Overview
Abby Smetana is a nationally engaged leader in clinical education, academic-practice partnerships, and clinical placement operations, with more than 15 years of experience spanning higher education, healthcare systems, and the U.S. Air Force Nurse Corps.
Throughout her career, Dr. Smetana has focused on strengthening the infrastructure that supports high-quality clinical learning experiences. Her work includes developing and managing clinical education programs, building academic-practice partnerships, advancing preceptor recruitment and development, supporting accreditation and compliance, and designing systems and processes that improve clinical placement coordination and capacity.
Dr. Smetana is Co-Founder and President of the Society of Clinical Placement Professionals (SCPP), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing and professionalizing the clinical placement workforce through education, networking, strategic innovation, and advocacy. Through SCPP, she works with colleagues across academic institutions, healthcare organizations, and industry to address shared challenges in clinical education and strengthen the systems that prepare the future healthcare workforce.
Her scholarly interests include clinical placement infrastructure, academic-practice partnerships, preceptor engagement and development, workforce development, and innovative approaches to expanding clinical education capacity. Dr. Smetana earned her Doctor of Education in Healthcare Education and Leadership from Nebraska Methodist College, Master of Science in Nursing and Healthcare Leadership from Duke University, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Saint Joseph College.
Research Interests
Academic-practice partnerships, preceptor development, clinical education technology, clinical placement
Selected Publications
McCamey, D, Novak, K, Pasquale, C, Blount, T, Smetana, A, Kent, E, Reyes, I, D’Aoust, R. The critical role of clinical placement professionals in academic-practice partnerships for nurse education. Journal of Professional Nursing, 2025; 60; 67-70; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2025.06.008.
Palmquist AEL, Parry KC, Wouk K, Lawless GC, Smith JL, Smetana AR, Bourg JF, Hendricks MJ, and Sullivan CS. Ready, Set, BABY live! Virtual prenatal breastfeeding education for COVID-19. Journal of Human Lactation, 2020; 36(4); 614-618. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334420959292
Wouk K, Parry K, Bridgman J, Palmquist AEL, Perkins M, Smetana A, Woods-Barr A, and Sullivan C. Evaluation of an evidence-based prenatal breastfeeding education curriculum adapted for the COVID-19 pandemic: Ready, Set, Baby Live COVID-19 Edition. Journal of Perinatal Education, 2022; 32(1); 48-66. 10.1891/JPE-2021-0035
Selected Public Service
Society of Clinical Placement Professionals: Co-Founder, Current President
Mission: To advance the clinical placement profession through education, networking, strategic innovations, and advocacy.
Vision: Transforming the clinical placement profession and cultivating collaboration to grow academic-practice partnerships and a sustainable future healthcare workforce.
