AANP State Award for Outstanding Contribution

Award Description

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) empowers all nurse practitioners (NPs) to advance accessible, person-centered, equitable, high-quality health care for diverse communities through practice, education, advocacy, research and leadership (PEARL). The AANP State Award for Outstanding Contribution recognizes individuals who have demonstrated excellence that supports the NP role in the areas of PEARL.

History

Founded in 1991, the State Awards for Excellence was established to recognize the extraordinary contributions of NPs. This annual recognition has honored deserving recipients who demonstrated excellence in clinical practice and have advanced the image, profile and visibility of NPs. In 1993, AANP created the Advocate State Award for Excellence to honor those who led efforts to advance legislation that has positively impacted NP practice and increased awareness and recognition of NPs.

In 2024, the AANP Awards program was once again reimagined and renamed the AANP State Awards for Outstanding Contribution. This is an annual award given to one deserving individual per state based on outlined criterion.

Who May Nominate?

• Current individual AANP members.
• Self-nominations will be accepted.

Nomination Process:

• The open call for nominations takes place annually at the close of the AANP national conference.
• Nominations are submitted online through the AANP website.
• Consideration will only be given to nominations complete with all required information that was submitted by the published deadline.
• Nominations received after the deadline date will not be accepted.

Eligibility Criteria*

Nominations may be submitted for an AANP member or non-member who demonstrates excellence in alignment with the mission and goals of AANP in the areas of practice, education, advocacy, research or leadership (PEARL).

The nominee has shown efforts to advance the image, profile and visibility of NPs at the state level in four or more of the following areas:

• Serves as a role model for professionalism and ethical approach in the health care setting and in community service.
• Demonstrates a positive impact on health care delivery by fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Succeeds in building strategic partnerships, coalitions or alliances that have contributed to improved health care outcomes for individuals, families or communities.
• Supports education by presenting at conferences, publishing and/or precepting students.
• Engages in advocacy as a leader in policy issues in the legislative or regulatory arena that affect the NP role.
• Utilizes or generates evidence-based research to enhance the quality-of-care NPs provide to patients, families or communities.
• Has taken part in research that has influenced health care outcomes.
• Mentors NPs and other stakeholders in health policy, practice or education.

*Previous State Award recipients are eligible for nomination after five years have lapsed from receiving an award.

Who is Ineligible?

• Nominations that include groups and organizations cannot be submitted.
• AANP elected leaders and staff (e.g. Board of Directors, Fellows Executive Committee, State Liaisons, Nomination Council and Awards Committee) cannot be nominated for the award.

Selection Committee

Each region will identify a selection committee composed of the Region Director, three State Liaisons and an Awards Committee member. Each year, a call for State Liaison volunteers will be sent via the State Liaison listserv. Each selection committee will review and rank the submitted nominations of another region. If an eligible nominee is not identified, an award will not be given in that state for the award cycle. The Awards Committee will assign applications for review to the selection committees.

Award Package

Recipients will:

• Be honored during the AANP State Awards for Outstanding Contribution Ceremony at the respective AANP national conference.
• Receive a waiver of the national conference registration fee (workshops and additional fees not included).
• Receive a professional photo with the AANP President.
• Receive an award ribbon given at the beginning of conference.

Notification

Award recipients will be notified in early Decemeber of each award cycle.

Questions

For questions, governance@aanp.org.

Disclaimer:

*For elected officials, regulators, appointees, federal employees and military at both the state and federal levels (“government employee”), AANP cannot provide items of value. Individuals in these positions will receive public recognition and be presented with a certificate but will not receive additional items. If you an awardee is a government employee and inadvertently receive an offer from AANP that includes additional benefits as part of an award, please alert staff immediately.

Fellows Application

The Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP) program is dedicated to the global advancement of nurse practitioners (NPs) and the high-quality health care NPs deliver. Comprised of recognized NP leaders who have made outstanding contributions to NP education, policy, clinical practice or research, the Fellows work toward furthering the NP role, developing NP leaders of the future and enhancing AANP's mission.

Sponsor Nomination Criteria

• Must be a Current AANP Fellow to Nominate a New Fellow candidate.

Applicant Criteria

To apply to become a new FAANP member, an applicant must:

• Have at least two years of continuous AANP membership as of Aug. 1 of the application year and maintain membership during the selection process.
• Secure two current Fellows as sponsors – one sponsor must initiate the nomination (primary sponsor), and a secondary sponsor.
• Ensure each sponsor addresses a different focus area.
• Meet the selection criteria of demonstrated exceptional contributions, accomplishments, and outcomes in two of the following focus areas:
1. Research
2. Clinical Practice
3. Education
4. Policy/Advocacy

Selection Criteria

Demonstration of sustained contributions outside of the employment role with quantifiable outcomes are critical in supporting the application.

Evidence supporting contributions to advancing the NP role in each of the four FAANP membership priority areas may include accomplishments such as (but not limited to) the examples listed below.

Research example
Investigator led research, translational research and evaluative research with a focus on NPs and their practice. Extensive practice-based outcome research. Accomplishments documented could include the number of grants, awards, publications, and other dissemination activities.Clinical

Practice example
Development of models to influence population health, establishing community-based programs contributing to local community needs, entrepreneurial activities associated with program development or non-traditional practice sites, and influencing professional evidence-based practice standards.

Education example
Teaching innovations or presentations and curriculum development, or NP educational strategies influencing outcomes.

Policy example
Involvement in local, regional, national and international issues, including exemplary service to professional organizations, and interacting with policy or decision-makers that affect health policy.

New Fellow Selection Committee

The New Fellow Selection Committee is, comprised of Fellows elected by the FAANP membership.

Notification

New Fellow Applicants will be notified by March 30 after each application cycle.

New Fellow Induction

New Fellows will be honored during the FAANP Induction Ceremony at the respective AANP national conference. Following induction, new fellows will be allowed to utilize the FAANP credential. The credential cannot be used prior to being inducted.

Questions

For questions, contact faanp@aanp.org.