International Awards for Nursing Excellence

View All International Awards for Nursing Excellence Recipients

Leadership and Professionalism

Amy J. Berman Geriatric Nursing Leadership

The Amy J. Berman Geriatric Nursing Leadership Award is bestowed upon an individual who has contributed to collaborative practice through involvement in interprofessional teams and defined commitment to gerontological nursing. Sigma membership is required.

Criteria | Rubric

Daniel J. Pesut Spirit of Renewal

The Daniel J. Pesut Spirit of Renewal Award is awarded to a nurse leader whose efforts to renew self and others exemplify purposeful reflection in practice, mindful understanding of human interrelationships, and display an appreciative, futuristic vision for the practice of nursing. Sigma membership is required.

Criteria | Rubric

Dorothy Ford Buschmann Outstanding New Member Award

The Dorothy Ford Buschmann Outstanding New Member Award recognizes a member inducted between 1 March 2020 and 1 March 2025 whose nursing practice and contributions to their chapter have positively impacted Sigma, the chapter, and the nursing or healthcare profession. Sigma membership is required.

Criteria | Rubric

Excellence in Leadership, Mary Tolle Wright Award  

This Founders Award recognizes extraordinary excellence in leadership, impacting nursing through visionary and innovative approaches, and developing nursing leaders and leadership. Sigma membership is required.

Criteria | Rubric

Excellence in Service, Dorothy Garrigus Adams Award

This Founders Award recognizes extraordinary excellence in service, celebrating voluntary service in projects that address global health disparities, healthcare, the nursing profession, and Sigma. Sigma membership is required.

Criteria | Rubric

Melanie C. Dreher Award for Outstanding Chapter Support

The Melanie C. Dreher Award for Outstanding Chapter Support recognizes the administrator and/or institution whose contributions in promoting Sigma's mission, vision, and goals have exceeded expectations, supporting the health and longevity of its Sigma chapter. All active Sigma chapters are eligible to submit a nomination.

Criteria | Rubric

Virginia K. Saba Nursing Informatics Leadership Award

The Virginia K. Saba Nursing Informatics Leadership Award honors an individual for their innovative and cutting-edge work in nursing informatics. The work must have resulted in a significant development, sustained contributions to advance nursing informatics, and achieved a recognizable and momentous public benefit. Sigma membership is required.

Criteria | Rubric

Nursing Practice

Audrey Hepburn Award for Contributions to the Health and Welfare of Children

The Audrey Hepburn Award for Contributions to the Health and Welfare of Children was established to honor Ms. Hepburn’s extraordinary work on behalf of children in need. This award is presented to a nurse who has made significant contributions to the health and well-being of children. Sigma membership is required.

Criteria | Rubric

Excellence in Creativity & Innovation, Edith Moore Copeland Founders Award

This Founders Award recognizes extraordinary excellence in creativity and innovation, displayed through collaboration, optimization of practice and academe environments, adoption of technology, and many other creative activities to impact nursing education, practice, or research. Sigma membership is required.

Criteria | Rubric

Excellence in Nursing Practice, Marie Hippensteel Lingeman Award

This Founders Award recognizes extraordinary excellence in nursing practice, celebrating an individual who fosters an environment that promotes and values questioning, data-based decision making, and synthesis of new knowledge to improve practice and clinical outcomes. Sigma membership is required.

Criteria | Rubric

Helen Henry Excellence of Interprofessional Care

Established by Bonnie Wesorick, RN, MSN, in honor of her mother, the Helen Henry Excellence of Interprofessional Care Award recognizes nurses and their partners collaborating to provide care at the bedside. Any interprofessional team composed of a registered nurse with a baccalaureate degree and other health professionals is eligible.

Criteria | Rubric

Lucie S. Kelly Mentor Award

The Lucie S. Kelly Mentor Award recognizes the influence that role models and mentors in the nursing profession have on the lives and careers of others. This mentor has had a significant impact of the career progression of nurse leaders and the nursing profession. Sigma membership is required.

Criteria | Rubric

Research and Education

Episteme Award

The Baxter International Foundation’s Episteme Award is presented to a nurse scientist or team of nurse scientists for highly significant research, acknowledging a major breakthrough in nursing knowledge development that impacts the underserved in at least one of the following areas: relating to nutrition/malnutrition, clean water and sanitation, or diabetes prevention. The Episteme Laureate will be a plenary speaker at convention.

Criteria | Rubric

Excellence in Research, Elizabeth McWilliams Miller Founders Award

This Founders Award recognizes extraordinary excellence in research. Research should increase knowledge on a topic/issue, aiming to improve and/or transform health. Research should be available for use in clinical practice, education, administration, research, and/or public knowledge. Sigma membership is required.

Criteria | Rubric

Research Dissertation Award

The Research Dissertation Award recognizes a nurse whose dissertation is exceptionally meritorious and exemplifies high standards of scholarship and knowledge development. The nominee is required to have completed (defended) a dissertation (or country equivalent) between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2026.

Criteria | Rubric

Excellence in Education, Elizabeth Russell Belford Award

This Founders Award recognizes extraordinary excellence in education, celebrating inclusive educational experience: nursing interprofessional, practice, community health, and/or public awareness Sigma membership is required.

Criteria | Rubric

Communications

Capstone International Nursing Book Award

The Capstone International Nursing Book Award recognizes the excellence of an outstanding book published by nurses. Any nursing book published between 2 February 2025 and 1 February 2027 is eligible. The book must be published by close of eligibility period and submitted in English. Publishers, authors, or readers may submit a nomination.

Criteria | Rubric

Creative Communications Award

The Creative Communication Award recognizes communicators, information specialists, photojournalists, and other creatives who pursue excellence in communicating nursing’s rich and diverse stories using print, film, television, digital media, art, or other types of communication. Materials must be produced between 1 March 2025 and 1 March 2027.

Criteria | Rubric 

Awards conferred by the Sigma International Board of Directors 

Archon Award

The Archon Awards are granted to individuals or groups, regardless of their profession, who have made health a major aspect of their lives, and their efforts have created significant change that is national or transnational in scope. In all of their endeavors, they embody the Sigma values of love, honor, and courage.

Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award

The Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who are not nurses whose good works have enhanced the human condition globally.

Nell J. Watts Lifetime Achievement Award in Nursing

The Nell J. Watts Lifetime Achievement Award in Nursing recognizes Sigma members whose demonstrated achievement in nursing has spanned a lifetime career.