Emory School of Nursing faculty member named Sigma Theta Tau honorary member

By Melanie Kieve July 24, 2023
https://news.emory.edu/stories/2023/07/son_smith_sigma_theta_tau_7-24-23/story.html

Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing faculty member Kylie Smith, PhD, has been selected as an honorary member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

An associate professor and Andrew W. Mellon Faculty Fellow for Nursing and the Humanities at the School of Nursing, Smith is one of just a handful of health care professionals to receive the honor, which will be recognized during Sigma’s 47th biennial convention in November in San Antonio, Texas.

Sigma Theta Tau confers honorary membership to individuals across the world who are not eligible for regular membership but have demonstrated sustained achievements and contributed to the advancement of nursing and health care at the national or global levels.

Smith, a historian, came to the Emory School of Nursing as part of a Mellon Foundation program to bridge the humanities and health professions through teaching and research. Underpinned by scholarship in the history of psychiatry and its link to social justice, she has built a research program focused on the role of nurses in improving mental health and the impact of discriminatory practices in American mental health services and institutions.

Smith is the author of Talking Therapy: Knowledge and Power in American Psychiatric Nursing, the only full-length text in the United States about the history of psychiatric nurses. She is also co-editor of Nursing History for Contemporary Role Development, an award-winning collection of essays on the history of nursing, and editor of Beyond Florence, an essay collection addressing the importance of nursing history, especially during a global pandemic. She also serves as founding director of the Emory School of Nursing’s Center for Healthcare History and Policy, which works to embed history into health care research, teaching, and service learning.

“On behalf of Sigma’s international Board of Directors, the staff, and our members worldwide, I congratulate all of Sigma’s award recipients,” says Sigma President Kenneth Dion, PhD, MSN, MBA, RN, RCSI, FAAN. “These are outstanding individuals, recognized by their peers for superior achievement and dedication to the advancement of global health, who have made profound contributions to Sigma, the nursing profession, and global health.”
 

About the School of Nursing

As one of the nation's top nursing schools, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University is committed to educating visionary nurse leaders and scholars. Home to the No. 1 master's, No. 2 BSN, and No. 6 DNP programs nationwide, the school has been recognized as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League of Nursing. The school offers undergraduate, master’s, doctoral and non-degree programs, bringing together cutting-edge resources, distinguished faculty, top clinical experiences, and access to leading health care partners to shape the future of nursing and impact the world's health and well-being. Learn more at nursing.emory.edu.