CNL Vanguard Award

Call for Award Applications - Now Closed

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the Commission on Nurse Certification (CNC) present this national honor to recognize a certified CNL for innovative and outstanding professional performance and advocacy of the CNL skill set. This award promotes the contributions of the CNL in transforming health care. Recipients will be recognized during the annual CNL Conference hosted by the International Clinical Nurse Leader Association.

The candidate must be nominated by a nursing colleague/co-worker, nursing supervisor, or CNL student. (Previous nominations will be considered but should be updated and reconfirmed with the nominee.) The candidate must meet the following criteria:

  • Current CNL Certification
  • Employed as a CNL or in a position requiring the CNL skill set and education for a minimum of two years
  • Demonstrate innovation in transforming patient care with sustainable outcomes (specific examples of outcomes should be included)
  • Demonstrate clinical leadership or professional leadership in developing the CNL skill set through innovative education or academic-practice partnerships
  • Serve as a role model contributing positively to the professional practice environment
  • Promote change or collaboration within the system to improve quality of patient care
  • Advocate for the CNL skill set at the local, state, or national levels

If selected, the recipient must be available to attend the 2025 ICNLA Conference and present a brief 5-10 minute presentation highlighting his/her experiences, actions, and outcomes implementing and advancing the CNL.

The application must include a completed application form, a criteria statement/narrative no more than two pages that details how the candidate demonstrates the eligibility criteria, and two letters of support from individuals other than the person submitting the application. These individuals may be from academia or practice and should describe their relationship with the CNL nominee, length of time known, and how the nominee embodies the award criteria. The criteria statement/narrative and two letters of support should be submitted as attachments.

All materials must be submitted together. The completed application and letters of support should be submitted electronically to Bridget Bingle at bbingle@aacnnursing.org. Applications must be received by AACN by December 2, 2024 by 5:00 pm (ET). 

A review panel (two members representing AACN and one member of the CNC Board of Commissioners) will consider all completed applications received by the deadline. The recipient will be selected based upon the information submitted describing how the nominee meets the eligibility criteria; preference will be given to the applicant who has demonstrated innovative and effective change for care delivery as well as advocacy of the CNL. The recipient will be notified by Monday, December 16, 2024.



Past Award Recipients


Jessica Sewnath

2025 Winner

Jessica Sewnath, MSN, RN-CNL

Jessica Sewnath is an exceptional leader in patient care transformation at both the microsystem and mega-system levels. She led her organization’s American Nurses Credentialing Center Pathway to Excellence application, directing teams through the 8 Elements of Performance, resulting in its acceptance. She co-developed a Float Standard Operating Procedure, unanimously approved by the Nurse Manager Council, the Clinical Practice…

Chrissy Bass

2023 Winner

Chrissy Bass, CNL

Chrissy Bass is a CNL at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, where she has made strides in stroke patient-care efficiency, mobility promotion, and VTE reduction. At a time when 35% of stroke patients at her hospital were not being treated on the stroke floor, Chrissy stepped forward to identify ways to relocate patients to units where they could be best cared for. She worked with senior leadership to develop Intracranial H…


2022 Winners

Lauren Salinas

Lauren Salinas

MSN, RN, CNL, CCRN

Lauren Salinas is a Clinical Specialist certified as a CNL at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU). Since graduating as a CNL, she has worked to improve patient outcomes and the patient-family experience while in the CICU through her coordination of care, quality initiatives, and innovation at the bedside. Lauren incorporated her knowledge as a CNL to decrease central li…

Sorayah Bourenane

Sorayah Bourenane

 MSN, RN, CEN, CNL

Sorayah Bourenane a CNL at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, has developed educational content and served as a subject matter expert on Oncologic Emergency Nursing for the Board of Certified Emergency Nurses. She co-authored a chapter in a medical textbook for Oncologic Emergencies and assisted in the development of the institutional sepsis program at MD Anderson, which has resulted in decreased mort…

Latasha Kast

2021 Winner

Latasha Kast, MSN, RN, CCRN, CNL

Latasha Kast is an Advanced Clinical Education Specialist for Critical Care at  UPMC Passavant. Latasha  provides on-boarding, education, mentorship, and leadership support to nurses in her role as an Advanced Clinical Education Specialist for Critical Care. She previously worked in progressive clinical and leadership positions within Trauma/Vascular Step-Down, Surgical Trauma ICU, and Neurovascular IC…

Honorable Mention

Sinai Hospital CNL Team; Elizabeth Krug, MS, RN, PCCN, CNL, Nursing Outcomes Leader, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore; Kristen Liberto, MS, RN, CCRN, CNL, Nursing Outcomes Leader, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore; and Sarah Stanley, MS, RN, CNL, Nursing Outcomes Leader, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore

Veronica Rankin

2020 Winner

Veronica Rankin, DNP, RN-BC, CNL, NP-C

Veronica Rankin serves as a Director of Nursing Services in the role of Magnet Program Director for Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center- Central Division, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. She also serves as the Administrator of the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Program at this magnet-designated Level 1 Trauma Center. Dr. Rankin has been a nurse for more than 16 years and a certified CNL for more than 9 years. She…

Cory Franks

2019 Winner

Cory Franks, MSN, RN, CNL

Cory Franks has been a pioneer for the CNL role at Texas Health Resources. He along with several CNL students developed a structured approach to enhance communication and care delivery at Texas Health Alliance, part of the Texas Health Resources System. The initiative involving patients, families, hospitalists, nurses, and CNLs has resulted in an innovative care model and numerous quality improvements, including increased comm…

Honorable Mention

Megan Williams, MSN, RN, CNL
Manager of Complex Care Program
Regional One Health

2018 Winner

Connie Garrett, MSN, RN-BC, CNL, CNOR

Connie Garrett has been a driving force in validating the CNL role within the VA system and a forerunner in demonstrating how this role can thrive as an essential part of the perioperative healthcare team. She successfully piloted the CNL role at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital and documented the CNL’s contributions to positive patient and staff outcomes in the operating room. Ms. Garrett has focused on VA and Joint…

2017 Winner

Bonnie Haupt, DNP, RN, CNL, CHSE

Bonnie Haupt holds her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Sacred Heart University. She is also a Certified Simulation Healthcare Educator and CNL. Dr. Haupt has worked most recently as the Patient Experience Officer, Acute Care CNL, and for the VA Nursing Academy and Fairfield University as an Assistant Professor. She is currently the CNL at South Texas VA Healthcare Systems (VAHCS), and has worked for the VHA for over 24…

2016 Winner

Robert J. LaPointe, MSN, RN, CNL, CCR

Robert J. LaPointe is the immediate Past-President of the Clinical Nurse Leader Association (CNLA).  During his term, he increased CNLA membership by 45% and its value to members, developed 5 regional chapters, developed a strategic plan for growth in cooperation with the Commission on Nursing Certification (CNC) and strengthened the working relationship between CNLA and CNC. Since 2013, he has worked as a CNL at Cor…

2015 Winner

Lauran Hardin, MSN, RN, CNL

Lauran Hardin works as a Clinical Nurse Leader at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s in Grand Rapids, MI. Since graduating from the University of Detroit Mercy in 2010, her first position was as a pain and palliative care CNL responsible for coordinating care for patients with complex pain needs. In 2012, she began focusing her work on patients with frequent emergency department or inpatient visits. She has created and sustained a…

Honorable Mention

Jessica Hatch, MSN, RN, CNL

Jessica Hatch is the Health Exchange Integration Manager at Lawrence General Hospital in Lawrence, MA. Respected by her colleagues as a care innovator and role model for professional CNL practice, she has worked to improve patients care by expanding the CNL role in her practice setting. Jessica’s early work as a CNL centered on developing a transition of care process. Her current focus is on using healthcare tec…


Contact

Questions? Contact Dr. Joan Stanley, AACN’s Chief Academic Officer, at jstanley@aacnnursing.org or Lynn Gardner, CNC Director of Certification, at lgardner@aacnnursing.org.

AACN and CNC reserve the right to not present the award in a given year if it is determined that sufficient qualified applications are not received.

Congratulations to the 2025 Award Recipient!

Jessica Sewnath

Jessica Sewnath, MSN, RN-CNL
San Francisco VA Health Care System

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