Student Excellence Awards

Annually, the College of Nursing presents awards to students who demonstrate excellence in clinical practice, leadership, scholarship, or gerontological studies. These awards are presented at each program level and site, as appropriate to student engagement to living the college philosophy at the program or college level.

Clinical Excellence Award Nomination Process

The Clinical Excellence Award is presented by the faculty to a student who best exemplifies living caring in nursing situations. Clinical excellence is demonstrated through practice grounded in caring. Examples of living the philosophy of the College of Nursing in nursing practice situations may include the following:

• Competence: Brings in-depth knowledge of the science and art of nursing to nursing situations. Prepares for clinical by researching empirical knowledge necessary to understand the nursing situation and integrates all ways of knowing into practice. Reflects on practice, is open to learning and growth, and shares nursing situations with other students. Is competent with technical skills as well as caring behaviors.
• Compassion: Willingness to enter the patient’s world, being sensitive to the other, demonstrating authentic presence with persons nursed.
• Conscience: Demonstrates personal and professional advocacy and practices from the framework of moral justice.
• Commitment: Exhibits a desire to be with persons nursed, brings energy and joy to practice.
• Confidence: Inspires trust through competence and preparation.
• Comportment: Professional bearing or demeanor expressed through behavior and language while caring for patients.

Nominations are accepted annually in the Spring. Please complete and print the document. 

Clinical Excellence Awards Nomination Form

Clinical Excellence Nomination Form

Leadership Excellence Award Nomination Process

The Leadership Excellence Award is presented to a student who demonstrates leadership among peers, in the College of Nursing, the university, the community, or the profession. This is demonstrated through leadership, advocacy, and mentoring activities that portray respect for person as caring and assist others to grow in competence to know and express caring. The student represents the College and the profession in a way that lives out the philosophy of nursing grounded in caring by creating a culture where each person is encouraged, supported, and valued. Participation in nursing practice, college, university, and community programs and organizations, as well as informal leadership among peers in class or clinical practice may be considered.

Nominations are accepted annually in the Spring. Please complete and print the document. 

Leadership Excellence Awards Nomination Form

Leadership Excellence Nomination Form

Scholar Award Nomination Process

A Scholar is a learned person who is noted for wisdom, knowledge, and judgment. A scholar actively gathers information from multiple ways of knowing including human senses, verbal and written expression, reflection, observation, experience, and reasoning. The scholar’s thoughts are based in intellectual criteria that go beyond subject-matter. Scholars have probing thinking processes and want to extend their thinking. They actively demonstrate reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do.

Nominations are accepted annually in the Spring. Please complete and print the document. 

Scholar Award Nomination Form

Scholar Award Nomination Form

T. Touhy Caring in Gerontological Nursing Award

The overall purpose of this award is to recognize excellence in the care of older adults among undergraduate nursing students and to promote potential for future contributions to Gerontological nursing.

T. Touhy Caring in Gerontological Nursing Award Form

T. Touhy Caring in Gerontological Nursing Award Form