Moving Toward Clinical Leadership: DNP Student Stories

Hear from several FNU Doctor of Nursing Practice students about their DNP projects and the impact of their project work on their local community healthcare. They will also share why the DNP is essential in their career journey as nurse practitioner.

The session video will be available on this page at the scheduled date and time. In the meantime, we invite you to click here for a video from Dr. Julie Marfell, Dean of Nursing at Frontier Nursing University, to learn more about FNU’s “Stories that Inspire: A Call to Action for Nurse Practitioners” virtual event.

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Speakers

Julie Marfell, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAAP (Moderator)

Dr. Julie A. Marfell, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP has been a family nurse practitioner (FNP) and educator for 22 years. She completed the Doctor of Nursing(ND)/Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with a specialty as a Family Nurse Practitioner from the Department of Community Health Nursing at Rush University in 1994. Dr. Marfell has been a Registered Nurse for 36 years and was an expert critical care nurse and nurse manager prior to completing graduate school.

Dr. Marfell is the Dean of Nursing at Frontier Nursing University (FNU). She has been at Frontier since 1999 and led the implementation of the Community- based Family Nurse Practitioner Program (CFNP). She led the CFNP curriculum including development of content and multiple courses before becoming the dean. Dr. Marfell assisted with accreditation achievement for the FNU Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs and initial institutional accreditation and reaffirmation of the university. She successfully led the reaccreditation achievement for the Post MSN Doctor of Nursing Practice Program.

Dr. Marfell continues to care of families as an FNP in a primary care setting. She has worked in different primary care areas and has spent over 10 years work in pediatric settings. Dr. Marfell organized and led a nurse practitioner run clinic for the homeless residents at Interfaith House in Chicago. She served as the Executive Director of Frontier Nursing Healthcare for two years and is currently working as needed in a convenient care clinic.

Nikki Erlenbusch, NP-c

Nikki Erlenbusch spent the majority of her life in rural Montana. She pursued several different interests prior to earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Montana State University-Havre in 2004. Her first employment in nursing was on the telemetry floor at Rapid City Regional Hospital in Rapid City, SD. While she enjoyed this fast paced work environment, she soon returned to Montana and spent several years working in a small critical access hospital in Ekalaka. The last two years in Ekalaka she worked in nurse leadership while obtaining her Master of Science in Nursing degree from Frontier Nursing University in Hyden, Kentucky.

Nikki is currently employed at Custer County Community Health Center in Miles City, MT as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Nikki also serves as the medical director and quality improvement director at this facility. She is currently obtaining her Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree from Frontier Nursing University, and is strongly considering the post master’s certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner this spring. When Nikki is not studying or working, she enjoys spending time with her husband Greg, and their 9 year old son, Cade. She also enjoys reading, traveling, and watching major league baseball.

Khara’ Jefferson, APRN, FNP-C

Ms. Jefferson grew up in both Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and New Iberia, Louisiana. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Khara’ was a seventh-grade science teacher before embarking upon a career in healthcare. She worked in the emergency department at Our Lady of Lourdes in Lafayette, LA as a Registered Nurse before obtaining her Master of Science in Nursing degree from the University of South Alabama. Khara’ is currently employed as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Hulin Health Urgent Care Centers in South Louisiana. Prior to joining the Hulin Health family in 2013, she worked full-time in Iberia Medical Center’s emergency department for two years. She’s also a PRN provider in multiple emergency departments throughout Acadiana. Khara’ is currently obtaining her Doctorate in Nursing Practice degree from Frontier Nursing University. Khara’ enjoys reading, traveling, and serving patients both here and while on mission trips.

Cydne Marckmann

Cydne Marckmann, MN, ARNP is a practicing nurse practitioner at Spine Institute Northwest in Tacoma, Washington. She will receive her DNP in December, 2016 from Frontier Nursing University after completion of a Quality Improvement project utilizing telemedicine for the management of sports concussion. She completed her Nurse Practitioner program with Adult and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner certifications from the University of Washington in 1999. Elected to FAANP in 2013, she has been active in health policy for several years and served on the National Advisory Council on Nursing Education and Practice for HRSA from 2005-2010. She has been active in sports medicine for several years and was the first nurse practitioner appointed as a Medical Director for a Susan G. Koman 3Day, 60 mile Breast Cancer walk. She held this position in Seattle for three years. An advocate for student athletes, she has been involved with concussion education and policy for the past several years. She can often be seen either on the sidelines or virtually supporting several high school sports teams in Washington State. Cydne also believes strongly in nurse practitioners being involved in the redesign of healthcare in the United States. She was the founding leader at the Frontier Nursing University IHI Open School Chapter. Cydne has been a clinical preceptor since 2002 a member of Sigma Theta Tau since 1990.