Pathway Nurse of the Year Award
2025 PATHWAY NURSE OF THE YEAR AWARD™
ATTENTION!! NEW CATEGORIES & ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS!!!!
Do you work with a nurse or nurse partner who has positively impacted the practice environment?
The American Nurses Credentialing Center invites you to submit a nomination for the annual Pathway Nurse of the Year Award™. The Pathway Nurse of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding contributions of nurses and nurse partners globally from Pathway-designated organizations for their exceptional contributions to the practice environment. Recipients exemplify professionalism and leadership, fostering collaboration among team members while integrating clinical expertise with compassionate patient or resident care. Their impact is reflected in improved organizational and/or patient outcomes within the Pathway Standards of Shared Decision-Making & Leadership, Safety & Quality, or Well-Being & Professional Development.
Eligibility Criteria
ANCC will accept nominations for eligible Registered Nurses (RN), Licensed Practice/Vocational Nurses (LPN/LVN), Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN), Registered Midwife (RM), and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) from organizations with active Pathway to Excellence designation. An individual winner can receive the award once in a lifetime.
- Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN) is a nurse who holds state board licensure in the United States, or the equivalent thereof outside the United States, or any new graduate or foreign nurse graduate with a temporary license and the responsibilities of a RN or LPN/LVN.
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) includes certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse-midwives, clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse practitioners. An APRN is eligible to take the survey if the nursing practice is under CNO’s oversight.
- Registered Midwife (RM) For Pathway purposes, RMs are midwives who are eligible to take the Pathway Survey if: (a) they work in a midwife role (not an auxiliary role) and their education aligns with the recommendations set forth by the International Confederation of Midwives, AND (b)their practice is under the CNO's oversight, regardless of the reporting relationship.
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) For the purposes of Pathway, a certified nursing assistant/nursing aide that helps residents with direct health care needs, under the supervision of a nurse in a long-term care facility.
Nominees, regardless of tenure and hours worked, from any site included in the Pathway to Excellence application are eligible.
ANCC does not charge an entry fee for nomination submission.
Only one award will be awarded to an organization in an award year.
At minimum, one award will be awarded to a direct care nurse.
- Direct Care Nurse is a nurse whose primary responsibility is the provision of direct patient/resident care. Direct care may involve direct physical contact or care provided remotely (telehealth). This includes nurses at every level who provide direct patient/resident care at least 50% of the time.
The nominator must assign the nominee to the Shared Decision-Making & Leadership, Safety & Quality, or Well-Being & Professional Development award category during the online submission process.
The nominations must include:
1. Nominee's resume (3-page maximum)
2. Narrative essay: 500 words or fewer, written by the nominator, demonstrating the contributions the nurse or nurse partner nominee has made in the Pathway-designated organization to include:
How the nominee’s contributions exemplify living the chosen category (Shared Decision-Making & Leadership, Safety & Quality, or Well-Being & Professional Development) with a focus on the individual’s contributions as defined by the two criteria below:
- Role modeling exceptional professionalism and leadership in working collaboratively with team members
- Integrating clinical expertise with compassionate patient or resident care and contributing to organizational and/or patient outcomes.
3. Letter of endorsement: limited to one page from the chief nursing officer or LTC director of nursing (CNO/DON) of the nominating Pathway-designated organization describing why the nominee should be chosen as the Pathway Nurse of the Year (nurse or nurse partner) to include:
How the nominee’s contributions exemplify living the chosen category (Shared Decision-Making & Leadership, Safety & Quality, or Well-Being & Professional Development) with a focus on the individual’s contributions as defined by the two criteria below:
- Role modeling exceptional professionalism and leadership in working collaboratively with team members
- Integrating clinical expertise with compassionate patient or resident care and contributing to organizational and/or patient outcomes.
Submission Instructions and Website
DEADLINE EXTENSION: Nominators must complete submissions by 11:59pm EDT on April 21, 2025
Please note: ANCC will only review completed nominations.
Award Information
ANCC will present the 2025 Pathway Nurse of the Year Awards during the ANCC Pathway to Excellence® and ANCC National Magnet Conference® in Atlanta, GA October 8-10, 2025. In addition, the awardee will receive: stipend for travel costs to the ANCC Pathway to Excellence® and ANCC National Magnet Conference® ; Conference registration fee; Award presentation onstage at the Pathway to Excellence Conference; Recognition during the ANCC Pathway Nurse of the Year reception during the Pathway conference with an invitation extended to registered conference attendees from the winner’s Pathway-designated organization; Pathway Nurse of the Year crystal award, engraved with winner’s name, credentials, and award category; Invitation to the Pathway Leadership Luncheon; Lab coat embossed with name, credentials, and award category, and a lapel pin; Professional photos and videos taken at the ANCC Pathway to Excellence® and ANCC National Magnet Conference®; and Award announcements on the ANCC website and ANA media platforms.
Questions?
Email PNOY@ana.org or call 301.628.5198.