Paul Smith, assistant professor of nursing at Linfield College, has been selected as a Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar. The selection was made by the School of Nursing at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Smith, a doctoral student at UNLV, was one of two UNLV students selected to receive $20,000 for nursing studies over the next two years. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in nursing, focused on the nurse educator track. The award is part of a national effort to combat the nursing faculty shortage and prepare future nurses as America’s healthcare system continues to evolve. The Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar Program supports more than 250 scholars in all 50 states.
Smith earned a master’s degree in nursing from Washington State University in community/public health with a focus on nursing education. He holds a BSN from the University of Phoenix and an ADN from Southern Union State Community College in Alabama. He previously taught in the associate degree nursing program at Chemeketa Community College, and has practiced in the area of critical care at Oregon Health and Science University Hospital in Portland and Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, Ga.
Smith is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor society, the National League for Nursing (NLN) and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. He received the Outstanding Graduate Student award at Washington State in 2010. He was also selected and participated in the NLN’s LEAD program in 2013. He served as secretary for the Oregon Council of Associate Degree Programs (OCAP) for several years.
