February 3: Melan Smith-Francis, DNP, CNM, FNP-C

Melan Smith-Francis, DNP, MSN, CNM, FNP-C

Melan Smith-Francis, DNP, MSN, CNM, FNP-C, is a Doctorate level Nurse Practitioner. She is both a Certified Nurse-Midwife and Family Nurse Practitioner who has been serving Middle Tennessee for decades. Melan is the proud mother of two NICU babies. Both delivered prematurely to both she and her husband after several years of trying to get pregnant. Professionally, Dr. Smith-Francis has delivered babies in both the home and hospital setting and served the middle TN area as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She is a graduate of Florida A&M University (Biology), Austin Peay State University (Nursing), Vanderbilt University (Midwifery) and Tennessee State University (Post Master’s
Certificate- Family Nurse Practitioner) and the University of Tennessee (Doctorate of Nursing). She started her nursing career at the Vanderbilt Emergency Department. From that time, she has spent her career building upon her objectives toward her mission. As a Professor of Nursing, she prepared both MSN and BSN nurses to be true nursing advocates for mothers and children. She has served as a family and women’s health preceptor to advanced practice nursing students. Her doctoral project was centered around Group Prenatal Care
in an effort to improve adverse outcomes. Her mission is to decrease the incidence of morbidity and mortality among women of color, decrease cesarean rates as well as the preterm birth rate by empowering women and families to take hold of their health and nutrition.