Passion for nursing: NeSmith reflects on fulfilling career

Beth NeSmith, PhD, has been associated with Augusta University and its legacy institutions for 40 years.

From starting out as a bedside nurse in the emergency department, which she called some of the most fulfilling work she’s ever done, to working with mentors and becoming a mentor herself, NeSmith has cherished every opportunity that’s been presented to her.

“I was a first-generation college student. I got my Bachelor of Science in nursing on loans, and I did tuition assistance for my master’s and my PhD. AU and the University System of Georgia made all of that possible,” said NeSmith, who is retiring as dean of AU’s College of Nursing. “I was telling somebody the other day, half of my career was spent at the bedside and the other half was spent teaching others to do that. It’s been incredibly meaningful, and without all of that, I would not have had the career I’ve had.”

Establishing her love for the profession

NeSmith has spent her entire life in the Augusta area and is a family-oriented individual. She noted that while her parents did not go to college, her dad wanted to be a physician and they would watch NOVA on Public Broadcasting System.

They watched the episodes focused on healthcare and the sciences behind it. They listened to the radio and NeSmith remembers the news would report on accidents and say “the individual is going to MCG Trauma Center.”

She found it fascinating that “one of the best academic medical centers” was in Augusta.

“And who would have thought that I would end up working in that very trauma center, right?” she said. “I was very proud of that because I grew up and that was the place, if you were injured or gravely ill, that you went to.”

According to NeSmith, nursing as a profession is like the quarterback for the other healthcare providers. A nurse coordinates, monitors, delivers and changes the care as needed while assessing outcomes in collaboration with the healthcare team. In her mind, it’s the coolest job because from the get-go, it is a teamwork system.

She was influenced by her sister-in-law, Deneen Danene Carter, who is a nurse. NeSmith saw her launch her career from afar and saw her work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and was intrigued by the intensity of the care of she helped provide.

“I like the unknown of the emergency department and the excitement of it,” NeSmith said.

Jeannette Andrews, PhD, is dean and Helen Gurley Wolford Professor of Nursing at the University of South Carolina. She graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in 1984 and 1987 and was an instructor in the PhD program at MCG Nursing when she first met NeSmith.

“She was highly curious, inquisitive and had a passion for nursing, especially caring for patients with high acuity trauma and vulnerable populations,” Andrews said. “She has been a tremendous leader – from staff nurse at the hospital to faculty to department chair to dean.”

Learning as you go

NeSmith said her leadership journey started as a charge nurse in the emergency department, but no matter where she worked, one theme persisted: doing the right thing for people and learning how to navigate different scenarios.

“Many of us have our own core values, and we want to do the right thing in every step of the way, whatever role we’re in, and being able to do that in these ever-increasing roles was fulfilling to me,” she said.

One of the jobs she enjoyed the most was trauma clinical nurse specialist and getting to collaborate with the psychiatric clinical nurse specialist, Rose Robertson. They created a critical incident stress debriefing team to work and explain procedures as they were happening with families whenever their loved ones were admitted.

One of her most memorable incidents came as a charge nurse when a teenager came in after a serious car accident. She witnessed and helped lead the resuscitation of the teen, who eventually died. The memory stands out because around the same time her mother’s husband had passed and they were attending a grief support group.

“We used to open people’s chests and the physician would hold the person’s heart in their hand and physically pump it, right,” NeSmith explained. “At the grief support group, the teen’s parents were also present. They were not present at the time of the accident and subsequent emergency room care, because they were at a conference in Boston. The facilitator said, ‘What’s the worst thing that’s bothering you about your loved one’s death?’ The parents said, ‘Because I wasn’t there,’ and I said I was, and I was able to tell them about that and tell them the physician held their child’s heart in his hand … they were very grateful, so that was meaningful to me.”

NeSmith knew she had some leadership aptitudes, but she always felt that they were all positively reinforced because they were all part of a healthcare team and at an academic medical center.

“Everybody really is part of that team. There’s no one individual that says I’m in charge of you, or you’re in charge of me … we absolutely are a team, and that is especially evident and valued at academic medical centers,” NeSmith said. “I felt like a leader but I needed the other pieces of the team, and they needed me just as much. From a leadership perspective, when there were things to say or advocate for, I felt very empowered and comfortable to do that because of the unique culture here. Similarly, everybody else on the team felt the same way and I could contribute and felt very comfortable and supported in doing that.”

Passing on the knowledge

Shannon Broxton, DNP, is the chair of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Department and director of the Nursing Anesthesia Program. She is also a triple Jag who is currently pursuing her PhD. Her first memory of NeSmith dates back to her nursing program when she was in her undergrad pre-licensure program in the summer of 2002. Broxton was in a critical care elective and remembers sitting in the classroom with her now spouse, Jennifer, when NeSmith walked in.

NeSmith had been asked to help assist with the course, and Broxton and the rest of the students remember her walking to the front of the room and noticed how energetic she was. Broxton knew she wanted to do anesthesia, but taking critical care nursing was required. She said NeSmith made her excited about the impact they have on people and how important the nurse’s bedside role is.

“She smiled so many times throughout the lecture, but we couldn’t remember her name; but if she was the one giving the lecture, we would be so excited,” Broxton said. “We’d say, ‘Oh my goodness, it’s Professor Smiley’ because she was just always so happy and eager to talk to us about something that she was very passionate about, which was critical care nursing. Honestly, it was super impactful, not just for me but for others.”

Nori Brown is the senior planning and assessment coordinator in the Division of Institutional Effectiveness. She first met NeSmith when she was hired as a research assistant to support grant initiatives NeSmith was leading.

An early connection led to an opportunity that would ultimately shape Brown’s career. Brown valued NeSmith’s support during each job transition within the College of Nursing.

Brown said through her leadership, she learned how to build meaningful professional relationships, contribute effectively to a team and think beyond her individual role to understand institutional impact.

At the same time, Brown said she demonstrated that strong leadership is grounded in kindness and approachability.  

“From the very beginning, Dean NeSmith gave me a chance at a time when it was very difficult to get your foot in the door. That trust had a lasting impact on me, both professionally and personally,” said Brown, who has been working at AU for 11 years. “She exemplified professionalism, tenacity and a strong commitment to the mission’s vision and goals. What made her leadership especially impactful was how she operationalized those values. She was never too busy to connect and always made time to listen and support others. She created an environment where I felt seen, heard and valued.”

Lasting legacy

Broxton said NeSmith is the embodiment of who a nurse is. She said she is compassionate and has always had a way of carrying herself with dignity, mutual respect for other nursing colleagues and that she has a way of elevating you.

“We’re called nurses because of when doctors would have conversations about how they want to care for their patients, they would say, ‘OK, how are we going to nurse them back to health?’” Broxton said. “Beth has a way of letting you know that you’re more than just a seat at the table or someone that’s passing out medications. You’re changing people’s lives because you’re the ones that are putting your hands on the patients when everybody else leaves the room.”

“Half of my career was spent at the bedside and the other half was spent teaching others to do that. It’s been incredibly meaningful, and without all of that, I would not have had the career I’ve had.”

Beth NeSmith, PhD, dean of the College of Nursing

Brown said NeSmith instilled the importance of being a lifelong learner. Her “onward and upward” mindset encouraged her to continuously strengthen her weaknesses while maximizing her strengths.

Brown said beyond her professional mentorship, NeSmith has had a meaningful personal impact on her life.

“Over the years, our team became like a family. During times of personal loss and major life transitions, she showed up in ways that extended far beyond the workplace – ensuring that I and my family were supported,” Brown said. “One moment that stands out was when I received my 10-year service award alongside President Keen and his wife. It was a fast-paced and overwhelming experience on stage, but in that moment, I immediately saw Dean NeSmith front and center, smiling and cheering me on. That moment reflected the genuine and consistent support she has always shown.”

Andrews said NeSmith has been a tremendous leader in all of her roles. She noted that when she assumed the deanship, there were many opportunities to stabilize and enhance CON and she has been successful in doing so.

Andrews, who said she learned about passion and purpose from NeSmith, also said her dedication to AU speaks volumes as she has mentored and shaped countless students, faculty and colleagues around the country. 

“Best of luck with your next chapter – may you find the same joy, purpose and fulfillment you have given to others throughout your career,” Andrews said. “Wishing your new journey is filled with adventures that you get to shape entirely your way, with the days ahead being as impactful and inspiring as the legacy you leave behind.”

NeSmith has always embraced the fact that CON is the flagship public college of nursing for the university, and watching it grow during her time as a faculty member under her mentor, Dean Emerita Lucy Marion, PhD. NeSmith said it’s been extremely rewarding to build on the legacy of things Marion implemented.

NeSmith is excited about the individuals she’s interacted with over the years who have shared the same passion for nursing, to see how they’ve grown in the profession. She cherished every teaching opportunity Marion provided her as she was the individual who helped her most in her career. NeSmith would watch and observe her because she wanted to emulate her from a career perspective.

As she enters retirement, not only as a triple Jag but a lifelong Jaguar, she can sit back and reflect on the support she has received from AU and its importance to the community. She said Augusta has so much to offer, and with the medical community available, it’s easy for her to embrace everything AU, not only from a nursing perspective but all of the health sciences and research.

“When I was a BSN student in 1988 … we did not have all these other programs that we have now. I am proud of my alma mater.”