Nikki R. Smith is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree at the Medical University of South Carolina in August 2016, a Master of Science in Nursing in May 2012 from the Uniformed Services Health Services University in Bethesda, MD, and a Bachelor of Science from The Medical College of Georgia in May 2002. She has over 20 years as a registered nurse practicing in medical-surgical nursing, critical care and emergency nursing, and 10 years as a family nurse practitioner within the military healthcare system. She retired as Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Nurse Corp after 20 years of service.

Upon retiring from the United States Army, she taught at the University of South Carolina as a Clinical Assistant Professor in undergraduate and graduate programs and obtained certification as a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) and Certified Academic Clinical Nurse Education (CNEcl). She has published articles, received grant funding, and disseminated evidence-based quality improvement projects internationally, nationally, and locally.

Nikki Smith has experience working in the MICU, PICU, SICU, ER as registered nurse and various Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMH) throughout the United States and overseas. While deployed to Iraq for 15 months, she also gained experience as a Critical Care Flight Nurse. She has served in multiple leadership positions including Head Nurse, Officer in Charge of Family Practice Clinic, Deputy Chief, Education Division, and Department Chief/Director of Primary Care. She has a passion for teaching and educating patients and loves clinical practice. Her clinical interests are primary care and mental health. Nikki is currently pursuing a Post-Graduate Certificate as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at the University of South Carolina; with the goal of improving access to mental health services in the community.