needs. The Shared Governance Committee meets frequently with the agenda of developing the proposed structure, policies, and processes for this future system of inclusive governance for FNU.

Leadership Team

Support A newly organized Support Services section was established within IT to ensure FNU provides quick responses to student, faculty, and staff support requests.

The Support Services are managed by Chris Coots, who oversees all on-campus and call-in support requests.

A new 859-899-2525 support line phone number was implemented for easier user recall. A new OneCall oncampus extension (ext. 2222) was added to improve

The purpose of the Leadership Team is to create and sustain a mutually beneficial, effective, satisfying, and supportive environment for all employees of Frontier Nursing University. president ’ s 2014 annual report

frontirer nursing university

A staff satisfaction survey was completed in 2014 in order to assess strengths and opportunities for FNU’s staff satisfaction and improve recruitment and retention of high-quality staff. Based on results of the survey, several new policies and activities were implemented, which included the development of the Leadership Team.

The Leadership Team consists of all faculty and staff who supervise employees. The purpose of the Leadership Team is to create and sustain a mutually beneficial, effective, satisfying, and supportive environment for all

As a university that exclusively offers distance learning programs, technology is a key service. The Information Technology (IT) Team is managed by Chad Miller and now includes a team of nine employees. The IT team covers all major technology areas and services from user support, application development, application integration, infrastructure and database management, and reporting on key data. Below is a highlight of the applications, services, and processes revised and deployed after Frontier completed a thorough analysis and adoption of the following applications.

27

2014 strategic goals

Strategic Goal 4: continued

A new incident and problem management system called Zendesk was deployed in 2014 that allows for very robust reporting and easy usage. This enables FNU IT to understand why a user contacts support and allows for us to strategically address common problems with better systems, services, and procedures. Lastly, the team increased documentation and system administrative procedures for Support, IT Operations, and User Management.

and more unstable and its toolset no longer able to meet the teaching needs for the university. After a systematic review of the LMS’s features, our analysis led the group to select Canvas as the LMS that would best fit the goals of the University based on price, support, delivery, features, ease of use, track record, and market position. The LMS Transition Team felt strongly that Canvas will meet the growing needs of the University and further position us competitively amongst other institutions. Deployment of CANVAS is scheduled for early in 2015. Canvas will allow us to focus on our main goal with students—teaching and learning.

BigBlueButton

Portal

For larger meetings with the full faculty, staff, or class meetings, the BigBlueButton web conferencing software was deployed as a replacement to Blackboard Collaborate.

This service provides high quality video and audio for large meetings with faculty and students located at a distance.

IT evaluated, selected, and implemented a new content management system web portal to replace the aging Banyan Tree webpage. With the new portal FNU will have the foundation for rapid application deployment for improving workflow process and information sharing.

response time during classroom sessions with a goal of eliminating in-class technology problems.

Single Sign-On (SSO) Google Apps for Education FNU made a smooth transition to Google apps for education, which allows employees and students to collaborate online in documents and save all work to the unlimited cloud storage rather than on individual computers. This has greatly improved work efficiency and quality. Google apps also allowed Frontier to transition from traditional conference call meetings to Google Hangouts for video calls. Lastly, IT started migrating all long-term storage of resources to Google Drive from systems such as Screencast, Blackboard Collaborate, and other legacy storage systems.

Canvas

frontirer nursing university

The Learning Management System (LMS) Transition Team formed in 2014 to evaluate and recommend a new LMS to replace our current LMS (Angel). The committee evaluated three LMS systems. There was an urgent need to move quickly, as our current LMS was becoming more

28

president ’ s 2014 annual report

Frontier evaluated, selected, and implemented new Single Sign-On solution, Forgerock, delivering a more seamless integration of the FNU core suite of applications. The integration covers the new Banyan Tree Portal, Angel LMS, Canvas LMS, PowerCampus Self-Service, SharePoint, EzProxy Library resources, Pre-Bound pages, Zendesk, Tk20, Google, and the Frontier Community Connection Forums.

Amazon Web Services Hosting Migration FNU migrated all hosting from the Lexington collocation to Amazon’s cloud infrastructure to resolve the storage constraints, aging legacy systems, bandwidth limitations, and disaster recovery design concerns. Closure of Lexington collocation hosting facility and migration of all servers to Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud infrastructure established the future start architecture required to run a robust and responsive infrastructure delivering education at a distance.

5

Strategic Goal 5: Further develop a successful and diverse student body with excellent scholarly abilities.

Supporting Student Success

F

rontier Nursing University’s Student Services team provides a variety of programs and support to students designed to increase retention and help our students succeed. Sessions are hosted for students during Frontier Bound and hosted online that cover topics that help students navigate all of Frontier’s resources and succeed as graduate nursing students. In 2014, FNU continued to build upon the successful PRIDE (Promoting Recruitment and Retention to Increase Diversity in nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner Education) Initiative and also added a new Advising Center.

PRIDE Initiative

president ’ s 2014 annual report

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In 2010, FNU launched the PRIDE (Promoting Recruitment and Retention to Increase Diversity in nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner Education) Initiative. The PRIDE initiative was established to accomplish the FNU strategic plan goal of increasing enrollment of minority students from 9% to 15% by 2014. The ultimate goal of the PRIDE initiative is to recruit and retain qualified underrepresented students in our graduate school of nursing who will meet the health care demands of an increasingly diverse population. The PRIDE Initiative is a comprehensive program that includes targeted recruitment activities, retention programs, partnerships with undergraduate nursing programs and some financial aid and scholarship assistance.

The PRIDE Initiative has had a successful start, and students-of-color enrollment has already shown improvement from 10.6% in 2009 to 15% in 2014. FNU PRIDE enrollment stood at 20 student members in 2011 and has grown to 101 members in 2014. From 2013 to 2014 PRIDE grew from 31 graduates to 47 graduates. With the “Diversity in Nursing” marketing efforts nationwide in 2014, more undergraduate nurses are aware of the opportunities to pursue education as an advanced practice nurse and/or nurse-midwife. FNU’s annual Diversity Impact in 2014 witnessed the largest attendance with over 60 students, alumni, faculty, and staff united for fellowship, networking, team building exercises, cultural awareness activities and discussions related to increasing diversity in nursing and midwifery. Diversity Impact provides workshops for FNU students to explore topics related to diversity in healthcare, and to empower and prepare students to meet the demand of diversity and cultural health reflected in the populations they serve. In 2014 PRIDE attended the following recruiting events: National Association for Hispanic Nurses (NAHN); the American College of Nurse Midwifery (ACNM); National Black Nurses Association (NBNA); Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA); American Association of Birthing Centers (AABC); the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP); and the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA). Later in the year of 2014, PRIDE was featured online by Every Mother Counts, a nationally known non-profit global organization that informs, engages and mobilizes audiences to take actions and raise funds to support maternal health programs around the world.

A PRIDE student was one of 200 candidates selected (nationwide) to attend the American Associations of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Student Policy Summit at the nation’s capitol in Washington DC, to learn about federal policies and nursing roles in professional advocacy for 2014-2015.

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2014 strategic goals

Strategic Goal 5: continued Frontier Nursing University Advising Center Frontier Nursing University (FNU) developed a new support service for students with the implementation of a new advising model in 2014. In support of the strategic plan goal related to decreasing attrition, administration felt a hybrid advising model would be beneficial to further support student success. The goal of the new support service is to decrease the attrition rate (21.9%) with high quality retention programming and focused attention on our students.

In June 2014, Abby Hollander, MA, was hired as the Director of Advising. Ms. Hollander comes to FNU with an extensive background in academic advising and supervision of advising units at a large public university. Abby worked alongside FNU administration to develop and implement the FNU Advising Center, which 2014 advisors: back l-r, Amanda Jones, is staffed by Ms. Hollander and four professional advisors.These advisors bring Robby Morton, Carisa Kelsey; front l-r, Abby Hollander, Lesia Holder a wealth of experience and are enthusiastically engaging with students in their new roles. Lesia Holder, MS, worked as faculty and in administration in several universities. Amanda Jones, BS, served at a nursing college in Ohio in student services. Carisa Kelsey, BS, worked in family services with first-time mothers, and Robby Morton, MPA, worked for KY Department of Education in minority teacher recruitments. Together their talents are a real asset to our students and FNU community.

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president ’ s 2014 annual report

of a faculty mentor. In this capacity, the faculty mentor models professional role and responsibilities, clarifies expectations for graduate level coursework, and promotes professional development. The RCF continues to serve as a sounding board and assists students in processing the clinical experience. Faculty mentors continue to meet with students throughout the program to provide academic support that will ensure successful completion of the program and ready the student for the workforce.

2011

2012

2013

21.8%

21.4%

University Attrition by Calendar Year 20.8%

Evidence supports the benefits of utilizing faculty and non-faculty support to monitor student progress and promote degree completion. Historically, FNU students were assigned two faculty members as their advisors: a faculty advisor during their didactic course work and also a regional clinical faculty (RCF) member as a faculty advisor during clinical training. With the creation of the advising unit, students are now assigned a professional advisor to support them throughout the duration of their program. The professional advisor is responsible for engaging the student in the education process: educating students regarding curricular requirements and monitoring students’ progress to degree completion. The professional advisors meet with their assigned students a minimum of once per term for registration and are available at any other time during the term for support and guidance as needed. The faculty mentors, RCFs, and advising staff work together as a team to provide quality advising and academic support to all students at FNU. When the new advising model was implemented in 2014, the role of the faculty advisor shifted to that

20.7%

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Faculty member, Rebeca Barroso, observed that “the addition of the professional advisors at Frontier has become a great asset in our collective effort to provide the students with optimal support throughout their educational journeys. Synergy is created in the process of having staff and faculty members coming together to brainstorm on potential solutions to the students’ problems and concerns. Two sets of eyes and ears, from the professional advisors and the faculty mentors, decreases the potential for errors of omission and commission in helping the students move through their educational programs. By adding the professional advisors, much has been gained on behalf of supporting both the students and the faculty.”

2014

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Strategic Goal 6: Continually improve Frontier Nursing University facilities

Preserving our Historic Heritage P

art of the legacy we enjoy at Frontier are our historic properties in Leslie County, KY. The “Big House”—Mary Breckinridge’s original log home—now the site of the Wendover Bed & Breakfast with its outbuildings—is a National Historic Landmark. We also maintain our historic campus in Hyden, KY. Frontier takes great pride in our facilities and, with support from individual donors and foundations committed to the preservation and improvement of our properties, we were able to host more than 1,000 students and visitors in 2014.

Our campus sits atop Hospital Hill in Hyden, KY, the site of the original Hyden Hospital built in 1928. The six historic buildings support the university’s housing, instructional, and office needs for our frequent on-site student events, including Frontier Bound orientation sessions and our Clinical Bound instructional events.

Frontier continues with capital improvement and maintenance projects mapped in a five-year plan introduced in 2012 by a survey completed by Sodexo, a leading provider of facilities management services.

Reconstruction of Joy House Road, a continuation of the main road through our campus that exits below Joy House to Hickory Street, now makes a circuit around the campus possible. During the road construction, a slippage of the mountain in front of Mardi Cottage occurred, so a retaining wall was added to the project to stabilize the road and cottage. Water damage on the hill compromising the parking area required construction of a new parking lot with proper drainage.

These projects were completed at a cost of over $665,000. Other, small renovations and maintenance projects ensure that other buildings continue to meet the needs of the Frontier community.

Our Hyden campus houses classroom space, simulation labs, dormitories, and office and meeting space to support our training and orientation events and an annual faculty meeting and graduation ceremony. The legacy represented by our buildings is treasured by our community and by the new students who train with us to carry on our legacy by providing primary health and maternity care service to families with a focus on those living in rural and underserved areas. The properties stand as symbols of our relationships to the strong traditions and with one another as pioneers in a changing, contemporary landscape in healthcare.

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The Big House at Wendover will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2015. The Big House and the adjacent barn became a Bed and Breakfast Inn (B&B) in 2001.

Visitors from many nursing schools come to Leslie County, Kentucky for guided tours of the Frontier properties. Kentucky recently allowed B&Bs to increase the number of rooms, so the Big House went from offering 8 rooms to 16 rooms.

Now larger groups can visit for retreats, family reunions, and conferences. The Livery, another Wendover log house—a popular destination for business travelers and groups—provides meeting space at Wendover with wireless internet and teleconference capacity.

University operations are supported by administrative offices in Lexington, KY— with offices in two buildings for 37 staff and 3 faculty members, including the President, the Dean, accounting, clinical credentialing, the Library (faculty and staff ), development, IT, operations, professional advising, marketing, financial aid and student services staff. We will soon research leasing or purchasing larger space to house all staff from both offices in a single new location. president ’ s 2014 annual report

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2014 strategic goals

7

Strategic Goal 7: Develop and implement program designed to secure resources to support the programs and operations of FNU

Investing in the Future of FNU F

riends, alumni and new supporters gathered together to help FNU celebrate our 75th anniversary in 2014. The Development Team worked alongside marketing to generate excitement, celebrate our history and achievements, and make the entire year a special commemoration of Frontier Nursing University. We were honored to host nearly 200 friends for the 75th Anniversary Weekend celebration October 3-5. In addition to the weekend celebration, the staff coordinated nomination and selection of 75 honorees, numerous promotions on television, social and print media, and several smaller events throughout the year.

Sponsors of the 75th Anniversary made the celebration possible.

Breckinridge Capital Advisors committed as Underwriter for the anniversary with a sponsorship of $25,000. The company, founded by Peter Breckinridge Coffin, is a Boston-based investment advisor firm specializing in the management of high-grade fixed-income portfolios for institutions and private clients. Peter Coffin, a descendant of the Breckinridge family, also serves on the Leadership Council for the FNU Endowment Campaign.

top: Guests enjoying the 75th gala. bottom: Courier breakfast hosted during the 75th weekend events

Bronze Sponsors included Neace Lukens and Merrill Lynch. BB&T Bank served as Patron Sponsor. Friends sponsors included PNC Bank, NetGain, Howard Heating & Air, Impressions, Inc., American Association of Birth Centers, Women’s Care of the Bluegrass and Kentucky Hospital Association. Thank you again to all of our sponsors for making the celebration a success!

Grateful to our supporters

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FNU’s growth and achievements would not be possible without 75 years of support from generous individuals who believe in our mission. We rely on individual giving to build the endowment, cover special programs and projects, and provide critical scholarships for students.

In 2014 FNU received more than $3 million in donations from more than 2,000 supporters.

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Caroline Holdship, a former Courier who passed away in 2013 at the age of 99, established a perpetual trust income for Frontier Nursing University valued at over $1.3 million. This planned gift will benefit FNU for many years, generating annual support for operations and sustaining our work. We were honored that Mrs. Holdship was pictured on the cover of our newest publication Unbridled Service: Growing up and Giving Back as a Frontier Nursing Service Courier. We are eternally grateful to Ms. Holdship for her philanthropic spirit and loyal support of Frontier.

president ’ s 2014 annual report

Additionally, the endowment campaign continued to generate new gifts including the Patricia Perrin Lawrence Scholarship— established by Robert and Patricia Lawrence of Boston. We are honored to award this annual scholarship to a deserving student, and simultaneously Bob and Patsy Lawrence recognize the generosity and volunteer efforts of Mrs. Lawrence, a former Courier.

The endowment campaign has a goal to raise $10M in support of new scholarships, faculty development, and our historic campus. At the close of 2014, we were 30% towards that goal with a plan to complete the campaign in the next five years.

left: Denise Barrett and Susan Stone visit with former Courier, Esther Mulroy; center: Susan Stone was the keynote speaker at the Breckinridge Family Reunion in Boston; right: Guests enjoy a tea hosted by former Courier, Kathy Dalton

Communications and Events Frontier Nursing University continues to publish the Quarterly Bulletin, a newsletter dating back to the founding of the Frontier Nursing Service in 1925. This quarterly publication is distributed to more than 8,000 readers across the country. FNU also publishes Beyond the Frontier, an annual magazine highlighting achievements and news of FNU, our faculty, students and graduates. Monthly and quarterly e-newsletters are also delivered to donors, Couriers, alumni and Wendover B&B visitors.

FNU hosts a variety of events each year in order to reach out to alumni and supporters. In 2014, in addition to the 75th anniversary weekend, the development team organized gatherings in Denver, Nashville, Lexington, Boston, Washington DC, New York City, and Louisville. These events served as a time to gather in fellowship with fellow Frontier supporters, share exciting updates and news with our constituents, and give thanks for our donors’ commitment to Frontier.

Grant Support FNU was fortunate to receive more than $1 million in private and federal grant funding in 2014. Grant support is a critical source of support for our students, provides much needed resources for facilities’ needs, and allows FNU to test new innovations in online learning. We are appreciative of the following private grant support received in 2014:

- The Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence selected FNU to receive $50,000 in funding to provide scholarships for four Jonas Scholars in our post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Program.

- Margaret and James Kelley Foundation provided a $7,500 contribution towards the endowment.

- Margaret Voorhies Haggin Trust awarded a generous gift of $50,000 towards the campus.

- Van Sloun Foundation established the Van Sloun Endowed Scholarship which will fund annual scholarships for students.

- Virginia Clark Hagan Charitable Trust once again provided funding to support Typhon, our online clinical tracking system, which allows students and faculty to track progress during the clinical hours of the curriculum.

In addition to private grant funding, FNU receives significant federal dollars to support our students and had a 104% increase in federal funding from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in 2014.

- Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students - $366,463.

Provides scholarships of up to $15,000 to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

- Advanced Nursing Education Traineeship - $350,000.

Provides 140 scholarships of $2,500 each.

- Nurse Faculty Loan Program - $212,970. Given as loans to DNP students who plan to teach after graduation, which can cancel up to 85% of the student’s loan.

- Elsa Heisel Sule Charitable Trust provided four scholarships of $2,500 each to current students.

president ’ s 2014 annual report

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- Berea College Appalachian Fund provided $10,000 to host the Diversity Impact Weekend at our Hyden campus. The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky also contributed $1,000 towards this event.

- E.O. Robinson Mountain Fund provided $12,500 towards campus improvements.

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2014 strategic goals

8

Strategic Goal 8: Develop a long-range financial plan to support the strategic planning process

Fortifying our Financial Future T

he financial affairs of FNU and the Foundation are handled under the leadership of Michael Steinmetz, Vice President of Finance and Laura Davis, Controller. This area ensures sound financial management and controls as well as accurate accounting and financial reporting.

In 2014, a new system of per credit hour billing was implemented. Approximately 70% of students are now billed on the per credit hour plan, yielding better matching of revenues with costs as well as improvements in the students’ ability to manage the costs of their education. The adoption of the Foundation into FNU has also provided opportunities to enhance the management of our financial assets. A new investment policy and spending policy have been approved by the Board of Directors and have been implemented. We also refined the management of operating funds by segregating funds needed within a mid-term time frame to an account managed under a conservative investment plan rather than holding in low-yield money market funds. Additionally, we instituted quarterly benchmarking of investment yields against appropriate indices by investment class.

frontirer nursing university

FNU made great strides in enhancing our financial position in 2014. The recent elimination of debt as well as strong operating results has enabled us to enhance our net asset position to ensure the long-term health and stability of our university.

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president ’ s 2014 annual report

FNU Faculty President

Susan E. Stone, DNSc, CNM, FAAN, FACNM

Dean of Nursing

Julie Marfell, DNP, FNP Anne Cockerham, PhD, CNM, WHCNP

Associate Dean of Midwifery and Women’s Health

Lisa Chappell, PhD, FNP

Associate Dean for Family Nursing

Rhonda Arthur, DNP, CNM, FNP, WHCNP

Program Director of Family Nursing

Tonya Nicholson, DNP, CNM

Program Director of Midwifery and Women’s Health

Program Director, ADN-MSN Bridge

Trish Voss, DNP, CNM

Diana Jolles, PhD-C, CNM

Course Faculty & Regional Clinical Faculty

Mary Jones, DNP, CNM, FNP-BC

Course Faculty & Regional Clinical Faculty Course Coordinator

Debi Karsnitz, DNP, CNM

Course Faculty

Nicole Lassiter, MSN, CNM, WHNP Allison Lorne, MS, CNM

Regional Clinical Faculty

Audra Malone, DNP, FNP

Course Faculty & Regional Clinical Faculty

Laura Manns James, PhD-C, CNM, WHNP-BC

Course Faculty & Clinical Bound Team Leader Course Coordinator

Amy Marowitz, DNP, CNM Jackie Martin, DNP, CNM

Regional Clinical Faculty

Tia Andrighetti, DNP, CNM C ourse Coordinator, Regional Clinical

Faculty & Clinical Bound Team Leader

Alyn McGee, MSN, CNM

Regional Clinical Faculty

Beki Asti, MSN, FNP

Barbara Moore, MSN, FNP

Regional Clinical Faculty

Melanie Morrison, MSN, FNP

Regional Clinical Faculty

Amy Nassar, MSN, FNP

Regional Clinical Faculty

Course Faculty & Regional Clinical Faculty Course Coordinator

Victoria Baker, PhD, MSPH, CNM Rebeca Barroso, DNP, CNM

Course Faculty

Barbara Brennan, DNP, FNP

Course Faculty Course Faculty

Jacquelyne Brooks, DNP-C, CNM, WHNP

Regional Clinical Faculty

Brenda Broussard, CNM, WHNP-BC, MSN

Course Faculty

Della Brown, DNP, FNP, ANP-C Shirley Bush, MSN, CNM

Regional Clinical Faculty

Marietta Cahill, MSN, CNM

Regional Clinical Faculty Course Coordinator

Susan Calloway, PhD, MSN, FNP-BC

Regional Clinical Faculty

Tamara Carniglia, MSN, FNP

Course Coordinator

Patricia Caudle, DNSc, CNM, FNP

Course Faculty

Heather Clarke, DNP-C, CNM

Regional Clinical Faculty

Linda Cole, DNP, CNM

Course Faculty

Kim Couch, DNP, CNM, FNP-BC Judi Daniels, PhD, APRN

Course Coordinator

Julie Daniels, DNP, CNM

Course Faculty Course Faculty & Clinical Bound Team Leader

Karen DeCocker, DNP, CNM

Regional Clinical Faculty

Sarah Ann Derrick, DNP, FNP Kitty Ernst, MPH, CNM

Mary Breckenridge Chair of Midwifery

Jana Esden, DNP, FNP Cathy Fliris, DNP, FNP

Billie Anne Gebb, MSLS

Regional Clinical Faculty

Michelle North, MSN, CNM

Regional Clinical Faculty

Denise Orrill, DNP, FNP

Regional Clinical Faculty Instructional Designer

Laura Orsetti, MSLS

Course Coordinator

Kathryn Osborne, PhD, CNM

Course Faculty

Carol Palmer, PhD, FNP

Course Coordinator

Julie Paul, DNP, CNM

Nancy Pesta Walsh, DNP, FNP

Gayle Phillips, DNP, FNP, WHNP, APRN-BC Course Faculty &

Regional Clinical Faculty Chaundel Presley, DNP, FNP-BC

Regional Clinical Faculty

Cynthia Reed, DNP, FNP

Regional Clinical Faculty

Karla Reinhart, DNP-C, FNP

Regional Clinical Faculty

Kathryn Schrag, MSN, CNM, FNP

Regional Clinical Faculty

Catherine Shields, MSN CNM

Regional Clinical Faculty

Heather Shlosser, DNP, FNP-BC, APRN

Course Faculty & Regional Clinical Faculty Course Faculty

Gwen Short, DNP, FNP, MPH

Course Faculty

Gail Spake, MA

Director of Library Services

Writing Support Specialist

Judy Staley, PhD-C, MSN, FNP-BC, WHNP-C

Course Coordinator

Tanya Tanner, PhD, MBA, RN, CNM Aubre Tompkins, MSN, CNM

Regional Clinical Faculty Course Faculty & Regional Clinical Faculty

Course Faculty

Mickey Gillmor, MSN, CNM

Course Faculty

Grace Ellen Urquhart, DNP, FNP-BC

Regional Clinical Faculty

Maria Valentin-Welch, DNP-C, CNM

Daisy Goodman, DNP, APRN, CNM, WHNP

Teaching Associate Course Faculty

Nena Harris, PhD, CNM, FNP-BC Penny Hauser, DNP, CNM

Regional Clinical Faculty

Carmen Hill-Mekoba, DNP, APRN-BC, CCM, COHN Elizabeth Holcomb, PhD, FNP-C Laura Hollywood, DNSc, CNM, FNP-BC, WHNP, CNE Sharon Hunsucker, PhD, FNP, CDE Kathy Iorillo, DNP-C, CNM, FNP-BC Diane John, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC

Regional Clinical Faculty

Course Coordinator Course Coordinator

Teaching Associate & Regional Clinical Faculty

Nora Webster, DNP, CNM

Course Faculty & Clinical Bound Team Leader Course Faculty

Sharon Weyer, DNP, FNP

Regional Clinical Faculty

Tammy Whitehead, DNP-C, FNP Elizabeth Whitworth, DNP, CNM, FNP

Teaching Associate Course Faculty

Kelly Wilhite, DNP, CNM Zach Young, MSLS

Course Faculty

Course Faculty

Melinda Webb, DNP-C, FNP

Information Services Librarian

Susan Yount, PhD, CNM, WHNP-BC

Course Coordinator

Regional Clinical Faculty Course Faculty

president ’ s 2014 annual report

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Course Faculty

Barbara Hignite, DNP, FNP

Course Faculty

Regional Clinical Faculty

Ann Stewart, MSN, CNM

Rebecca Gilbertson, DNP, CNM, FNP Dwynn Golden, DNP-C, CNM, FNP

Course Coordinator & Regional Clinical Faculty

Sarah Smith, DNP, CNM Course Faculty & Regional Clinical Faculty

Course Faculty & Regional Clinical Faculty

Meghan Garland, MSN, CNM

Jackie Noland, MSN, FNP

Course Faculty Course Coordinator

Heidi Froemke, DNP, CNM, FNP

Course Coordinator

Mary Nichols, PhD, FNP-BC, APRN

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FNU Staff Accounting

Facilities Vice President of Finance

Michael Steinmetz, MBA

CPA, Controller

Laura Davis, BS

Senior Accountant- AR

Jane Itzel, BA

Maintenance

Lonnie Brown Hallie Hall

Housekeeper/Cook

Starla Selby, BS

Senior Accountant

Natasha Howard

Housekeeper/Cook

Robin Smith, BA

Senior Accountant

Samantha Joseph

Housekeeper/Cook

Angela (Darlene) Maggard

Housekeeper/Cook

Admissions & Student Services

Maintenance

Larry Morgan

Stephanie Boyd, BS

Chief Enrollment Management Officer

Rainie Boggs, MBA

Lisa Morgan

Housekeeper/Cook

Director of Financial Aid

Thelma Napier

Housekeeper/Cook

Abby Hollander, MA

Director of Advising

Linda Sawyers

Housekeeper/Cook

Kaleena Burnett, BA

Financial Aid Officer

Patra Simpson

Housekeeper/Cook

Andrew Dezarn, BA

Financial Aid Officer

Chasity Collett, AA

Admissions Counselor

Sherri Davis Sharon Feltner Lesia Holder, MA Barbara Jones Amanda Jones, BS Carisa Kelsey, BS Cherie Lakes

Wilvena McDowell, MS

Robby Morton, MPA Tyler Nix, MSLS Kristi Nowack, MSLS Debra Turner, BS Jamie Wheeler, MA

Registrar Administrative Assistant

Denise Barrett, MBA

Angela Bailey, BA

Chad Miller, MS

Admissions Assistant

Elliott Fields, AA

Professional Advisor

Chris Hall, BS

Professional Advisor

Andrew Sean Jackson, AA

Learning Management System Coordinator Student Services/ PRIDE Coordinator Professional Advisor Digital Resource Technician Library Technician Student Services Coordinator Clinical Site Facilitator

Associate Director of Development and Alumni Relations Courier Program Assistant

Michael Claussen, BA

Development Coordinator, Wendover B&B Development Officer, Courier Program Coordinator

Clinical Credentialing

IT Support Services Manager IT Assistant IT Assistant Process & Reporting Analyst IT Assistant IT Assistant

Dominic Johnson, AA Samana Upadhyaya, MS

Process & Application Developer

Operations Chief Operations Officer

Shelley Aldridge, BA Beulah Couch, HR Cert

Human Resources / Site Manager

Brittney Edwards, MBA

Director of Marketing & Communications

Nicolle Harbor, BS

Administrative Assistant

Marilyn Lyons (Montgomery), MS

Assessment Coordinator

Susan Morgan Director of Development and Alumni Relations

Director of Information Technology

Christopher Coots, BA Adam Caudill, AA

Anna Carey, M ED

Nancy Reinhart, MA

IT & Multimedia

Professional Advisor

Advancement Office

Katherine Moses, BS Leah Musa, AA Christi Ohr Heather Ramey, BS

Receptionist Academic Resource Coordinator Administrative Assistant Office Assistant Compliance Officer

Wendover Betty Bowling

Housekeeper/Cook

Jeffrey Jones

Security/Maintenance

George Morgan

Security/Maintenance

Jeremy Moses

Security/Maintenance

Amanda Bockelman, BA

Clinical Credentialing Coordinator

Josh Napier

Security/Maintenance

Jodi Dickey, BA

Clinical Credentialing Coordinator

Jack Robertson

Security/Maintenance

Clinical Credentialing Coordinator

Dusty Sparks

Security/Maintenance

Director of Clinical Credentialing

John Wooton

Security/Maintenance

Bridgett Lyall, BS Chelsea Moir, BS

frontirer nursing university

Mandy Reichert, MA

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Facilities Manager

Barb Gibson

president ’ s 2014 annual report

Clinical Credentialing Coordinator

frontirer nursing university president ’ s 2014 annual report

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Campus: 195 School Street P.O. Box 528 Hyden, KY 41749 606.672.2312

frontirer nursing university

Wendover: 132 FNS Drive Wendover, KY 41775 606.672.2317

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president ’ s 2014 annual report