Award of Excellence: Practice
The Practice Award of Excellence recognizes two AWHONN members each year who made a significant nursing practice contribution to the specialty of women’s health, obstetric or neonatal nursing. The recipients are integral in implementation of change utilizing evidence based practice, protocols, informatics, and/or clinical expertise. This award acknowledges both the bedside nurse providing direct care in an inpatient, outpatient or community setting and the nurse who broadly impacts care through mentoring, quality and safety promotion, expertise and clinical excellence. The award is presented to both members at the national convention each year.
The candidates must be nominated by an AWHONN member and eligible from a wide-ranging base of inpatient, outpatient or community practicing sites. Examples of eligible candidates may include: Direct care bedside nurses and Advance Practice Nurses. Current members of the Board of Directors may identify potential applicants although they are not authorized to nominate or submit reference letters for candidates.
Applications will be processed and considered when a completed application is received.
Eligibility:
- Registered nurse; current or retired
- Full AWHONN member for at least three years prior to nomination
- In the year of nomination, full or specialty membership is required
Criteria:
- Advance clinical excellence of professional nursing in a clinical or community setting which serves a women’s health, obstetric or newborn population.
- Integrate clinical practice of evidence based care through an innovative strategy.
- Contribute to nursing practice which has chapter, section, national or international implications as demonstrated by project description, publication, poster or podium presentation.
- Utilize a multidisciplinary approach, lead and champion change, quality improvement, and implement evidence based practice in a clinical or community setting.
- Describe the professional practice contribution which promotes AWHONN’s mission.
- Demonstrates the following AWHONN leadership attributes:
- Visionary and passionate regarding AWHONN and health promotion of women and newborns
- Models professional behavior
- Motivates excellence in others encouraging opportunities for growth, change and development
- Inspires confidence and celebrates the success of others above one’s own success
- Communicates complex ideas in simplistic manner
- Lives the message: creative, resourceful, confident and passionate
Components necessary for completion of application.
- Application form completed by the candidate
- Uploaded current resume/Curriculum Vitae of candidate
- Personal essay of 300 words or less from candidate describing the contribution made in the practice award category utilizing the practice excellence award criteria.
- One reference/recommendation letter providing evidence of the practice excellence award criteria.
