ANA recognizes 2024 National Award recipients
The American Nurses Association (ANA) announced the recipients of its 2024 National Awards, which recognize outstanding nurses and champions for their vital contributions to the nursing profession and healthcare. ANA will hold a ceremony on June 27, 2024, in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of these nurses, who are exemplary leaders and advocates, and whose contributions have advanced nursing
and demonstrated ANA’s impact on improving healthcare for all.
Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame Award recognizes nurses for their commitment to the nursing field and their impact on the health and social history of the United States.
ANA is thrilled to induct into the Hall of Fame past ANA President Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN. Since 2007, Malone has served as CEO of the National League for Nursing. Her remarkable career as a highly regarded and visionary leader includes serving as the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, two terms as ANA President starting in 1996, and as deputy assistant secretary for health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Nursing Champions
The Advocacy Award recognizes an individual RN who embraces the role of advocate as part of their professional identity.
- Ahnyel Burkes, DNP, RN-BC, NEA-BC, Louisiana State Nurses Association
- Gilanie DeCastro, BSN, RN, OCN, NE-BC, CNML, ANA\California
The Champion of Nursing Award recognizes the contributions of an extraordinary leader or organization not a member of the nursing profession.
- Daniel Oerther, PhD, PE, BCEE, CEHS, DLAAS, ANEF(h), FAAN(h)
Awards for Distinguished Practice in Nursing
The Distinguished Direct Patient Care Award recognizes an individual RN who provides exemplary patient care and contributes to the advancement of nursing practice.
- Jerico Alicante, BSN, RN, FISQua, ANA\California
- Leticia Escalante, BSN, RN, ANA\California
- Arlyn Labtis, MSN, RN, PCCN, CMSRN, ANA-Illinois
- Janette Richardson, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, CCRN, Indiana State Nurses Association
The Early Career Nurse Leader Award recognizes an emerging member of the nursing profession for significant accomplishments and contributions.
- Josephine Agyei, BSN, RN, ANA-New York
- Raya Cupler, MPA, BSN, RN, ANA-Ohio
The Foundations of Nursing Practice Award recognizes an individual RN for outstanding accomplishments in nursing research, nursing education, or nursing practice.
- Mary Jane Genuino, DNP, RN-BC, New Jersey State Nurses Association
The Public Health Service Award recognizes the outstanding contribution by an individual to public health.
- Barbara Russell, RN, BSHSA, MPH, CIC, FAPIC, Florida Nurses Association
Nursing Pioneers
The Luther Christman Award recognizes substantial contributions made by an individual man in nursing to the profession in the areas of practice, research, education, public policy, and/or community service.
- William Rosa, PhD, MBE, AGPCNP-BC, FAANP, FPCN, FAAN, ANA-New York
- Nelson Tuazon, DNP, DBA, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, CPHQ, CPPS, FNAP, FACHE, FAAN, Texas Nurses Association
The Mary Mahoney Award recognizes significant contributions, made by an individual RN or a group of RNs, to integration within the nursing profession.
- Nancy Atmospera-Walch, DNP, MPH, RN, LNHA, MCHES, CCHN, CMC, FAAN, Hawai’i-ANA
A year of progress for nurses and the profession
The ANA Enterprise 2023 Annual Impact Report describes the collective efforts and progress of the American Nurses Association (ANA), American Nurses
Foundation, and American Nurses Credentialing Center in elevating the profession of nursing globally, evolving the practice of nursing to improve health and healthcare, and ensuring the professional success of nurses.
The report incorporates interactive elements, multimedia content, and a user-friendly design to convey the ANA family of organizations’ efforts on behalf of the nation’s more than 5 million RNs across the following four themes:
- All Nurses in Healthy Work Environments
- A Nursing Profession That Reflects Those It Serves
- Advancing Excellence in Nursing
- Investing in Nurses
In a brief video, the By the Numbers section presents tangible results the ANA organizations achieved in championing nurses, driving change and innovation, envisioning diversity, equity, and inclusion, producing timely and relevant education content, and setting the global standard for nursing excellence.
The 2023 ANA Enterprise Annual Impact Report also incorporates the insights of members of ANA and its constituent and state nurses associations, who remark on their career and practice successes and challenges as well as their aspirations for the nursing profession.
In Our Leaders’ Message, now retired ANA CEO Loressa Cole, DNP, MBA, RN, FAAN, NEA-BC, and Chief Nursing Officer Debbie Hatmaker, PhD, RN, FAAN, comment on ANA’s accomplishments in 2023 and ongoing efforts involving vital issues such as the quest for all RNs to be fully valued in the U.S. healthcare system and to empower nurses and the nursing profession to fully embrace diversity and achieve health equity for all.
The 2023 ANA Enterprise Annual Impact Report strengthens brand awareness of the ANA family of organizations and the value they bring to nurses throughout their career journey and to the nursing profession. The report also seeks to inspire, inform, and encourage involvement through membership, certifications, designations, accreditations, and donations. Read the report at nw.ana.org/2023ImpactReport
2024 voting, candidate, and issues information for nurses
In this election year, the American Nurses Association (ANA) urges the nation’s more than 5 million RNs to exercise their right to vote. To promote civic engagement, ANA offers tools and resources for nurses to register to vote or access their voter information, explore the issues ANA supports, and learn about the candidates and elected officials who represent them at the federal, state, and local levels.
ANA strongly promotes well-informed and politically engaged nurse advocates to support and educate candidates on the issues important to nurses and patients.
Nursesvote.org features a state-by-state guide to 2024 election dates, voter information, and links to each state’s election website and state nurses association. This site also enables visitors to quickly check their voter registration status and register easily.
Nursesvote.org also links nurses to information about their polling place and absentee ballots.
ANA’s RNAction Center provides detailed information about key federal legislation that the association supports, including the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act (H.R. 7266/S. 3770); Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2023 (H.R. 2530/S. 1113); Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 2663/S. 1176); Improving Care and Access to Nurses (I CAN) Act (H.R. 2713/S. 2418); Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act (H.R. 7002 /S. 2815); and Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act (H.R. 3305/S. 1606) (p2a.co/ywz5JtS). Nurses can learn about and easily voice their support for these bills.
RNAction.org also highlights all legislative and regulatory letters ANA has generated or signed on to, while the Capitol Beat Blog elaborates on policy and regulatory issues that affect nurses, such as a National Provider Identifier, which ANA encourages all nurses to obtain.
American Nurse Journal. 2024; 19(5). Doi: 10.51256/ANJ052434
