Awards and Scholarships

2023 NACNS Affiliate of the Year Award

The Annual Affiliate of the Year Award will be presented during the 2023 Annual Conference.

The purpose of the award is to recognize a state or regional or virtual clinical nurse specialist (CNS) organization that is affiliated with NACNS for outstanding efforts in support of NACNS’s mission and strategic goals at the local level. The mission of NACNS is to advance the unique expertise and value the CNS contributes to health care. The strategic goals are to:

  • Promote the full scope of practice of the CNS
  • Serve as the national leader for CNS education
  • Promote the benefit the CNS brings to evidenced-based quality, patient safety, and cost of healthcare delivery
  • Promote CNS research in order to further define the value of CNS interventions

Please review the criteria and submit a completed application with corresponding rationale supporting affiliates who you recommend for this award.

The application period is now closed.

Winners will be informed in December 2022.

 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: 

  1. Candidate affiliate has had a current formal affiliation relationship with NACNS for the past 3 years (headquarters provides this info)
  2. Candidate affiliate has NOT received the “Affiliate of the Year” award in the past 4 years.
  3. Candidate affiliate’s membership serves primarily CNSs (including CNS students, CNS educators, CNS practitioners).
  4. The Affiliate will:
    • Have evidence of on-going activities that support the efforts of CNSs and support the work of NACNS.
    • Demonstrate sustained growth of the NACNS member component (% of affiliate’s membership who hold NACNS membership) over the past three years.
    • Offers continuing education activities to assist CNSs in their efforts to maintain eligibility for recognition and/or licensure as a CNS in their state. Has offered an innovative, creative continuing education class, conference or program.
    • Develops leadership role of CNSs including advocating CNS recognition at the local, regional, and national professional CNS organizations.
    • Advocates for CNS/ CNS role recognition at the local, regional, and/or national level.
    • Contributes to the growth and activities of NACNS through individual member’s contributions or through affiliate-level activities.
    • Communicate the value of CNSs through publications (article, book chapter) or presentations at the local, regional, and national conference that is relevant to practicing CNSs.

Award:  

A plaque recognizing the winner will be presented at the NACNS conference and the winner will be featured in the CNS journal. Nontransferable complimentary NACNS conference registration will also be awarded.

Selection: 

Applications received by the deadline will undergo review by the selection committee appointed by the Board of Directors. Award recipients will receive an email letter announcing if they have received their award and the day and time the award is planned to be presented. All affiliate information/packet must be received by October 21, 2022. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Instructions: 

Nomination Packet includes: 

  1. One letter of recommendation from a colleague who can affirm and speak to the affiliate’s work, limited to 3-page maximum.
    • Each of the criteria must be addressed in the letter with specific examples.
    • Instead of using name, the nominator must refer to them as candidate.
    • Indicate how the nominator knows the nominee (e.g., in what capacity/role, how long)
  2. A copy of the nominee’s current CV/resumé
  3. Nomination letter and current CV will be submitted together in one pdf.
  4. All submissions must be typed copy.
  5. Selection is made based only on the information submitted.
  6. All information will remain strictly confidential and will not be returned.
  7. Winner will be notified by December 2022. Upon notification, the winner will be asked to submit an official picture for recognition at the next conference.