AONL Announces Annual Award Recipients

The American Organization for Nursing Leadership announced the recipients of its 2025 awards, which highlight AONL members, a state affiliate, an honorary member and a hospital demonstrating exemplary leadership practices. AONL will honor the recipients during its annual conference March 31- April 2 in Boston.

 

Cadmus 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. Edna Cadmus, PhD, RN, executive director of the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing and clinical professor at Rutgers University School of Nursing in New Brunswick, N.J., spearheaded a statewide effort to standardize nurse residency programs across 22 acute care facilities. The results include a 89% retention rate for new graduates and more than $7 million in savings.

Mapula 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. Katie Mapula, MSN, RN, director of nursing, Critical Care and Burn Center at Parkland Health, Dallas, created a life-support therapy ICU during the pandemic and led the build out of a cardiovascular ICU. She also spearheaded a process to reduce emergency department wait times by facilitating the rapid transfer of burn patients from Parkland Health’s ED to the burn unit where they could receive expedited wound care. 

University Hospitals to Receive AONL Prism Award

University Hospitals, Cleveland has been honored with the AONL Prism Award, sponsored by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. University Hospitals demonstrated exceptional commitment to recruiting, retaining, and developing nursing talent within their organization and community. Their comprehensive initiatives resulted in decreased RN turnover year-over-year, increased recruitment in hard-to-recruit areas, and a 50% reduction in contract labor. In collaboration with local nursing schools, UH designed Earn-and-Learn programs to create career pathways for nursing assistants and nursing interns, and to assist licensed practical nurses in earning Bachelor of Nursing Science degrees.

Northwest Organization of Nurse Leaders to Receive AONL Affiliate Achievement Award

The AONL Affiliate Achievement Award recognizes an AONL affiliate 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 Northwest Organization of Nurse Leaders advanced excellence in health care leadership by making a profound impact on nurse leaders in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. NWONL’s mentorship program, aimed at fostering the next generation of nurse leaders, provides emerging leaders with the confidence and support they need to grow in their roles and take on greater leadership responsibilities. Additionally, NWONL convenes nursing boards, hospital associations and nursing centers to ensure that the voice of nursing leadership is present in advocacy and policy discussions shaping the Northwest nursing workforce.

HFMA’s Todd Nelson to Receive the AONL Honorary Member Award
The AONL Honorary Award recognizes an individual who supports AONL’s mission and contributes to advancing health care through AONL’s core business. As the Healthcare Financial Management Association’s chief partnership executive and director of healthcare finance policy, Todd Nelson, MBA, serves as program founder and faculty for AONL’s Certificate in Finance for Nurse Executives and convenes the HFMA Thought Leadership Retreat each fall, bringing together health care finance, physician, nurse and other health leaders to share their divergent perspectives on contemporary health care topics. He also co-authored The Business of Caring: Promoting Optimal Allocation of Nursing Resources, helped develop a Span of Control ROI Calculator to empower health leaders to make informed decisions, and is a Global Advisory Board Member of the Case Western Reserve University, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy.

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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.