Pamela C. Smith, DNP, MSN, RNC-OB
Clinical Assistant Professor
Adjunct Clinical Instructor
Department of Human Development Nursing Science
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact
Building & Room:
Office 225
Address:
625 S. Wright St., Suite 201, Champaign, IL 61820
Office Phone:
Email:
About
Pamela Smith, DNP, MSN, RNC-OB, is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing. She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Advanced Public Health Nursing and is nationally certified in inpatient obstetric nursing. In 2024, Dr. Smith was awarded a Nurse Fellowship Grant by the Illinois Board of Higher Education to support her professional development and further enrich her role as a nurse educator. Her research focuses on nursing education and quality improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing outcomes for perinatal patients.
With nearly 20 years of clinical experience at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Dr. Smith began her career as a staff nurse in the inpatient Maternal/Child unit before moving to Labor & Delivery. She now serves as an Obstetric Outreach Educator in Perinatal Services. She is an active member of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and a certified Designated Fetal Monitoring Instructor. She is also an active member of the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS), where she co-chairs the Nursing Education Research Interest & Implementation group.
Selected Publications
Smith, P. C., Reigart, M. M., & Yonkaitis, C. F. (2023). Standardizing care of the late preterm infant. MCN: The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 48(5), 244-251. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/NMC.0000000000000936
Smith, P. C. & Yonkaitis, C. F. (2022). Establishing a nurse champion education program for perinatal home health nurses. Home Healthcare Now, 40(4), 209-213. doi: 10.1097/NHH.0000000000001080
Fink, A.M., Smith P. C., Hansen, D.M., Smith, A.B., Abuhammad, S., Baker, J., Hacker, E. (2024). Update on Collaborative Initiatives in the Midwest Nursing Research Society’s Strategic Plan. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 0(0). doi:10.1177/01939459241265548
Education
Doctor of Nursing Practice
University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, December 2022
DNP Project: An Overlooked Population: Standardizing Care of the Late Preterm Infant
Master of Science in Nursing Education
McKendree University, Lebanon, IL, May 2017
Thesis: Gaps in Postpartum Discharge Education as Revealed by Telephone Triage Calls
Bachelor of Science in Honors Nursing
University of Illinois Chicago, Urbana Regional Campus, IL, May 2006
Bachelor of Science in Honors Biology
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, May 2001
Bachelor of Arts in Honors Rhetoric
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, May 2001
Licensures and Certifications
Registered Nurse
- Illinois (Lic. #041355444 exp. 05/2026)
- Indiana (Lic. #28232402A exp. 10/2025)
Certifications
- Inpatient Obstetric Nursing Certification (RNC-OB), National Certification Corporation, Chicago IL
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, ID #55421287, Six Sigma Global Institute
- National Resuscitation Program (NRP) Provider
- Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider
Selected Presentations
Smith, P. C. (2024, March). And yet she persisted: My path to becoming a nurse educator, University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing Alumni Event, Urbana IL.
Smith, P.C., Brandenburg, J., Cunningham, K. (2024, February). Incidence of Shoulder Dystocia at a Level III Perinatal Center, MNRS Conference, Minneapolis, MN
Smith, P. C., Yonkaitis, C. F., & Reigart, M. M. (2023, October). An overlooked population: Standardizing care of the late preterm infant, AWHONN IL Conference, Rockford, IL
Research Currently in Progress
Bringing Trauma-Informed Care to Obstetrics Inpatient and Outpatient Units