Brenda Smith Nettles is a board certified acute care nurse practitioner with over 20 years of nursing experience. She is an expert in providing care for patients confronted with the life-altering diagnosis of cancer. She played an integral role in the development of several cancer treatment programs, while also establishing the standards for evidenced based clinical practice. She also served as the program manager for the nationally and internationally recognized Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Program that offers Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Nettles completed her graduate studies in the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/Clinical Nurse Specialist Program at the University of Maryland School of Nursing in 2006. She received her Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree from Chatham University in 2014. She also completed the Post-Graduate Nurse Educator Certificate Program at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in 2020, and is a Certified Nurse Educator.
Dr. Nettles has demonstrated her strong commitment to nursing education and the future of the nursing profession by serving in the roles of preceptor, clinical instructor, and course coordinator at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. In 2020 she was honored with the Daisy Award for Excellence as a Preceptor. Dr. Nettles brings to the classroom a wealth of clinical experience as an acute care nurse practitioner. Her clinical expertise has helped students to better understand the clinical relevance of the concepts taught in the classroom.
Her research interests include advanced cancer care, symptom management, cancer survivorship, and empowering patients with self-care education. She has presented at multiple professional conferences sharing her clinical knowledge and professional expertise in the diagnosis and management of complex gastrointestinal cancers and soft tissue cancers. Her professional goal is to provide the best evidence based and patient-centered care to a diverse patient population with complex healthcare needs. She is an active member of Sigma Theta Tau International, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the Oncology Nursing Society, the Society of Surgical Oncology, and the Maryland Cancer Collaborative.