Dr. Susan Gunby
Dean Emerita
Georgia Baptist College of Nursing of Mercer University3001 Mercer University Drive
Atlanta, GA 30341
E-mail: Gunby_SS@mercer.edu
Diploma- Georgia Baptist School of Nursing
BSN – Georgia State University
MN – Emory University
PhD – Georgia State University
Susan Sweat Gunby is retired Dean and Professor of Nursing at Mercer University’s Georgia Baptist College of Nursing in Atlanta, Georgia. For more nearly 50 years, Dr. Gunby has been a leader in nursing education in both the School of Nursing and the College of Nursing at Georgia Baptist. She established the first Nursing Leadership and Management course in the School of Nursing in 1978 and served as its Chair for a number of years. Dr. Gunby was the Director and later the Dean of Georgia Baptist School of Nursing from January 1, 1986 through March 1992 (when the diploma school was closed). From 1989 through December 2000, she served as the President of Georgia Baptist College of Nursing, the first independent college of nursing accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In January 2001, the College of Nursing merged with Mercer University and Dr. Gunby assumed the position of Dean of the College of Nursing. Under her leadership, the College of Nursing earned accreditation status from multiple accrediting entities and became a nationally-renowned college of nursing acclaimed for its emphasis upon excellence. Additionally, under her leadership, the College of Nursing created a MSN program and a PhD in Nursing program. Dr. Gunby served two terms on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s program committee for the Executive Development Series, served as a member of the Georgia Board of Nursing’s Education Committee, past President of the Georgia League for Nursing, and is a member of the Editorial Review Board for the International Journal for Human Caring.
From 2006 – 2013, she was a member of the Board of Directors for the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education.
She remains actively involved in the activities of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and served a two year term on the Sigma Theta Tau International’s Chief Nursing Officers and Deans Advisory Council to the Board of Directors. And, she served on the Chapter Leadership and Mentoring Task Force for Sigma Theta Tau International.
Dr. Gunby continues as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Nursing Scholarship and Nursing Outlook.
Dr. Gunby is a distinguished speaker at state, national, and international meetings and is well-known for her expertise in pain and suffering. She is a strong supporter of student leadership development, and was awarded the “2006 Leader of Leaders Award” from the National Students Nurses Association.
Dr. Gunby’s clinical specialty area is adult health nursing. She has focused her research, publications, and presentations on the concepts of pain and suffering, ethics, legal issues in higher education, qualitative research, philosophical and knowledge development in nursing, current issues confronting the nursing profession, and historical perspectives of nursing. She is currently writing the historical years (1902-current) of Georgia Baptist College of Nursing.
Leadership with Georgia Core Center for Oncology, Research, and Education
Recipient of the Leader of Leaders Award at the NSNA 54th Annual Convention
Contributor to a nursing text by Barbara Penn, Mastering the teaching role: A guide for nurse educators
AJC Celebrating Nurses 2021
Dr. Susan S. Gunby retired June 30, 2019.