Nursing Professor Receives Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Educator Award

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
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Posted: Jun 14, 2001

Nancy Smith, associate professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa (UHM) School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, has received the 2001 Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Educator Award by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF).

This prestigious and extremely competitive award was bestowed to Dr. Smith for her exceptional qualifications and outstanding contributions to the advancement of nurse practitioner education. She was selected for her innovative curriculum development, outstanding teaching ability, and development of creative teaching techniques. Only one faculty is selected each year from the more than 350 nurse practitioner programs across the country.

Dr. Smith has educated approximately 500 nurse practitioner students over the past 18 years. One UHM nursing alumni and former student of Smith‘s wrote in support of her nomination, "I felt supported, encouraged and empowered by her belief in my ability to overcome any obstacle if given the right motivation and insight into the problem."

Dr. Smith‘s focus is on preparing students to serve the community. A theme of "seeing the situation from the patient‘s perspective" is used throughout her teaching. She is also committed to tailoring educational programs using delivery technology to meet the needs of non-traditional students.

Dr. Smith joined the UHM nursing faculty in 1999. Prior to joining UHM, she served as Project Director and Program Coordinator for the Primary Health Care of Families and Individuals program at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Currently, Dr. Smith is the Project Director for a training grant funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HHS/HRSA) for Primary Care of Vulnerable People in Communities. The goal of this project is to improve primary health care services in Hawaii and increase the number of advanced practice registered nurses in the state.

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Note: Digital photo of Dr. Smith is available by calling 956-9095.