AONL Foundation Names Lake Nurse Researcher and symplr Friend of the Year

The American Organization for Nursing Leadership Foundation for Nursing Research and Education announced Eileen Lake, PhD, RN, as the 2025 recipient of the AONL Foundation Nurse Researcher Award. The award honors an outstanding nurse researcher recognized by the broader nursing community for their significant contributions to nursing research. The Foundation will honor Lake during the AONL annual conference March 31 in Boston.

Lake is professor of nursing and sociology, Edith Clemmer Steinbright professor in gerontology, and associate director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in Philadelphia.

Lake is best known for developing the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, a widely used tool to assess nursing work environments. ​Endorsed by the National Quality Forum, the PES-NWI measures nurse participation in hospital affairs; nursing foundations for quality care; nurse manager ability, leadership and support; staffing and resource adequacy; and collegial nurse-physician relations. ​Additionally, her ​study comparing fall rates in hospitals with and without Magnet recognition contributed to a decision by U.S. News & World Report to add Magnet status as a criterion in its America’s Best Hospitals designation in 2004.

The foundation also will recognize symplr as its 2025 Friend of the Year Award honoree. This award recognizes an individual or organization that has made a profound impact in helping the foundation advance its mission through their support, volunteerism and other activities. A leader in enterprise health care operations software and services with a first-of-its-kind operations platform, symplr cosponsored the Foundation’s Leadership Symposium for Nursing Leaders on Artificial Intelligence. The company also cosponsored the Beyond Gratitude program, a collaboration between the AONL Foundation and the DAISY Foundation, which encourages stakeholders to go beyond gratitude to support the emotional health and well-being of nurse managers. Karlene Kerfoot, symplr’s late chief nursing officer, was a member of the Foundation's Corporate Advisory Council.

The Foundation will honor symplr April 1 during AONL’s annual conference in Boston.

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About the AONL Foundation
The AONL Foundation for Nursing Leadership Research and Education, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity, established in 2010, bridges science and education to shape the future of nursing leadership. Supporting its vision of a healthier tomorrow advanced through nursing leadership, the foundation funds research exploring nursing leadership’s impact on health care and offers financial aid to support nurse leaders. For additional information about the AONL Foundation, visit aonl.org/foundation.

 

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 a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association. For more information, visit AONL.org/AONL.