Excellence In Perianesthesia Nursing Leadership Award

Excellence in Perianesthesia Nursing Leadership Award

The ABPANC Excellence in Nursing Leadership Award honors a CPAN® and/or CAPA® certified nurse who exemplifies extraordinary leadership in perianesthesia nursing through advocacy, innovation, and compassionate care. This award recognizes a nurse leader who elevates patient-centered care, empowers staff, and serves as a catalyst for positive change—both within healthcare settings and across the broader community.

Eligibility Requirements: The nominee must be currently CPAN and/or CAPA certified nurse leader. A Nurse Leader is defined as someone in the role of:

  • Charge Nurse
  • Nurse Lead
  • Clinical Manager
  • Nurse Educator
  • Assistant Nurse Manager
  • Nurse Manager
  • Assistant Director
  • Director
  • or in a leadership or responsibility role within their organization.

The nominee must also demonstrate excellence across the following competencies:

  • Leads with Compassion and Integrity: Models empathy, respect, and ethical decision-making in every interaction—building trust among staff, patients, and families. Creates a culture of support that prioritizes wellbeing, teamwork, and human connection.
  • Uses Standards of Excellence: Upholds and advances evidence-based practices that raise the standard of care. Collaborates across disciplines to improve clinical outcomes, elevate the patient experience, and foster continuous improvement at the unit or organizational level.
  • Community Advocate: This nominee is a powerful voice for staff nurses, working to improve workplace conditions, safety, and morale through direct advocacy and collaboration with leadership. Beyond the hospital, they actively engage with their local community—building trust, expanding access to care, and championing health equity. At the policy level, they use their frontline experience to influence change, advocating for nursing and patient-centered legislation at both state and federal levels. Their leadership reflects a deep commitment to making healthcare more just, compassionate, and responsive—for colleagues, communities, and the nation.
  • Change Agent: Embraces innovation and leads transformation through thoughtful change. Champions new technologies, improves work processes, and inspires others to adopt forward-thinking approaches that enhance performance, care quality, and staff empowerment.
  • Demonstrates emotional intelligence: Demonstrates empathy, self-awareness, and the ability to navigate complex emotional dynamics with professionalism and compassion.

Submission of Nomination – the individual submitting the nomination must:

  • Complete and submit the required application form by Feb. 15.
  • A member of the Awards and Marketing Committee may contact the individual submitting the nomination for further information about the nominee.

Review and selection of award recipient

  • Award applications and stories are subjected to blind review by the Awards and Marketing Committee.
  • ABPANC staff will review all nominations and redact any identifying information about the nominee and the individual submitting the nomination.
  • ABPANC staff will provide all nominations and supporting documentation to Awards and Marketing Committee members.
  • The Awards and Marketing Committee will review nominations, discuss the applications as a team and unanimously decide on a recipient. The Committee Chair and/or ABPANC staff liaison will notify the Board of Directors of the selection.

Recognition of award recipient, individual who submits the story, and the employing unit:

  • The award recipient will receive a scholarship for the next recertification fee, a plaque, and a cash award of $350.00.
  • The individual submitting the winning nomination will receive a personal cash award of $100.
  • The unit the award recipient works in will receive a certification voucher.
  • ABPANC staff/committee liaison will prepare a scholarship letter and award, and will arrange to bring checks to national conference (or mail them, as appropriate)
  • The individual will be recognized during the ABPANC CPAN/CAPA celebration event, held each year in conjunction with the ASPAN national conference.

Nomination Form