The award cognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’sHealthy Work Environment Standards.The AACN recognized a record 580 units from more than 300 hospitals that sought the Beacon Award for Excellence in 2025.
Award-winning units meet AACN criteria that recognize supportive work environments where nurses can drive clinical excellence.
Silver-level recipients also demonstrate ongoing staff development and quality improvement to achieve optimal patient care.
AACN President Rebekah Marsh praised unit teams that achieved the Beacon Award for Excellence for their dedication to providing safe, patient-centered and evidence-based care to patients and families.
“Congratulations to our AACN Beacon teams for showing what nurses can do when we practice in a healthy work environment,” she said. “This meaningful recognition is more than a point of pride; it demonstrates a commitment to cultivating a thriving workplace, one in which nurses and other team members are empowered to make their optimal contributions.”
About the Beacon Award for Excellence
Established in 2003, AACN’s award recognizes top hospital units that meet standards of excellence in recruitment and retention; education, training and mentoring; research and evidence-based practice; patient outcomes; leadership and organizational ethics; and creation of healthy work environments. Award criteria, which measure systems, outcomes and environments against evidence-based national criteria for excellence, provide a mechanism to enhance patient safety efforts.
About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
For more than 55 years,AACNhas 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 families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. AACN is the world’s largest specialty nursing organization, with more than 134,000 members and over 170 chapters in the United States.
