The path to a PhD: Francella’s story

In August of 2018, Francella Smoker* drove to Minneapolis to attend Capella University’s commencement ceremony, where she received her PhD in Education, Nursing Education.

The trip from Oklahoma City, where she lives, consumed most of a day. But Smoker’s road to becoming an expert in nursing education took decades—a journey that began when she was a child in Jamaica.

She first learned to care for others from her mother, a nurse who tended to the community around her. “When I was 10, I would take care of injured fingers, clean wounds, and remove splinters,” Smoker recalls. “I would also take care of dogs and cats by dressing and bandaging small wounds. She joined the Jamaican Red Cross at age 14, assisting in the care of sick children at a local hospital. She volunteered time to feed and bathe seniors who were unable to care for themselves.

At 23, Smoker immigrated to the United States. She earned her GED and a nursing assistant certification and worked as an in-home care aide. Eager to gain more knowledge, she eventually joined the army, got a nursing license, and signed on with the Army Nurse Corps. “The military gave me the chance to go to school,” she says. “There were some bumps in the road, but the dream to be a nurse and help people remained constant.”

A transformational journey

Army life, with its deployments and field exercises, eventually became too much, however. Smoker decided to retire from the armed forces and focus on her two great loves: her family and nursing. The break also afforded her time to reflect: “I found that even though I had solely focused on nursing since the beginning of my career, an intense interest in education had begun to blossom within me,” Smoker recalls. In 2012, she enrolled in Capella’s nursing education master’s program. In 2015, she began her doctoral studies.

A PhD seemed like the best way to educate—and empower— other nurses at the highest level. “I believe that when nurses are empowered they can operate at optimum levels,” Smoker says. “Education and empowerment can change the landscape of how nurses provide services to patients.”

The PhD journey has been transformational, Smoker says: “My education has provided me the opportunity to develop a holistic view of the nursing profession and nursing education.” Her experience at Capella not only confirmed her belief that—like her mother—she was called to teach others how to care for their community, it also boosted her interest in online education. “There’s a lot more you can do with the instruction in an online setting,” Smoker says. “I’d like to do online teaching at a school like Capella. Maybe even Capella.”

As she looks forward, Smoker hopes to publish a book about her life and career, one she is crafting as a story of care and compassion. Smoker’s life-long journey may someday help inspire future student to pursue their education.

Learn about Capella University’s PhD in Education, Nursing Education.

*Actual graduate who agreed to appear in promotional materials for Capella.