The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators
Wisconsin League for Nursing and The DAISY Foundation are pleased to announce nominations are OPEN for The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators!
The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators, was introduced in January 2024 and is evolving to include all Nurse Educators in the clinical and academic setting. The purpose of the Award is all-encompassing recognition honors every nurse educator, regardless of their teaching functional role and location.
Undergraduate and graduate students, preceptees, residents, clinicians, and professionals across the spectrum of nursing education, from practical/vocational through advanced practice nurses, are encouraged to nominate educators, NPD practitioners, mentors, and preceptors who have committed themselves to improving practice and advancing patient care. Colleagues of educators and students alike are invited to share compelling stories that highlight teaching, mentoring, compassion, and care.
Some examples of eligible formal nurse educators include, but are not limited to:
- Clinical, lab or simulation instructors
- Staff development specialists
- Clinical nurse educators
-
Preceptors for APRN, RN, LPN/LVN, graduate nurses or pre-licensure nursing students
- Mentors
- Nurse colleagues
- Charge nurses
- Resource nurses
- Clinical leaders
This Award is for eligible nurses who are completing work at Wisconsin DAISY Partner Institutions.
Nominations are Open May 5 - September 12, 2026
RECIPIENT CHARACTERISTICS
PART I - Primary Characteristic: Fosters a compassionate environment where learners flourish.
PART II - Additional Characteristics: Nominee must demonstrate two of the following to positively impact learner(s) growth in practice:
- Facilitates spirit of inquiry and lifelong learning.
- Promotes development and advancement of the learner professional identity.
- Facilitates learner development, socialization, and interpersonal communication.
- Demonstrates a collaborative practice which helps the learner to develop interprofessional relationships.
- Helps the learner to bridge theoretical concepts to clinical practice, which promotes critical thinking and clinical judgment.
- Expert resource using wisdom to demonstrate safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, and patient-centered care.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
- Nominee must demonstrate the Primary Characteristic and at least TWO of the Additional Characteristics.
- Licensed nurse involved in the formation of nurses or nursing students (see examples of formal and informal nurse educator roles in award descriptions).
- Guidance/practice must take place in Wisconsin in a direct and/or simulated patient care setting.
- Current practice in Wisconsin and holds an active unencumbered nursing license.
- Eligible licensed nurses including: Registered Nurse, Advanced Practice Nurse, or Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse.
LIMITATIONS
- The work that the nominee is being recognized for must have been work completed at a Wisconsin DAISY Partner Institution*.
*The nominee does not need to be an employee of a Wisconsin DAISY Partner Institution in order to be eligible to receive the award, so long as the work they are being recognized for was completed at a Wisconsin DAISY Partner Institution and they meet the eligibility criteria.
NOMINATION
Nominations are OPEN through September 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM.
Please note that separate submissions are required for each nominee. Nominations are submitted electronically.
HONOREE RECOGNITION
Updated Annually
- Honoree will be acknowledged by the WLN in writing.
- Honoree will be announced at the WLN Fall Conference.
- Honoree will receive a complimentary one-year WLN membership, one paid registration to attend the WLN Fall Conference, floral bouquet for in-person recognition events, and DAISY gifts (DAISY Nurse Leader Sculpture, certificate, pin and eligibility for other DAISY benefits).
- Honoree will be registered with the DAISY Foundation as a DAISY honoree.
Click Here to Submit a Nomination
Questions? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page or e-mail [email protected].
