Chandra Lenelle SpeightView profile
Assistant Professor
Chandra Lenelle Speight, PhD, RN, NP-C, CNE serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Advanced Nursing Practice and Education at East Carolina University's College of Nursing. With clinical expertise in family nurse practice and academic credentials spanning political science, English, and nursing, she focuses on rural healthcare access and substance use disorder treatment through buprenorphine prescribing research. Education: PhD in Nursing, MSN in Family Nurse Practitioner, MA in Political Science, MA in English Her research examines opioid crisis mitigation through nurse practitioner capacity building, regulatory frameworks affecting prescribing practices, and rural harm reduction implementation. Current projects include perinatal substance use referral development funded by ECU Health Foundation and SAMHSA grants. Selected publications address critical topics in Nursing Forum , The Journal for Nurse Practitioners , and Journal of Advanced Nursing , focusing on buprenorphine prescribing barriers, regulatory changes, and professional transition strategies. Scientific Recognition: Trendsetter Award (ECU, 2024) Health Sciences Author Recognition (Laupus Library, 2024) Scholar/Teacher Award (ECU College of Nursing, 2023) Actively involved in professional organizations including the Southern Nursing Research Society and North Carolina Nurses Association, Dr. Speight also serves on Craven County's substance awareness task force and contributes to the Governor's Institute-funded Provider's Clinical Support System-Universities program.





