Award Categories

Note: It is recommended that you review all award categories below prior to completing an application to be sure that you have selected the most appropriate category of award.

Barbara A. Foley Quality, Safety and Injury Prevention Award – This award recognizes an individual who has developed, implemented or advocated for quality, safety and/or injury prevention initiatives that have resulted in improved outcomes in the emergency department setting or at the local, state or national level.

Behind the Scenes Award – This award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions, behind the scenes, to promote ENA’s mission through their support of a member or members. This award will recognize an ENA advocate who is often seen but not heard and who donates countless hours to assist an ENA member or members in achieving state, local or national goals. Membership in ENA is not required.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Award – This award recognizes excellence in the clinical nurse specialist role in the emergency care setting. The recipient is recognized by the emergency department staff as an expert, in practice or education, who makes significant contributions to practice or to the professional development of others.

Frank L. Cole Nurse Practitioner Award – This award recognizes excellence as a nurse practitioner in emergency care. The NP is recognized by peers, nursing and physician colleagues, and patients as a clinical expert who delivers compassionate, competent care in an emergency setting. Recipients are actively involved in promoting the role of NPs and strengthening the image of NPs in emergency care.

Gail P. Lenehan Advocacy Award – This award is given to a nurse who has had a positive impact on emergency nurses through a sustained commitment of advocacy for emergency nurses’ well-being and welfare, or the welfare of vulnerable populations.

Judith C. Kelleher Award – This award, named after one of ENA’s co-founders, honors a member of ENA who has consistently demonstrated excellence in emergency nursing and made significant contributions to the profession and to ENA. The award is presented at the Anita Dorr luncheon during the Annual Conference.

Lifetime Achievement Award – This award honors an individual whose career reflects dedicated service, accomplishments and/or contributions to emergency nursing. The achievements, accomplishments and contributions of the individual should have value to emergency nursing beyond the recipient’s lifetime. Letters of support for the nominee must be submitted by three different states.

Media Award – This award recognizes a media presentation (television, radio, internet, or print) that portrays emergency nursing in a positive, accurate and professional manner. This presentation may have been created to educate the consumer about emergency nursing/emergency care issues or advocate for issues in emergency nursing/emergency care.

Nurse Manager Award – This award recognizes a nurse in an emergency nursing management role who has consistently demonstrated excellence in the profession of emergency nursing and has made significant contributions.

Nurse Researcher Award – This award recognizes an individual nurse who has made significant contributions to the profession of nursing or the specialty of emergency nursing by conducting research, disseminating research findings or utilizing research to improve outcomes.

Nursing Competency in Aging Award – This award recognizes a member who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the care of the older adult in the emergency department and/or the older adult in a community program.

Nursing Education Award – This award honors a nurse who has made significant contributions to the education of colleagues, nursing students, EMS personnel, patients, families and/or the community through the publication of articles, formal or informal courses or the development of a specific emergency nursing program or curriculum.

Nursing Practice and Professionalism Award – This award honors a nurse who exemplifies outstanding nursing practice as demonstrated through clinical skills, care and compassion. This nurse is recognized by peers as an expert in emergency nursing and consistently exhibits traits associated with professional behavior and commitment to professional values. This individual may demonstrate outstanding commitment to a specialty population such as pediatrics or older adults within the specialty of emergency nursing.

Rising Star Award – This award recognizes a new ENA member (membership less than 5 years) who has made a significant contribution to ENA as exhibited by promotion of ENA as the professional organization for emergency nurses at either the state or national level. A letter of support for the nominee must be submitted by the nominee’s state or chapter president.

State Council/Chapter Government Affairs Award – This award honors an ENA State Council or Chapter for outstanding efforts to increase member involvement in government affairs and advance public policy supporting nursing, safety, health care and/or injury prevention issues.

Team Award – This award recognizes a group or committee that has made a significant contribution toward achieving the mission of ENA through the development of a sustainable project or program.