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Christopher Smith
About Dr. Smith
Christopher (Chris) M. Smith, PhD, MSN, RN, GCQM is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at Charlotte’s College of Health and Human Services. Dr. Smith earned a PhD in Nursing Science from East Carolina University (ECU). His Ph.D. dissertation included a rigorous systematic review which served as the foundation for scale development using a confirmatory factor analysis approach – both endeavors are published. During Dr. Smith’s doctoral studies, he earned a post-master’s certificate in Quantitative Methods for Social and Behavioral Sciences through ECU’s Department of Psychology, where he began cultivating interests in psychological wellness and latent predictors.
Educational Background
- PhD, 2022, East Carolina University
- Post-Master Certificate – 2021, East Carolina University
- MSN, 2018, Appalachian State University
- BSN, 2016, Appalachian State University
- ADN, 2001, Wayne Community College
Methodological Interests
Dr. Smith’s methodological interests are primarily quantitative, multivariate, based in the regression tradition, and include psychometrics, structural equation modeling, latent variable modeling, linear mixed models, hierarchical models, and mediation/moderation/conditional processes. He also appreciates mixed methods and has experience with qualitative methodology including interpretive description and phenomenology as well as systematic review methods.
Research Interests
Cardiometabolic health, with specific interests in metabolic and inflammatory mechanisms that regulate blood pressure and drive hypertension in rural communities. Within this framework, Dr. Smith is particularly interested in the biobehavioral relationships that unify pillars of cardiometabolic health — nutrition, sleep hygiene, physical activity, and psychological wellness — and serve as critical targets in hypertension prevention and management. This includes investigating strategies aimed at optimizing cardiometabolic pillars, including mindfulness and contemplative meditative practices, yoga, pre-sleep optimization practices, low-insulinogenic nutritional models, and increased physical activity to influence blood pressure regulation, as well as examining the long-term impact of childhood abuse and trauma on cardiometabolic health. Broadly, Dr. Smith’s research emphasizes functional non-pharmacological strategies to prevent and manage hypertension, promote patient-centered care, and advance health equity in rural populations by addressing barriers to healthcare access to improve health outcomes.
Collaboration
Dr. Smith is currently seeking collaborators.
He is passionate about interdisciplinary approaches to research and works well with others. His research has been funded twice by Sigma Theta Tau supported awards and his work disseminated via publication and conference presentation.
Select Publications
Smith, C. M., & Horne, C. E. (2024). Educational and professional experiences of men in nursing: An interpretive description study to guide change and foster inclusive environments for men in nursing. Journal of Professional Nursing, 53, 123-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2024.05.008
Smith, C. M., Horne, C. E., & Wei, H. (2024). Nursing practice in modern healthcare environments: A systematic review of attributes, characteristics, and demonstrations. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 00, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16088
Smith, C. M., Bowler, M. C., & Horne, C. E. (2024). Beyond men’s experiences: Scale development and psychometric testing of the fitness in nursing scale – men (FiNS-M©). Journal of Nursing Measurement, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1891/JNM-2023-0032
Horne, C. E., Stayt, C., Schutz, S., Smith, C. M., Haberstroh, A., Bolin, L. P., Taylor, C. L., Moosavi, S. H., & Bibbey, A. (2023). Symptom experiences in hypertension: A mixed methods systematic review. Journal of Hypertension, 41(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0000000000003306
Wei, H., Horns, P., Sears, S. F., Huang, K., Smith, C. M., & Wei, T. L. (2022). A systematic meta-review of systematic reviews about interprofessional collaboration: Facilitators, barriers, and outcomes. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 36(5), 735-749. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2021.1973975
Smith, C. M., Lane, S. H., Brackney, D. E., & Horne, C. E. (2020). Role definitions and work relations experienced by men in nursing: A qualitative study through an interpretative description lens. Journal of Advanced Nursing (IF: 3.8, 4.1), 76(5), 1211-1220. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14330
Spare Time
Dr. Smith’s extracurricular interests include scientific writing and studying logic, philosophy (including Hellenistic varieties, Humeanism, skepticism, and causal determinism), Hatha yoga, nondual contemplative meditative philosophies (Hindu: Advaita Vedanta, and Buddhist: Vipassana, Zen, & Dzogchen sādhanās, respectively), psychonautics, spirituality, and the evolution of human consciousness. Dr. Smith is active in the psychedelic science community and passionate about legislative reform aimed at re/descheduling classical psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, mescaline & DMT), as well as harm reduction strategies, education, and safe use of psychedelics as pathways toward holotropism and psychological and spiritual wellness.
