Overview
Jennifer Thornberry DNP, APRN, FNP-BC completed her BSN in 1992 at the University of Kentucky, her MSN as a family nurse practitioner in 1997 at Murray State University, and her DNP at Wichita State University in 2020. She is an assistant professor in the graduate school of nursing. She lives in Wichita, Kansas.
Information
Dr. Thornberry teaches NURS 728, 804, 904, 952, and 960 which are the clinical courses for the family nurse practitioner (FNP) program, part of the post-bachelors Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. These courses require the evaluation of FNP student core competencies. She is transitioning to competency-based assessment by implementing the AACN Essentials Level 2 Sub-competencies and NONPF Role Core Competencies. Part of the competency evaluation includes writing and facilitating standardized patient examinations. She also participates as chair and/or committee member on DNP projects every year, with interests in social determinants of health, immunizations, and other DNP student topics of interest.
Family Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies
Standardized Patient Methodology
Interprofessional Education
Huckstadt, A., Thornberry, J., & Goebel Roberts, P. (2022). Antibiotic stewardship in retail health clinics. Kansas Nurse, Winter. ksnurses.com
Thornberry, J. (2023). Recruitment and retention of nurse practitioner preceptors. Kansas Nurse: Winter. ksnurses.com
Hemingway, B.; Thornberry, J., & Harrington, J. (2024). HPV education and vaccination uptake in college students. The Nurse Practitioner, 49(4), 32-38.
Hall, C., Sebes, J., Thornberry, J. (2024). Electronic cigarettes: Identifying college students using the Ask, Advise, and Refer Tobacco Cessation Model. Kansas Nurse, 99(1), 10-12. ksnurses.com
Burman, J., Thornberry, J., & Robinson, D. (2026). Youth vaping detection in primary care. American Nurse. https://www.myamericannurse.com/youth-vaping-detection-in-primary-care/
Thornberry, J. Family Nurse Practitioner Student Experiences with High-Stakes Standardized Patient Examinations. Clinical Simulation in Nursing. Accepted for publication, 2026.
Dr. Thornberry began teaching as an assistant professor at Wichita State University in the graduate nursing program in 2021. She has been a family nurse practitioner since 1997, and she currently practices in a community-based clinic.
Dr. Thornberry practiced as a registered nurse in intensive care and coronary care units from 1992 until 1997. She then completed her Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) degree and has practiced as an advanced practice registered nurse, FNP-BC from 1997 until present day in the areas of family practice, student health, and convenient care.
June 2023–June 2024: University Research/Creative Projects Awards: Animal Assisted Interventions with Nursing Students
March 1, 2025–February 28, 2026: Sunflower Foundation: Nurses as Frontline Providers to Combatting Opiod Use Disorder with Dr. Jamie Harrington and Dr. Jennifer Sebes
May 1, 2025–May 1, 2026: Mutual Mentoring Grant Team Award: Interprofessional Competency-Based Teaching Partnership with Dr. Elizabeth Tew, Dr. Jenifer Sebes, and Dr. Justin Smith
Great Plains Dulcimer Alliance
Kansas Pond Society