Beth E. Smith

Over the past 17 years, Beth Smith has had the opportunity to practice, teach, and learn in a multitude of nursing and healthcare landscapes. She could not have imagined the rich experiences the various roles have afforded. Beth has had the opportunity to assemble her values, identity, and create a “union of my heart and mind.” She has also discovered that she is fully committed to human dignity and to the service of others regardless of different backgrounds, faiths, or beliefs. She has discovered that the creativity and collaboration in higher education drive her. The challenge of incorporating technology and using creative pedagogies to engage students motivates her. Shaping students into nursing leaders who will positively influence the nursing profession inspires her.

Beth feels blessed to have found her passion in education. She is dedicated to educating future leaders in nursing with an overall goal to guide students in finding their own personal passion in health care. Her teaching philosophy stems from the belief that each student has something to not only offer the nursing profession but humanity. She believes that her role as an educator is to facilitate active student learning through a combination of student-centered traditional lecture as well as problem-based learning formats. She encourages inquiry and stands as an example that it is ok to not know everything but to know there is an opportunity to learn something new. Beth supports creative ideas and solutions to problems knowing not all solutions will work but have the power to turn into something better. She endeavors to empower students and lead them in taking ownership of their own education with the goal of creating lifelong learners.