CNL Vanguard Award

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.

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.