Jennifer E. Smith

Jennifer E. Smith, EdD, MSN, MBA, RN, CNE, CV-BC, is a nursing educator, administrator, and clinician with more than three decades of experience spanning higher education leadership, clinical practice, healthcare administration, and health communications. She currently serves as Professor of Nursing at William Rainey Harper College, where she previously held the role of Director of Nursing, providing leadership and oversight for Certified Nursing Assistant, Practical Nurse, and Associate Degree Nursing programs. Her academic and administrative work is grounded in a deep commitment to student success, professional identity formation, and the preparation of practice-ready nurses.

Dr. Smith earned her Doctor of Education in Adult and Higher Education from Northern Illinois University, with a focus on nursing education, resilience, and transition to practice. She also holds a Master of Science in Nursing and a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University Chicago, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Georgetown University, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from St. Lawrence University. She is a Certified Nurse Educator through the National League for Nursing and holds board certification in Cardiovascular Nursing through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

At Harper College, Dr. Smith has taught across the curriculum in didactic, clinical, simulation, and skills laboratory settings, including advanced pharmacology, medical-surgical nursing, role transition, and capstone courses. She has served as lead faculty for multiple courses and has overseen curriculum development, program evaluation, accreditation compliance, and faculty mentoring. Her leadership contributions include chairing program evaluation efforts, guiding strategic planning initiatives, coordinating community-based public health and emergency preparedness experiences, and fostering partnerships with clinical affiliates and emergency response agencies. She is also actively involved in mentoring graduate nursing education students and supporting faculty development.

In parallel with her academic career, Dr. Smith has maintained active clinical practice as a Nurse Clinician II at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, with experience in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, cardiac diagnostics, emergency nursing, and critical care. Earlier in her career, she held leadership and clinical roles at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, including nurse manager and research nurse clinician positions, where she led multidisciplinary teams, managed research protocols, and contributed to quality improvement initiatives. Her professional background also includes senior leadership roles in healthcare public relations at Edelman Public Relations Worldwide, where she directed national and global communications for pharmaceutical clients.

Dr. Smith is a recognized leader at the state and national levels. She currently serves as an appointed member of the Illinois Board of Nursing and as Midwest Director on the Board of Directors for the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing. Her scholarly work includes national presentations focused on nursing education, assessment, simulation, pharmacology teaching strategies, and the use of technology and artificial intelligence to support student learning. She also serves as a peer reviewer for national nursing education conferences.

Across all roles, Dr. Smith is known for integrating evidence-based teaching, reflective practice, and organizational leadership to strengthen nursing education and practice. Her work reflects a sustained commitment to mentoring future nurses, advancing academic-practice partnerships, and fostering resilient, ethically grounded nursing professionals.

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