Jean Smith
Biography
Jean Smith is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing faculty member. She recently completed an Ed.D (Doctor of Education) in Distance Education, during which she conducted a study titled Blended Educational Support for Rural Registered Nurses’ Just-In-Time Learning Activities. She is passionate about rural nursing and has worked as a staff registered nurse in two different rural acute care hospitals from 1986-2013.
In 2008, Jean began a teaching career at Red Deer Polytechnic in a part-time capacity and, in 2012, became a continuous faculty member. In 2014, and in partial fulfillment of her Master of Nursing degree, Jean conducted a qualitative study titled A Double Whammy! The Transition of New Baccalaureate Nurse Graduates into Rural Acute Care, which is published in the Australian Journal of Rural and Remote Health. Jean has also been a member of the Alberta Patient Engagement Advisory Council for Patient-Oriented Research in the province.
As a faculty member, Jean has taught courses in all years of the four-year nursing program and has been instrumental in developing and revising Safe Medication Administration modules across the curriculum. Recently, she has worked with other faculty members to develop new nursing courses focused on rural acute care nursing. Currently, Jean is a member of the Red Deer Polytechnic/Alberta Health Services rural clinical expansion team working to increase registered nurse clinical placements across central Alberta. Jean has received the Red Deer Polytechnic Marguerite Schumacher Spirit of Nursing Award twice and several scholarships from Athabasca University, the latest of which was the Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship.
Education
- Ed.D. (Distance Education), Athabasca University
- M.N. (Rural Nursing), Athabasca University
- B.Sc. (Nursing), University of Saskatchewan
- Nursing Diploma, Foothills Hospital
- Emergency Streamlined Critical Care Certificate, Mount Royal University
- Excellence in Teaching and Learning Certificate, Red Deer Polytechnic
- Excellence in Online Teaching and Learning Certificate, Red Deer Polytechnic