Susan Smith Braithwaite

Dr. Susan Smith Braithwaite serves as an Assistant Professor in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Western Carolina University, where she has been a faculty member since 2012. With over three decades of frontline EMS experience since 1988, she integrates practical emergency care expertise into her academic role.

Education:

• Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Adult and Community College Education, North Carolina State University, 2014
• Master of Health Sciences, North Carolina State University, 2007
• Bachelor of Science in Emergency Medical Care, Western Carolina University, 1988

Her research examines critical gaps in emergency medical systems, focusing on PTSD among first responders, ethical decision-making frameworks in high-stakes paramedic scenarios, and evidence-based pedagogy for healthcare training. She investigates how cognitive load and learning styles impact knowledge retention in time-sensitive medical environments through qualitative methodologies.

Dr. Braithwaite holds active national certifications as a Nationally Registered Paramedic and Level II Paramedic Coordinator with the North Carolina Office of EMS. She serves as NAEMT faculty for Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support and Advanced Medical Life Support curricula, and as an American Heart Association instructor for Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Basic Life Support programs.

Her academic mentorship focuses on developing clinical reasoning skills in EMS students, though specific advisees are not documented in available materials. Current professional activities emphasize standardizing trauma response protocols and addressing mental health challenges within emergency response communities.