Excellence Recognized at the 2022 Academic Nursing Leadership Conference

Dr. Tener Goodwin Veenema was honored with the John P. McGovern Invitational Lectureship Award. Dr. Veenema is senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and a senior scientist in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her presentation to the AACN membership focused on the power of academic nursing to advance national preparedness. The McGovern Award honors John P. McGovern for his distinguished record of scholarship, skill, and service. Award recipients are chosen by the AACN Board of Directors based on their notable contributions to nursing, health care, or higher education.

The Sister Bernadette Armiger Award was presented to Dr. Eileen Breslin. This award is bestowed upon an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the association, to nursing education, and to the advancement of the nursing profession. Dr. Breslin holds a distinguished record of leadership and service to both the association and the nursing profession. Her involvement with AACN dates back to 1994 when she was a member of the Government Affairs Committee, continuing through to her service as Board Chair from 2014 to 2016, when she provided leadership for a new strategic plan and a new mission, vision, and values statement for AACN. In addition, she was at the helm when three landmark reports were produced by AACN: the RAND report on the DNP, the Futures Task Force report, and the AACN-Manatt report on Advancing Healthcare Transformation. 

Dr. Jackie Dunbar-Jacob was presented with AACN’s Emeritus Membership Award, an honor granted to institutional representatives who have retired from the deanship and to whom the honorary title emeritus has been conferred by their respective institutions. Dr. Dunbar-Jacob has actively furthered the goals of AACN through her service on task forces, committees, and regular attendance at AACN meetings, and she continues to serve AACN as the co-chair for the Steering Committee for Implementation of the Essentials.

The Lois Capps Policy Luminary Award was presented to Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. This award recognizes leadership in advancing health care and the nursing profession at the federal level. Congresswoman Bernice Johnson was recognized for being a champion of nursing, including introducing resolutions recognizing National Nurses Week, supporting Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs, and being one of the original supporters of the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act. The Congresswoman was unable to appear in person, but she sent an acceptance video in which she thanked AACN for her honor.

AACN member institutions also were recognized with several honors.

The New Era for Academic Nursing Award recognizes AACN member institutions that have successfully implemented recommendations from AACN's report Advancing Healthcare Transformation: A New Era for Academic Nursing. This year’s award went to the University of Florida College of Nursing and University of Florida Health System. 

The Innovations in Professional Nursing Education Award recognizes pioneering initiatives launched by AACN member institutions. At the ANLC, four awards were presented:

• Private Colleges/University category: Villanova University College of Nursing
• Public Colleges/Universities category: The Ohio State University College of Nursing
• Small/Liberal Arts category: Saint Francis University, Department of Nursing
• Academic Health Centers category: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

The Exemplary Academic-Practice Partnership Awards are presented annually to AACN member schools and their practice partners recognizing highly productive and model academic-practice partnerships. Awards were presented to:

• Grand Valley State University College of Nursing and McLaren Health Care
• Illinois State University College of Nursing and Community Health Care Clinic
• Rush University College of Nursing and Community Health Care Clinic

AACN congratulates all our award recipients!