News — Transformative leader. Compassionate advocate. Authentic leader. Expert clinician. Change agent. Role model. Mentor. Coach. Champion. Go-to frontline nurse.
The words used to describe the 15 exceptional nurses who will receive the Circle of Excellence award this year from the (AACN) demonstrate the high regard in which they’re held by colleagues and their commitment to achieving excellent outcomes in the care of acutely and critically ill patients and their families. They will be honored during AACN’s (NTI), in New Orleans, May 19-21.
They are noted for their solution-oriented approaches to challenges, including reducing healthcare-associated infection rates, improving their work environments, and helping their organizations address staffing shortages, turnover and other operational issues.
Criteria to evaluate candidates include relentless promotion of patient-driven excellence; strong communication skills; true collaboration; effective decision-making; meaningful recognition of others; ability to transform thinking, structures and processes; and ability to address challenges and remove barriers to excellent patient care and achieve visible results through leadership.
“Circle of Excellence recipients are relentless in their efforts to ensure that every patient gets the excellent care they deserve and that every nurse has the tools and skills they need to provide that care,” said AACN President Jennifer Adamski. “Leading by example, they give others the courage to soar, as we work together to shape the future of nursing practice and transform healthcare.”
Recipients of the 2025 AACN Circle of Excellence award (in alphabetical order):
- Diana Alexander, manager, surgical intensive care unit (ICU), ECMO, ICU float pool, Lakeland Regional Health, Florida
- Cyril Amoin, clinical nurse IV, Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Natalie Calow, clinical nurse and forensic program coordinator, Indiana University Health, IU Health Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis
- Brian Cunningham, assistant unit director, intensive cardiac care, University of California at San Francisco
- Claire Dauis, clinical nurse 2, University of California Los Angeles UCLA Health, Santa Monica
- Lynne Flynn, clinical nurse educator/American Health Association program director, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia
- Zorina Hernandez, nurse manager, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Colton, California
- Sheelu Joseph, director, critical care and central telemetry, Memorial Hermann, Cypress, Texas
- Mary Lawanson-Nichols, clinical nurse specialist, ICU and intermediate care unit, UCLA Health, Santa Monica
- Marissa Lozano, nurse manager, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Colton, California
- Jodi Mullen, senior quality improvement specialist, University of Florida UF Health Shands Hospital, Gainesville
- Barbara Paredes, clinical nurse level VI, Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital, Houston
- Jeffery Schultz, senior APRN CVICU, HCA Florida North Florida Hospital, and flight nurse, UF Health ShandsCair Flight, Gainesville
- Stephen “Ryan” Valentine, director of medical surgical ICU, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- JoAnn Wolfson, director of critical care and step-down units, CentraState Medical Center, Freehold, New Jersey
AACN’s Circle of Excellence award aligns with the association’s vision to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution.
Nominations are now being accepted for the next class of honorees, with completed materials due by Sept. 15.
Highly regarded for its responsiveness to current trends in the nursing profession and the environments where nurses work, the award is supported by grants from Dale Medical Products.
About the National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition: Established in 1974, AACN’s National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI) represents the world’s largest educational conference and trade show for nurses who care for acutely and critically ill patients and their families. Bedside nurses, nurse educators, nurse managers, clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners attend NTI.
About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: For more than 50 years, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has been dedicated to acute and critical care nursing excellence. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. AACN is the world's largest specialty nursing organization, with about 130,000 members and nearly 200 chapters in the United States.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 27071 Aliso Creek Road, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656; 949-362-2000; www.aacn.org; facebook.com/aacnface; x.com/aacnme
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