xt7ht727bq19 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7ht727bq19/data/mets.xml The Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. 1986 bulletins  English The Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletins Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletin, Vol. 61, No. 4, Spring 1986 text Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletin, Vol. 61, No. 4, Spring 1986 1986 2014 true xt7ht727bq19 section xt7ht727bq19 Q`} ·`\JFls;·vc X
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US ISSN 0016-2116
CONTENTS A
Frontier School Graduates 96th Class 1 V
ACNM President Tells Graduates They Must Practice
the "Business and Po|itics" — as Well as
the Art and Science — of Nursing 5
A Photographic Visit to FNS 13-28
A special 16—page section of photos of (
FNS today
Colgate Gift Promotes Dental Care in FNS Home
Counties 29 K
Beyond the Mountains
by judy Lewis 30
Sperry, Red Ball Van join in Gift of V
Furniture to FNS 31 F
Douglas Taylor is New Administrator of Mary
Breckinridge Hospital 32
Field Notes 32 `
ln Memoriam 34
Memorial Gifts 34
Notes from the School
by Ruth Beeman 35
Urgent Needs 36
Alumni News inside Back Cover
Forgotten Frontier to be Reissued
with Sound, New Material Inside Back Cover
Cover: Clockwise from top left: A courier working on the Wendover hillside. A “flying
ambulance" ready to airlift a critically ill patient. One of FNS’ happy babies. A student nurse
using a computer at the Frontier School. The Wendover road. A nurse with an older patient.
Hyden's main street.
Photo credits: Except for the helicopter pictures on the cover and page 25 (for which we
thank the Thousandsticks News) and a few pictures taken by couriers, all of the photographs 2 _
in this issue have been taken by FNS staff, most of them in the last few months.  
Comments and questions regarding the editorial content of the FNS Quarterly Bulletin  
may be addressed to its Managing Editor, Robert Beeman, at the Frontier Nursing Service, i ;
Hyden, Kentucky 41749. E
1·‘|<<>N’|‘1i·11< N1`ltS1N(} s1·i1<\‘1i‘1·j <;1‘.»\1<‘1`1·:1i1.\’ lll`l.l.l·§'l`IN
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l’ul>lisht·tl ut the <·iiil t¤l`¢·:1t‘l1 t|l1z\t'1t*1' by the l·`i·\`<‘l', l{i·ntui·lty 1lTT·`» `
Stiliswiptitm I’ri4·r· $.3.Ull 41 \'t·;ii· _ `
l·Itlitor`s ()l`lTt·¢·, \\`t·ndover. Kt·ntut·k)‘ 41775 . l
Volume 51 Number4 ww T Spring, 1986 ` `
Second-class postage paid at Wendover, Ky. -11775zmd at additional mailing offices ll l
l’()S'l`MAS'I`l·]I{: Sent] uiltlress changes to l·`i·rintier Nursing Service, Wendover, Ky. 41775 A ~
Copyright 1956, Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. ·
l
1

 J
QUARTERLY BULLETIN 1  
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. Graduation traditionally is held on the Grassy Spot at Wendover. Here Wendy
Wagers, of the faculty, prepares to introduce the graduation speaker, Susan Yates.
FRONTIER SCHOOL GRADUATES 96TH CLASS
Ten highly qualified nurses graduated from the Frontier School of
Midwifery and Family Nursing in ceremonies held at Wendover on
Saturday, May 2nd. Nature provided a brilliant day, permitting
this annual event to take place once again in its traditional
location, the Grassy Spot below Mary Breckinridge’s Big House
. —last year’s graduation had been forced indoors by bad weather.
This ninety-sixth class consisted of eight nurses who received
diplomas in nurse-midwifery and two who were awarded diplomas
as nurse practitioners. Of the eight nurse-midwives, three had
joined the program with advanced standing last September. The
y remainder of the class came to Hyden sixteen months ago, enrolling
` in January last year.
The Frontier School prepares graduate nurses, who must hold
y BSN degrees before admission, in either or both of two professional
disciplines. Graduates who complete the family nurse practitioner
1 program are qualified to sit for the certification examination given y
l by the American Nurses’ Association. Those who complete the l
_ nurse—midwifery program are eligible to sit for the examination for  
- nurse—midwives given by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
_ A number of nurses take both examinations.
J (continued on page 4}
i l
l

 2 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
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TPatricia Bowers, RN, T NancyCIark,RN,FNP, T
FNP,Ar|ington,Massachu- Searcy, Arkansas; BSN,  -
setts;BSN,BostonCollege Wayne State University (
School of Nursing (1957); (1970); MPH, University
MSN, Primary Care Nurs- Q of Michigan (1977); Ph,D.,
ing, Simmons College HigherEducationAdmini- _
(1981). Entered FSMFN with stration, George Peabody
advancedstandinginSep- College for Teachers _
tember 1985. FNS diploma: (1983). Entered FSMFN with  `
nurse-midwife. advanced standing in Sep-
tember 1985. FNS diploma: ·
  S nurse—midwife.
l Barbara Buickus, RN, l Ann C0ndie,RN,Sara- Al
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylva- toga,California;AA,West  ·
nia; BSN, Misericordia Val|eyC0|lege(1977);BSN,  V.
College (1973). FNS diplo- Biola University (1980). FNS 1
ma: family nurse practi- diploma: family nurse- ·
tioner. midwife. 2
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A QUARTERLY BULLETIN 1; ,l
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` ;~  "'” V  ‘° “  _ '     ·  
 ` § A. _ A, AY   lDonna Heller, RN, `VA   A
, V;    Q  ‘ A   Brattleboro, Vermont; ·"    gt `
m i  "   *   BSN,UniversityofWiscon-  _ _&__   A ,»rl_
A  __   l  A g  gin (1976). FNS diploma; ;Q       l'```  
l   AA   .  ·’ i A   family nurse-midwife. A,  
  * E V S T v ‘‘     W , , .-        
Y A       .   . t.·.   .3,.*
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Y THeidi Froemke, RN,   — ;      TSusan Skinner, RN,
` FNP, Portland, Oregon;  `   _V=__ , A.     Astoria,Oregon;BSN,Uni-
A BSN, Oregon Health l _     versityofTexas(1976).FN$
A SciencesUniversity(1974); ir     ,.~t.   diploma: family nurse-
  MSN (FNP),Michigan State     il midwife.
 l University (1983). Entered    
_ FSMFN with advanced    
_ standing in September  
3 1985. FNS diploma: nurse- .
Q midwife.
.    -   _. 
  l Melanie osllaS,Rl~l,l2O-    A .. _  
  chester, Minnesota; AAN,    >;_    
A Rochester Community       l Anita Wiggam,RN,ln-
· College (1979); BSNA       dianapolis, Indiana; BSN,
Winona State University · ; `    —  University of Evansville
S (19B4).FNSdipIoma:fami|y “      (1979).FNS diplommfamily
 ’ nurse-midwife.   ·· nurse practitioner.
MAA   a` ,,,~ ` A   ‘ 4   A ` -   T    ` ’’````    
`     .‘,A    
  . ii T Brigid Robinson, RN,   l` 
l gA  ii ~ Laramie, Wyoming; BSN,  · ~ A  
A sg   {Ay University of Wyoming  ,\  ’``` W `i``` `   ,
i     I l`    . (l979).FNSdipl0ma:famiIy I  `i`i   ._ _`  Q  . ».». `    
2 r~ ~  1 s   · ·   .   ··¤•·· *  W
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. ;~»~·~¤..5*" Nh ’  —`.` Y

 1 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
Preparation for the nurse practitioner examination requires _
completion of three four-month trimesters, beginning in January
each year. The nurse—midwifery program incorporates much of the
same curriculum, with modifications in the third trimester, and g
then requires a specialized fourth trimester lasting another four  .
months.  I
This year’s graduation speaker was Mrs. Susan A. Yates, Q
president of the American College of Nurse—Midwives, who told the   `
graduates that, like it or not, they would have to become actively  
involved in the "business" and "politics" of their profession, as well  
as with the art and science that are at the heart of their callings. · L
Mrs. Yates said that nurse-midwives have "a serious image é
problem" — the public, the medical profession, the insurance , 
people, and legislators "don’t know who we are." The majority of Y
people, she said, still have the notion that midwives are concerned  `
mainly with deliveries in the home, that they do not work with, or ¤
get along well with, doctors, and that they lack formal education. -
None of these notions is true, she pointed out, but these false  
impressions seriously damage the nursing profession. To correct _
them, nurses must become active in the "politics" and "business" of  
their profession, working to establish their profession’s true image Q
and to persuade lawmakers to enact legislation that ensures the Q
right of nurses to practice, adding that "for most of us that now J 
means that we have got to solve the insurance problem."  ‘
The text of Mrs. Yates’ remarks is printed in this issue,  i
beginning on the following page.  .
Following the graduation address, Dean Ruth Coates Beeman  
of the Frontier School presented the diplomas to the graduates.  .
Graduation at Wendover is always a colorful event. It takes  
place in a historic setting on the green mountainside. It brings "
together persons devoted to, and closely involved in, the traditions
of the Frontier Nursing Service. It is embellished with special music I }
and food. It has a special quality that makes it unique and . V
memorable. i
This year’s graduation day began with a splendid brunch at the  '
Big House. Then, as part of the graduation program, Randy Wilson  .
provided traditional music on the dulcimer, members of both the g
FNS staff and the graduating class sang appropriate music, and  
there were poetry readings apt for the occasion. Q

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN   ‘ 
ACNM PRESIDENT TELLS GRADUATES THEY MUST I 
I PRACTICE THE "BUSINESS AND POLITICS” - AS
WELL AS THE ART AND SCIENCE - OF NURSING  
Q Susan A. Yates, president ofthe American College of Nurse-Midwives, was
 · the principal speaker at the graduation ceremonies for the 96th class ofthe
 ~ Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing. The FNS Quarterly
j Bulletin is pleased to reprint below the text of her remarks.
 ` I just really can’t tell you what a privilege, and what an honor, it is
  to be here today — in these mountains where our roots are, where
  L Mary Breckinridge first recognized that nurse—midwives were
· really going to make a big difference in the care of, and the health
4 of, mothers and babies. And here we are a whole lot of years later
A  — 61 years later — with the profession having grown. And we
Z  certainly have had influence over many, many more families.
 ` And I am also delighted to welcome you to the old girl network.
* Ruth Beeman was talking last night about the old girl network, and
· I want to tell you that one of the finest things about being a nurse-
  midwife is being part of this very close network of communication
_ and love and caring that goes on in our particular profession. I
  think that men for many years have had these kinds of connections
, — you know, when you want to get a job, you get it through
;  connections. And certainly, I think this network is one of the real
j  strengths and benefits of our profession.
 i When I was at Booth, we often had nurse-midwives from
 i Frontier Nursing Service. They would come to us as interns, as
 . Wendy‘ did. They would come to us having graduated from FNS,
 L gone overseas, spent ten, fifteen, twenty years in the missions, and
 ,' then would come back to Booth to get reoriented. And then in
v return, we would send nurse-midwives out to the Frontier Nursing
j · Service to practice. It was a kind of a cycle. Wendy certainly is an
example of this cycle, of the networking system. I remember that
. one of the really nice things for me to do was to make some
V " connections between two Frontier Nursing Service graduates who
  had come to Booth as interns and who then went on to Seattle,
 i Washington, to a practice that was started and run by one of my
‘ Columbia classmates. Those are the kinds ofties we have with each
 ` other. .
  I Wcmly Wagcrs, Nurse-Midwifery l·Zrlu<·ution Coordinator tor thc Frontier School oi`Midwil1~ry
  and Family Nursing

 6 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
As you know, I have just recently returned from the convention  J
in Portland, and at every ACNM convention the students who are C
there get together and write a report for the general membership.  i
This year the student report asked two things of education programs: - ·
one, that they remember to teach the art, as well as the science, of
midwifery, and — way on the other end of the spectrum — that they ,`
teach more about business. Those are the two things that they felt F
they needed more of in their program. g'
When I graduated from Columbia’s nurse-midwifery program
ten years ago, I certainly felt the need to learn a lot more about the i I
"art" of midwifery. Columbia is "high tech" at its most high. And I i
was really fortunate to be able to go to Booth Maternity Center,
where I feel as though I really did learn the art of midwifery. And I
hope that all of you can have that kind of experience. `
But during the years that I taught at Booth I found that more ‘
and more I was talking about the "business" of midwifery — the I
"nuts and bolts" kinds of things that nurse—midwives needed to
know in order to practice. And certainly as our society changes, as l
information grows, and as opportunities for practice have expanded,
there are a lot ofthings that we need to know that we didn’t need to .
know ten years ago, or sixty years ago, when the Frontier Nursing `
Service first started.
I know that today you are graduating with a deep commitment
to mothers and babies and families. And I also know that most of
you really don’t want to be bothered much with business and
politics. All you want to do is take care of families. But, like it or not, .
this profession which you have taken up as your life work is going to
require you to be a very political being. »
Our profession, and our society, has required something of me in `
the past year that is different from anything I ever could have `
imagined back in 1976, and I want to share with you some of the '
things this morning that I have learned since I have been the ` J
president of the ACNM — things that I have learned besides the .
jargon and the intrigues of insurance (mostly, I have spent the year t
becoming an insurance expert). ?
But there are two other very major things that I have learned: iv
I. We have a serious image problem, and  i
2. Politics is what makes the world run. Again, whether we like it  p
or not, that’s what makes things go.  ‘

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN 7 ‘ 
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` Susan A. Yates, president of the American College of Nurse-
Midwives, making a point to the graduates.
` About the image problem: During the past year I have talked
 V` frequently with representatives of local and national press. At
i Booth I had done a good bit of publicity, and I felt that the
 VI Philadelphia public was pretty knowledgeable about nurse-mid-
 . wives and about childbearing options. So, I extrapolated from that
I- and figured that the entire nation knew all about nurse-midwives.
And was I ever wrong! .
_ There is a recent study on barriers to nurse-midwifery practice l
that is outlined in the newly published book "Nurse-Midwifery in l
America," and the rinci al finding in this barrier study was that
P P
` most people don’t know who we are. They don’t know how we i

 x FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
practicef They don’t know where we practice. The public doesn’t i
know. The medical profession doesn’t know. And I can tell you that
the insurance people really don’t know.
I like to think that now, ever since we went public with the 5
insurance issue, more Americans do know about nurse-midwives   `
—what we do and how we practice. But I know that we’ve still got a *
lot of work to do. s
I think that probably all of you who are graduating, and the
other nurse—midwives here, have heard the classic story from the ,
legislative day in Washington, back in September. In September, it
eighty nurse-midwifery leaders from across the country came to ;
Washington to lobby our legislators for federal reinsurance. When  
two of our members went to their congressmen to visit, they were  
introduced to the congressmen by someone saying, "Here are two  
representatives from the American College of Nurse-Housewives?  
I think this will go down in our history — and it is a true story.  
As I have met with insurance people, physicians, legislators,  
even other nurses, I have had to explain us over and over again. i
Press representatives call and ask me to comment on insurance L
issues — and I can assure you that the press is always very k
impatient. They want to get on with the most explosive story {
possible. And I have to keep saying, "Wait a minute, what do you
know about nurse-midwives?" And I have to start from the very
beginning. .
I found that it has been very important that I not match their
impatience with my own impatience ~— and I do have to tell you that
I have felt very impatient from time to time. But I need to explain as ,
clearly as possible, and with a great deal of enthusiasm, what we I
are all about. And as practicing nurse-midwives, you will find M
yourselves educating your world. As a matter of fact, I am pretty
sure that most of you have done a good bit of educating so far, L
perhaps to some people here in this audience. . l
In general, I see three basic misunderstandings that exist about  V
us:
The first — and this is the first thing people say: "Oh, you do  ~
deliveries in the home." In fact, 75 to 80 percent of all births by  
certified nurse-midwives are conducted in hospitals. We do practice Z 
in homes, birth centers, and hospitals. _

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN 9 , 
j The second big misunderstanding is that people think we do not  
work with doctors, and doctors don’t like us. And that is also false. I
Since 1971 we have had a joint practice statement with the ,
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In fact, we ,` 
{ wouldn’t enjoy the scope of practice we now have if we hadn’t had  
  ` supportive, caring physicians who were willing to provide backup  
I for us — often in the face of opposition from their peers. Obviously,
,, there is more work to be done, and the board of directors of the
ACNM has asked me to begin exploring the possibility of effecting
a joint agreement with the American Academy of Family Practice.
i i, A lot of nurse-midwives are working with family practice physicians,
_ and I believe you are doing that here. And we do need, if at all
Q possible, to formalize that kind of relationship.
E The third basic misunderstanding that still exists is that we
g really don’t have any formal education. That is also false. We are
  registered nurses. We study midwifery in one of 26 schools in the
E United States, all affiliated with institutions of higher learning.
j Ten are certificate programs. Fifteen confer master’s degrees, and
E one confers a doctorate. We have national certification, and we are
licensed in the states in which we practice. I know this sounds like a
{ professional issues lecture, but this is information th at you will be ,
g called upon to use more often than you are ever called upon to use
l the Screw Maneuver of Woods. The Screw Maneuver is going to be
life saving for babies. But knowing who you are, practicing
carefully, and being able to explain who you are may very well be
I life saving for our profession.
I’ve learned a lot about politics and power in the past year. I have
learned about the legislative process. I have been a voting American
, for a lot of years, but I have never had any real understanding of
l how that whole process works. Karen Ehrnman, our Government
M Relations Coordinator, spends hours, days, just going around from
office to office on Capitol Hill chatting with legislators and getting
L acquainted and explaining about nurse-midwives. Then when a
. l relevant legislative issue arises, she is able to go and talk to her
V friends about it. By the time we get a communication from her
 ‘ —and we certainly have had a number of them recently, telling us
 , that we’ve got to start writing letters and making phone calls and
Q sending telegrams -— there is a tremendous amount of crucial
  groundwork that she has laid. Then we all write our letters, and
then we sit back and we wait, and during the time that we are

 10 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
waiting, Karen continues her rounds on the Hill- you know, with a _
little conversation here, a little conversation there, with the legisla- S
tive aides. And then by the time we think the issue has all died out, I
we get anouther urgent call, an urgent letter that we have to get i
everything into Washington within the next twenty—four hours.
Listen to what she says when she calls you and when she writes ,
to you, because there’s a long period in this legislative process of if
fiddling around, and then suddenly action has to be taken. }
I have learned the meaning of "politics makes strange bed-  
fellows." Just as an example from the insurance crisis: We were  
asked, not too long ago, to participate in a press conference with
Senator Orrin Hatch, from Utah, and representatives from the  
American Medical Association and the American Dental Associa—  ·
tion. Senator Hatch was introducing a bill that would provide ;
federal assistance to states to initiate tort reform. This particular  
bill would put a cap on pain and suffering, would limit the g
percentage of lawyer fees, and would provide for structured settle-  V
ments (that’s when they pay the big bucks out over a long period of
time). And I do believe that the insurance situation needs to be dealt Q, 
with on various levels, and this certainly may very well be one of  
them.  I
However, picture our dilemma. Now listen carefully. Not long  
before this, the American College of Nurse—Midwives had taken a  
position in opposition to Senator Hatch, who was trying to add a  2
very crippling amendment to the Title X bill which provides family  {
planning funds. We had participated in several press conferences  i
with Ralph Nader. Ralph Nader is very much opposed to tort  `
reform. We had also been part of an ICEA-sponsored forum on  2
malpractice where one of the proposed solutions was tort reform. i`
And finally, in 1986 the American Medical Association had pledged `
time and money to provide assistance to state medical societies to I
oppose the practice of medicine by anyone who was not a doctor of -,
medicine in all its branches — and that includes nurse practitioners, . A
and that includes nurse-midwives.  
So there we were. We were being asked to stand up to speak to the `
issue of tort reform with people with whom we had had some  
difficulties over other issues. We did participate, and we told our  
story, and we managed to do it without specifically saying we  
supported the bill, although certainly many of us do. But that is the `

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN ll i
1  
Q game of politics. There are lots of times I don’t like it, but that is one
e of the games that we have to play and that we have to play very
I well. i 
r  We have a very sympathetic press, and we have incredible
political power. And that political power has grown over this past
  year. Everyone in Washington knows who nurse-midwives are and
(__ what their dilemma is, and they are supportive of us. It is
} imperative that we speak out on issues that are relevant to our
  profession. It’s also imperative that we do so without compromising
3  our beliefs and our principles. When we speak publicly — and when
I I speak publicly (representing the American College of Nurse-
kv Midwives) — I have to speak, and we have to speak, in a way that
' reflects the philosophy and the position of the College. I represent
you. And you represent me.
2 I have learned there is strength in numbers. There are about
  3,000 nurse-midwives in the United States. Eighty-five percent of
E them belong to the American College of Nurse Midwives. This is
  unheard of in any other professional association — this high
  percentage of membership. Karen Ehrnman said at the convention
-, that because we have done such a good job at writing letters and
, sending telegrams to our congressmen, they really think there are
  100,000 nurse-midwives out there in the United States. What they
I don’t realize is that we are joined in support by those families we
  serve, our families who love us, and our colleagues. There is
f strength in numbers, and it is really important that we continue to
j work together.
  I am also learning the value of the support of the nursing
  communities. I have met several times this year with representatives
it of nursing specialty organizations and with the American Nurses’
 ` Association. Many nursing groups, and particularly the family
A nurse practitioners and the specialty nurse practitioners, are
 I) recognizing the need for all of us to band together to deal with
 Q ° mutual concerns. There are over one and a half million nurses in the
,- United States, and just think what a powerful, powerful force that
 ‘ could be if somehow we could all begin working together instead of
 . spinning our wheels trying to define our own particular chunk of
  turf.
g  I’ve talked a lot about the business of nurse—midwifery today. I
.  have a lot of confidence that your heads and your hands and your

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hearts will serve this country’s families well as you practice the Art ,
of Nurse—Midwifery. You came to Frontier Nursing Service because  ;
ofa wish to serve and to care for others. I expect that you leave with  i   _
that desire strengthened. The College will do its best to provide   ·
some of the framework that will make it possible to practice — and ,
to practice as each one of us dreams of practicing. But the College is  `C Q .
you. It is I. It is we. i ·
In the coming year, the American College of Nurse-Midwives _
Board of Directors has committed our (and when I say "our," I 4
mean your energies and mine)- our energies, our money, and our i
time to the following objectives:
1. To insure the right of nurse-midwives to practice — and for  `
most of us that now means that we have got to solve the I
insurance problem. ` {I
2. To improve our image through improved public relations — l   __..
and we have finally commissioned a long overdue study on  
maternal infant outcomes of nurse—midwifery care. We are (  
willing now to put our money where our mouth is. That’s your  A
money, as well as mine. -  
However, unless every nurse—midwife practices safely, both the  _  ’ .
art and science of nurse—midwifery, our public relations won’t help  i
us one little bit. Therefore, we have also pledged ourselves — our —
energies, our time, and our money — to maintaining and enhancing
quality nurse-midwifery care in four areas: Fi 
1. Throu