COLUMBUS, Miss. -- Mary Atkinson Smith, DNP, FNP-BC, has been named the sole recipient of a full scholarship to attend the Nurse in Washington Internship (NIWI) held by the Nursing Organizations Alliance (The Alliance) in Washington, D.C., March 17-19. This is the only scholarship of this type awarded nationally by The Alliance.
Dr. Smith will join more than 70 conference attendees, including registered nurses and nursing students from several different states. NIWI provides nurses the opportunity to learn how to influence health care through the legislative and regulatory processes. She will have the opportunity to attend informative and educational sessions, learn from expert nursing advocates and government officials and network with other nurses. All of these activities will culminate with visits to her members of Congress on Capitol Hill.
“Attending the 2013 Nurse in Washington Internship will be a valuable experience for me personally and professionally. This dynamic setting will be ideal for educational activities and networking with other nurses from across the nation,” said Smith. “I’m also looking forward to utilizing the knowledge I gain from this internship to further enhance my influence on health care legislation.”
Dr. Smith is a board certified family nurse practitioner and has additional certifications in orthopaedics and perioperative nursing. She is the director of Health Care Services for the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District in Starkville, where she has recently incorporated her house call and transitional program that serves elderly and disabled homebound patients across a seven county area. Dr. Smith is also an assistant professor of nursing in the graduate nursing department at Mississippi University for Women, in addition to being adjunct faculty with the University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing in Tuscaloosa, Ala. She is an active member of several professional nursing organizations and has successfully published in various nursing journals. She has served as the past Mississippi Nurses Association District 18 President and is currently chair of the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses Evidence-Based Practice and Research Committee.
She received her bachelor of science in nursing from the Mississippi University for Women, her master of science in nursing from the University of Mississippi School of Nursing and her doctor of nursing practice from the University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing in Tuscaloosa.
The Nursing Organizations Alliance is a coalition of nursing organizations united to create a strong voice for nurses. The Alliance provides a forum for identification, education and collaboration, building on issues of common interest to advance the nursing profession.