Lyn Behnke, DNP, FNP-BC, Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Michigan–Flint

Get to know Family Nurse Practitioner Dr. Lyn Behnke, who practices in Flint, Michigan.

Dr. Behnke is a well-seasoned practitioner with extensive experience as a nurse, nurse practitioner, and educator. At present, she holds the role of Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Michigan–Flint, where she serves on the Graduate Faculty Committee, the Graduate Curriculum Committee, the Graduate Student Awards and Scholarships Committee, and the University Technology Committee.  

She has taught in the RN to BSN program and the DNP program. Her courses include integrative wellness, physical assessment, nursing theory, and the clinical component of the geriatric practicum. She also developed and produced the rural health modules used in the DNP program, and can frequently be seen on campus with a saxophone in her hands, performing with the University Jazz Ensemble.

After graduating from Mercy School of Nursing of Detroit, Dr. Behnke became a critical care nurse, is one of the first CCRN certified nurses in the Flint area. After leading the CCU-PCCU at St. Joseph Hospital for 7 years, she moved to critical care education, providing orientation and skills training for ICU-CCU nurses. During that time, she also completed her Bachelor’s degree in Health Care Administration from Central Michigan University. After having met so many people with heart disease and desperate critical care issues, she became interested in disease prevention and completed her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree in Family Nurse Practitioner/Family Nurse Clinical Specialist from Michigan State in 1990. 

Being an expert in the field of nursing practice, Dr. Behnke has practiced in a variety of roles in the Flint and Northern Michigan areas, including family practice, health promotion and disease prevention, cardiology, heart failure, skilled and long-term care, and maintains an integrative medicine practice in Northeast Michigan. She was the first nurse practitioner to achieve medical staff privileges at St. Joseph Hospital in Flint and the former Alpena Regional Medical Center. 

Since 1992, Dr. Behnke has practiced as a preceptor for NPs and physicians in training and has served as adjunct faculty for Michigan State University, Saginaw Valley State University, the University of Michigan-Flint. She has also been an invited speaker for Oakland University, Wayne State, and the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. In 2011, she began her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program in Evidence-Based Practice at the University of Health Professions in Provo, Utah. She was able to combine a passion for travel, research, education, and service in that program, obtaining her DNP degree in 2013. 

The doctor’s research interests include assisting to reduce falls in long-term care by screening and treating for vitamin D deficiency, heart disease in women, as well as heart failure and self-care for women. She also publishes regularly in the Connection, a quarterly report for the Association of Heart Failure Nurses. She has two chapters in the new “Pocket Guide” for treating heart failure and is currently lead in the production of a heart failure guide for long-term care.

In order to stay up to date in her field, she remains a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Sigma Theta Tau, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, the Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners, the American Heart Association, the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses, WomenHeart, the Association for Integrative Medicine, and the American College of Cardiology (serving as an Associate). 

A family nurse practitioner (FNP) is an advanced practice registered nurse who works autonomously or in collaboration with other healthcare professionals, to deliver family-focused care. Given the rather broad nature of the “family” patient population focus, FNPs offer a wide range of healthcare services that revolve around the family unit; from health promotion and disease prevention to direct care and counseling across the lifespan.

In her community, Dr. Behnke serves on the Northeast Michigan Community Service Board and is a member of the National Governing Board for WomenHeart, the national coalition of women with heart disease. She is also serving as an Advisor to the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine.

Learn More About Lyn Behnke:

Through her online profile, https://todaysnurse.org/network/index.php?do=/4145944/info/ or through the University of Michigan-Flint, https://www.umflint.edu/nursing/lyn-behnke