Pursuing Excellence: ENA Lantern Award Application Cycle Underway
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (Dec. 19, 2025) – Entering its 15th year of honoring emergency departments worldwide for demonstrating excellence and performance achievements, the ENA Lantern Award continues to be a much-sought after recognition as evident by the record-setting 96 EDs that earned it in 2025.
That pursuit of excellence is underway once again as applications for the 2026 ENA Lantern Awards are currently being accepted. Emergency departments seeking Lantern prestige will find a streamlined application to detail their exceptional and innovative work in the areas of ED leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research. The deadline to apply is Feb. 25.
“Emergency departments take tremendous pride in their work, and the Lantern Award truly shines a spotlight on the many different ways they excel in patient care, staff initiatives and support for their communities,” said ENA President Ryan Oglesby, PhD, MHA, RN, CEN, CFRN, NEA-BC. “First awarded in 2011, this is the most prestigious honor recognizing emergency departments.”
The revisions for 2026 allow applicants to better reflect on their exemplary efforts to support healthy work environments and other current topics of importance to emergency nurses and emergency departments. A new requirement for 2026 calls on EDs to complete the AACN Healthy Work Environment Assessment.
“Every emergency department has a story to tell. This award offers the perfect platform to share how teamwork, problem-solving and innovative approaches make your emergency department stand out,” Oglesby added.
The ENA Lantern Award Committee reviews and scores each application. EDs with a qualifying score are recognized for a three-year cycle, after which time departments may apply again. Among 2025’s honorees were the first emergency department in Saudi Arabia to receive the award, as well as two emergency departments that earned Lantern recognition for the fifth time.
To learn more about the award and start an application, visit the ENA Lantern Award page.
The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With nearly 45,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines and guides emergency health care public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org.