Wayne State University College of Nursing Associate Clinical Professor and Director of Advanced Practice and Graduate Certificate Programs Leanne Nantais-Smith, PhD, RN, NNP-BC, has been selected as a 2022 Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Fellows work to impact national and global health by engaging recognized nurse practitioners to lead new initiatives while also facilitating the leadership development of nurse practitioners.

“It is an honor and privilege to partner with fellow AANP leaders to implement impactful improvements in health care and advance the role of nurse practitioners in that endeavor,” said Nantais-Smith.

An accomplished neonatal nurse practitioner, educator and researcher, Nantais-Smith has focused most of her professional career on neonatal care, including innovative biomarker research to better diagnose and treat necrotizing enterocolitis, which primarily affects preterm infants.

She began her career as a neonatal ICU staff nurse at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan, starting her practice as a neonatal nurse practitioner in Sparrow’s regional NICU 10 years later.

“Being a neonatal nurse practitioner and having the privilege to care for these vulnerable and fragile neonates has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” Nantais-Smith said.

Nantais-Smith earned a BSN from Michigan State University, going on to earn her MSN and PhD from the Wayne State College of Nursing before joining the college’s faculty and playing a leading role in the creation of its neonatal nurse practitioner program.

“Dr. Nantais-Smith has touched the lives of countless patients, families and students throughout her distinguished career as a practitioner, researcher and educator,” said Laurie Lauzon Clabo, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of the WSU College of Nursing. “This fellowship is an important recognition of the many meaningful contributions she has made to health care and the nursing profession.”

As a two-time member of the National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners Task Force, Nantais-Smith’s work has helped set the standards for neonatal nurse practitioner education in the United States. She has also co-authored several articles on subjects ranging from neonatal nurse practitioner workforce shortages to NICU case reports, case-based education and parent decision-making with extremely preterm infants. She is currently the principal investigator of a $2.6 million Health Resources & Services Administration Advanced Nursing Education Workforce Grant focused on developing innovative models of advanced practice registered nurse clinical site education to increase NP program capacity and address the current APRN workforce shortfall in Michigan.

Nantais-Smith will be officially welcomed as an AANP Fellow during the FAANP Induction Ceremony on Thursday, June 23, in Orlando, Florida.