AONL Announces Annual Award Recipients of 2026

The American Organization for Nursing Leadership announced the recipients of its 2026 awards, which highlight AONL members, a state chapter and a hospital demonstrating exemplary leadership practices. AONL will honor the recipients during its annual conference March 29- April 1 in Chicago.
 

Doucette to Receive AONL Exemplary Leadership Award
The AONL Exemplary Leadership Award recognizes a nurse leader who significantly influenced professional nursing practice, leadership and the professional development of others. Jeffrey Doucette, DNP, RN, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Press Ganey, South Bend, Ind., is responsible for global nursing strategy, thought leadership and ensuring the delivery of solutions that enhance quality, safety, and patient and employee engagement. Doucette developed the Press Ganey Nursing Center of Excellence and launched the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators Ambulatory, while establishing partnerships with organizations to advance national benchmarks and nursing policy. Prior to joining Press Ganey, he served as inaugural vice president of the Magnet Recognition and Pathway to Excellence programs. His leadership extends through roles with AONL, the American Academy of Nursing, Virginia Nurses Association, the Nursing Management Congress and editorial positions with leading nursing journals.

Burton to Receive the Pamela Austin Thompson Emerging Leader Award
Named after AONL CEO Emeritus Pamela Austin Thompson, the emerging leader award recognizes an engaged AONL member who exhibits significant potential as a future health care leader and demonstrates exemplary leadership within their organization, community and the nursing profession. Tiffany Burton, MSN, RN, director of nursing services for the Enterprise Resource Team at Advocate Health, Charlotte, N.C., has led innovative workforce strategies, including launching the Internal Temp Pool, which reduced contract labor costs by $10.8 million while strengthening mentorship and professional development. Burton was named a 2022 Charlotte Business Journal Health Care Hero and helped grow the North Carolina Organization for Nurse Leaders’ Emerging Leaders program by more than 300% in under three years.

University Hospitals to Receive AONL Prism Award  
Bridgeport (Conn.) Hospital has been honored with the AONL Prism Award, sponsored by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. A member of Yale New Haven Health, the 501-bed, not-for-profit, acute care teaching hospital invested more than $145 million from 2022 to 2024 to expand access to care, support maternal and infant health and provide services such as language interpretation, transportation assistance and food distribution. The investment is making strides in serving patients both inside the hospital and in the community. The hospital supports new nurses through a year-long residency program with scholarships for advanced education. Bridgeport Hospital was awarded Magnet status in 2025, recognizing an outstanding work environment.

North Carolina Organization of Nurse Leaders to Receive AONL Chapter Achievement Award 
The AONL Chapter Achievement Award recognizes an AONL chapter that promotes nursing leadership and its influence in advancing nursing practice, patient safety, quality, recruitment and retention and serves as a model for other states or regions with similar interests. The North Carolina Organization of Nurse Leaders, Angier, has nearly doubled its membership since the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing conference participation by 65% virtually and 80% in person, and tripling the size of its Emerging Leader Program, now engaging one in five members through structured mentorship and professional development. The organization built strategic partnerships with North Carolina Board of Nursing, North Carolina Institute of Medicine and North Carolina Future of Nursing Coalition, elevating nurse voices in policy through initiatives such as Nurses Night and Day at the Legislature. In 2024, NCONL earned a seat on North Carolina Institute of Medicine’s 2025 board by contributing to its report, “Time for Action: Securing a Strong Nursing Workforce for North Carolina.”

Lee, Pappas and Yolo to Receive the Nurse Leader Article of the Year Award
The Nurse Leader Article of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding article that addresses evolving challenges, demonstrates innovative or evidence-based leadership and offers practical advice. Winning articles must be compellingly written, provide a replicable model and ultimately advance the field of nursing leadership. Mark Lee, DNP, RN, Sharon Pappas, PhD, RN, and Ron Yolo’s, DNP, RN, award-winning article, “Engaging Nurses in Professional Governance Across a Hospital Service Line,” presents an evidence-based approach to rebuilding shared governance and nurse engagement following the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to declining participation, the authors implemented a service line council across eight medical-surgical units. Utilizing the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework, the initiative engaged clinical nurses and nurse leaders in a redesigned governance model, resulting in a measurable shift from moderate to high levels of structural empowerment across key domains. 
 

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About the American Organization for Nursing Leadership
As the national professional organization of more than 12,000 nurse leaders, the American Organization for Nursing Leadership is the voice of nursing leadership. Our membership encompasses nurse leaders working in hospitals, health systems, academia and other care settings across the care continuum. Since 1967, the organization has led the field of nursing leadership through professional development, advocacy and research that advances nursing leadership practice and patient care. AONL is an affiliate of the American Hospital Association. For more information, visit AONL.org/AONL.