Recognition Awards

The AANA presented its first award, the Award of Appreciation, in 1947. It was the AANA’s only award until 1975, and it recognized people or institutions who had made significant contributions to the development of nurse anesthesia in the United States. Since 1975 the number of AANA awards has grown, and AANA now recognizes outstanding accomplishment not only by clinicians, educators, and researchers, but also by those involved in public relations, state and federal politics, and professional advocacy.

Awards presented by AANA are listed below. Each page linked below describes the purpose of and the eligibility for the award and lists the past recipients.

Note on credentials: The CRNA credential was adopted at the 1956 Business Meeting and will appear after nurse anesthetists' names beginning in 1957. The credentials listed after each name were the ones held at the time the award was presented.

Award Nomination Form

Download Award Nomination Form
(Use only for FPD and Annual Meeting Award Nominations)

Please contact Mary Scheuermann at mscheuermann@aana.com for further information regarding the awards process.

        

Awards Presented Annually

For more information about each of these awards click on the name of the award below.  For a nomination form for the Federal Political Director of the Year Award and the Annual Congress Awards, please see the information above. All other nomination forms are found through the links below.

Award Nominations Due Annually in January

See AANA Awards for details.

Nomination Deadline: January 1

  • John F. Garde Researcher of the Year Award
  • Rita L. LeBlanc Philanthropist of the Year Award
  • Advocate of the Year Award 

Nomination Deadline: January 15
Use this Award Nomination Form for your FPD nomination.

  • Daniel D. Vigness Federal Political Director Award
    (Renamed in June 2013 to honor Dan Vigness, the first FPD winner)

Nomination Deadline: January 15

  • AANA National Health Leadership Award
 

AANA Award for Excellence in State Government Relations

Submission Deadline: February 15

Annual Meeting Awards

Nomination Deadline for Annual Meeting Awards: March 15

Award Nomination Form

See AANA Awards for details.

  • Agatha Hodgins Award for Outstanding Accomplishment
  • Helen Lamb Outstanding Educator Award
  • Alice Magaw Outstanding Clinical Practitioner Award
  • Ira P. Gunn Award for Outstanding Professional Advocacy
  • Clinical Instructor of the Year Award
  • Didactic Instructor of the Year Award
  • Program Director of the Year Award

Public Relations Recognition Awards

Awards Presented Occasionally

  • Honorary Membership Award
  • AANA Media Award
  • Special Recognition Award
    Patrick DowneyThe AANA Special Recognition Award was first presented in 1988 and is used on occasion to recognize the particular contributions or activities of an individual. This year, the AANA Board of Directors is presenting a special recognition award to former president Patrick Downey, CRNA in recognition of his work in mentoring current and future leaders of the AANA.
  •  

Awards No Longer Presented

  • Public Interest in Anesthesia Award (was presented by the Council for Public Interest in Anesthesia)
  • Award of Appreciation
  • Research in Action Award
  • Best public relations effort by a small state association