Awards

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has a long tradition of recognizing individuals and organizations for their outstanding achievements in support of the nursing profession. Learn more about AACN's awards, submission, and deadlines below.

Member Nominated Awards

Faculty Nominated Awards

Board Nominated Awards

Member Nominated Awards

Sister Bernadette Armiger Award

Established in 1982 to honor Sr. Bernadette Armiger's distinguished service to AACN, this award recognizes individuals who significantly advance nursing education and practice. The selection criteria stresses active participation at AACN meetings and service to the organization, and national recognition for significant contributions to nursing education, scholarship, leadership, and advancement of the nursing profession. Nominations may be made by representatives of AACN member institutions. The final selection is made by the Board of Directors. See Past Award Winners.

Innovations in Professional Nursing Education Awards

This award recognizes the outstanding work of AACN member schools to re-envision traditional models for nursing education and lead programmatic change. Innovation awards, including a monetary prize of $1,000, will be given in four institutional categories: Small School; Academic Health Center (AHC); Private School without an AHC; and Public School without an AHC. See Past Award Winners.

AACN Policy Luminary Award

The Policy Luminary Award was established by AACN in 2009 to annually recognize an outstanding registered nurse and nursing leader for his or her public policy achievements. The first recipient of the award was Dr. Mary Wakefield, Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration. Dr. Wakefield’s extensive career in nursing and health policy exemplifies the spirit of the AACN Policy Luminary Award. The award is presented annually at the AACN Fall Semiannual Meeting. See Past Award Winners.

ELNEC Awards

The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) Project Team presents annual awards to faculty who have completed an ELNEC training course and have implemented and disseminated the curriculum to students and fellow faculty in an exceptional manner. Awards are also given to Oncology and Pediatric ELNEC-trained faculty. See Past Award Winners.

Corporate Citizen Award

Created in 2003, the Corporate Citizen Award was created to recognize outstanding contributions made by private companies and organizations in support of professional nursing education, practice and research. Typically, this contribution must benefit a minimum of three AACN member schools with baccalaureate and/or graduate nursing programs. Special consideration will be given to corporate citizens that demonstrate a minimum, sustained commitment of $10 million or greater. For more details on the award criteria and nomination process, click here.

Past Award Winners:

Faculty Nominated Awards

Excellence and Innovation in Teaching Award

The purpose of the AACN Excellence and Innovation in Teaching Award is to recognize excellence and innovation in the teaching of nursing at AACN member schools by faculty with more than five years of teaching experience. Faculty who teach in didactic and/or clinical settings will be considered for this award. See this year's award winner.

Novice Faculty Teaching Awards

The purpose of the AACN Novice Faculty Teaching Awards is to recognize excellence and innovation in the teaching of nursing by novice faculty at AACN member schools. Two awards will be presented each year, with one award presented in each of the following categories below. See current and past award winners.

The Novice Faculty Excellence in Didactic Teaching Award will be presented to faculty teaching in either classroom or online settings.
The Novice Faculty Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award will recognize outstanding faculty teaching in clinical setting.

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Excellence Award

The purpose of the AACN Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Excellence Award is to recognize a faculty member who systematically investigates questions related to student learning and the conditions under which it occurs in order to improve outcomes. See this year's award winner.

The DAISY Faculty Award

This award provides national recognition program that colleges/schools of nursing may use to show appreciation to teachers for their commitment and inspirational influence on students. The Foundation hopes that, in some way, this program will contribute to a positive work environment and encourage them to continue teaching. See Past Award Winners.

Board Nominated Awards

The John P. McGovern Invitational Lectureship Award

This award honors John P. McGovern for his noted clinical practice and research, and distinguished record of scholarship, skill, and service. Award recipients are chosen by the AACN Board of Directors on the basis of their scholarship and the notability of their contributions to nursing, health care, or higher education. Recipients regularly address the membership at AACN's Semiannual Meeting. See Past Award Winners.

Nursing Spectrum/Gannett Foundation Lectureship Award

Sponsored by Nursing Spectrum and the Gannett Foundation, this award recognizes individuals selected by the AACN Board who have made noteworthy contributions to higher education and/or health care. Awardees are asked to share pragmatic insights with deans by presenting at the AACN Spring Annual Meeting. See Past Award Winners.

BSN Champion Award

Created by the AACN Board of Directors in 2005, the BSN Champion Award recognizes organizations and practice settings that place a high value on preparing nurses in Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BS/BSN) degree programs. The Board considers nominations for this award during their meeting in July and presents this honor at the AACN Semiannual Meeting in October.

Past Award Winners:

Recent award winners

2012 McGovern Award

Dr. George Thibault
President of the Josiah Macy Foundation

2012 Policy
Luminary Award

Dr. Ada Sue Hinshaw (left)
Uniformed Services
University for the Health Professions