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

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) student Andrew Youmans originally had no plans to become a nurse-midwife. Early in his career, he obtained his associate's degree in nursing from Athens Technical College. During his time in school, he got a job as an obstetric technician at his local hospital to get his foot in the door and gain some health care experience.  

Andrew’s interest in the labor and delivery field grew, but his desire to become a nurse-midwife didn’t occur until he graduated. His first job after school was an emergency department nurse position.  

“I saw how many women came to the emergency room for pregnancy and gynecology-related issues,” said Andrew. “The ER was their only option for this type of care.”  

Andrew decided to pursue his Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in hopes of eventually adding the family nurse practitioner certificate to his educational arsenal. He chose Frontier for its affordability, flexibility of schedule and reputation. Andrew entered FNU through the ADN Bridge Entry Option which allowed him to bridge the gap between an ADN and MSN and bypass a bachelor’s degree. As a bridge student, he was even closer to his dream of implementing nurse-midwifery care into the emergency room setting.

Currently a Class 129 MSN student, Andrew is involved in several student organizations including American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) and FNU PRIDE. As a student representative for ACNM, he attends quarterly board meetings and serves as a liaison to the Division of Education.

Andrew is also a member of the Congenital Heart Public Health Consortium, the Wilderness Medical Society, the American Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau (an international nursing honor society), and the Emergency Nurses Association.  

Andrew currently serves as a certified pediatric emergency nurse at Emory University Hospital in the cardiac catheterization lab. He has  incorporated the nurse-midwife mantra of “less is more” as his team replaces aortic valves in the heart without surgical incisions or anesthesia.  

Thank you for your dedication to quality health care, Andrew! The FNU community is excited to see how your future unfolds.