In the nursing world, there are a few people we can identify as having shaped the world of nursing education, practice, and leadership. This week we lost one of those individuals, Suzanne P. Smith, EdD, RN, FAAN.

When word spread that Suzanne passed away unexpectedly, a ripple went through the entire nursing community. Suzanne had been an integral part of the nursing community for many years. Perhaps best known for her scholarly contributions on education and leadership; Suzanne was editor-in-chief of two nursing journals, The Nurse Educator and until 2011, The Journal of Nursing Administration published by Wolters Kluwer Health / Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. She also contributed to many books and was an important leader within the International Academy of Nursing Editors.

Suzanne wrote about the importance of the evolution of nursing education to meet the needs of an evolving healthcare system. She was well known for her work on organizational transformation, process-centered healthcare and leadership. Suzanne was a mentor for new authors, educators, and leaders within the nursing profession. She believed in leading by example and was often the bar to which nurse editors, authors, educators, and leaders were compared. In 2011, Suzanne was recognized for her contributions to the global nursing and healthcare community when she received the prestigious President's Specialty Recognition Award from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Dr. Suzanne Smith lived her life as she wanted to, contributing to the profession she so greatly loved, nursing. Her legacy will be one filled with inspiration, dedication, and fortitude. Suzanne believed each of us has the power to transform healthcare organizations, education, and the nursing profession.

Suzanne, you will be greatly missed.

From the Wolters Kluwer Health / Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Family