Tennessee Nurses Association - 2025 Achievement Awards Nominations

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The Tennessee Nurses Association Achievement Awards Program is designed to recognize nursing leaders and friends of nursing. It is TNA’s opportunity to acknowledge exceptional dedication, commitment, and professionalism. Nomination brings recognition to a member who is making outstanding contributions to the field of nursing. Nominations may be made by TNA members, TNA districts, or the TNA Board of Directors. The curriculum vitae and at least one letter of support from a TNA member must accompany each nomination if applicable. The Board may choose not to present an award if nominees do not meet established criteria.

Submit Your Nomination Here

Thank you for taking the time to submit a nomination form for the 2025 TNA Achievement Awards. Award submissions must be completed in one sitting, you cannot save and complete later. Please be sure to fill out the entire nomination form and upload all required documents completely before submitting. Incomplete submissions will not be considered by the TNA Awards Committee. Thank you for your membership and for taking the time to recognize a fellow nurse. Nominations will be accepted between July 1, 2025, and August 1, 2025. If you have questions regarding submitting a nomination contact TNA Awards support at Tiffany@teamngage.com. Individuals selected to receive an award will be notified August 2025.

Annual Membership Awards

Outstanding Member Award:

This award is presented to the TNA member whose contributions most closely reflect the mission and goals of TNA and the nursing profession.

Criteria:

Professional leadership and service to TNA at the district, state or national levels;
Promotes TNA membership and political activity of nurses;
Represents TNA and the nursing profession through media channels, health organizations, business or government agencies; and
Initiates and supports programs and activities which promote nursing and TNA.

Professional Promise Award:

This award recognizes a recent graduate (within first year) and new member of TNA who demonstrates qualities of “professional promise” in key areas

Criteria:

Consistent attendance and contributions at District level;
Commitment to excellence in nursing practice;
Collegial and mentoring relationships with peers; and
Professional development activities.

Nursing Excellence Awards:

This award recognizes outstanding performance in clinical nursing practice, nursing education, advanced practice nursing, nursing research, and nursing administration.

Criteria:

Promoting and maintaining excellence in professional practice;
Commitment to the nursing profession and TNA;
Contribution to professional development of other nurses (publications, presentations, mentoring, research);
Leadership which improves the quality of nursing care; and
Professional and community service.

Annual Membership Recognition

100% Faculty Membership Certificate of Recognition:

This recognition is given annually to the Dean or Director of any nursing program with 100% faculty membership in TNA. More than one program may be recognized.

Criteria:

Deans/Directors must submit a list of faculty for verification of membership status.

Special Awards

The following awards may be given as circumstances or situations are deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors. Nominations may be made to the Board of Directors from TNA members, TNA districts, or TNA committees or TNPAC as indicated below. The Board may choose not to present an award, if nominees do not meet established criteria.

Alma E. Gault Leadership Award:

This award recognizes a member of TNA who demonstrates outstanding leadership qualities in all dimensions of nursing practice.

Criteria:

Active involvement in projects, organizations, or programs with a focus on improving the health of the population as a whole or of aggregates of the population;
Utilizes strategies such as political involvement, legal action, or raising public opinion to implement desired changes in health status/health outcomes; and
Demonstrates the capacity to inspire others—within and outside of nursing—to actively support improved health for the community.

Friend of Nursing Award:

This award recognizes an individual/group that has:

Criteria:

Demonstrated excellence or outstanding contributions to nursing and to the Tennessee Nurses Association; and
Contributions may be professional, monetary, or literary.

Louise Browning Political Nurse Award:

This award recognizes a TNA member who demonstrates excellence in:

Criteria:

Professional and technical involvement in government affairs;
Promoting nursing awareness and participation in policy development and political action;
Educating nurses about legislative issues and the political process; and
Guiding the policy development process of the association.

The TN Nurses PAC or TNA Lobbyist may also submit nominations to the Board for consideration.

Special Lifetime Achievement Award:

This award recognizes a retired TNA member who has:

Criteria:

Demonstrated excellence or outstanding contributions to nursing and TNA;
Continued participation in TNA and nursing; and
Achieved state and/or national recognition by the profession.

Student Nursing Award:

This award recognizes a student that has:

Criteria:

Demonstrated excellence or outstanding contributions to the nursing profession and to the Tennessee Nurses Association and/or the Tennessee Student Nursing Association; and
Demonstrated involvement in projects, organizations, or programs that focus on improving student life and educational opportunities; and
Contributions may be academic, political, professional, or in support of student well-being.

Outstanding Employer Award:

This award recognizes a healthcare agency/organization, school of nursing, or other employer that demonstrates a commitment to nurses and nursing excellence.

Criteria:

Nurse leader at the executive level must possess a Baccalaureate degree as well as a master's degree. Either the Baccalaureate or Master's degree must be in nursing;
Nursing system must have implemented the current version of Nursing Leadership: Scope and Standards of Practice (formerly known as Scope and Standards for Nurse Administrators)
Must collect data and participate in a national database that benchmarks nurse-sensitive quality indicators. One example is the National Center for Nursing Quality (NCNQ) study which collects data on patient falls occurrence, pressure ulcers, patient satisfaction, nursing staff satisfaction, skill mix, nursing hours per patient/client per day and others at the facility and unit levels;
Must encourage nurses’ representation on organizational decision-making bodies;
Must have policies and procedures that permit and encourage nurses to express their concerns about their professional practice environment;
Direct care nurses involved in the decision-making surrounding patient care and held accountable for their own practice;
Must encourage nurses to advance their practice, their knowledge and skills base, i.e., Clinical Ladder/Clinical Leaders;
Must be in compliance with applicable local, state and federal regulatory and accrediting body standards; and
Must have processes and systems in place that ensure that nursing practice is consistent with the scope of practice as it is identified in the applicable standards of practice and the Nurse Practice Act.
TNA Committees may also submit nominations to the Board of Directors for consideration.

Outstanding Legislator Award:

This award recognizes an outstanding legislator who has:

Criteria:

Demonstrated support of the TNA legislative agenda and nursing profession
Promoted legislation which enhances adequate and safe nursing care and healthcare for the people of Tennessee

The Government Affairs Committee will recommend the award recipient to the Board of Directors.

Location: 545 Mainstream Drive, Suite 401,
Nashville, TN 37228-1296

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (CDT)

Phone: (615) 254-0350

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