ACNAP Distinguished Service Award

About the award

The ACNAP Distinguished Service Award was introduced in 2023 to reward nurses or allied professionals who have demonstrated long term outstanding commitment and contribution to the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions (ACNAP).

The award is presented during ACNAP Congress each year.

Who is eligible?

The ACNAP Distinguished Service Award is open to nurses and allied professionals with an active ACNAP Silver Membership and with a proven and long-term commitment to ACNAP activities. 

Selection process and rules

Each year, each ACNAP Board member is invited to nominate one candidate for the award. The ACNAP Committee Chairpersons may also put forward one additional name which is proposed after consultation with and on behalf of the committee members.

Each proposal should include information on the nominee's accomplishments and contributions to ACNAP.

The nomination process is confidential to ensure the privacy and integrity of the selection process.

The winner is required to attend ACNAP Congress of the same year to receive his / her honorary plaque.

Selection Committee

A selection committee is responsible for reviewing nominations and determining the recipient of the award. The Selection Committee is composed of the ACNAP Executive Board.

The selection committee evaluates nominees based on specific criteria:

• Significant contributions to ACNAP and the ACNAP community.
• Leadership and innovation in their work.
• Positive impact or influence on others.
• Sustained commitment to the field of cardiovascular health.
• Ethical conduct.

Timeline

The nomination process begins approximately three months before the annual ACNAP Congress. The winner is informed one month before the congress and asked to confirm his/her attendance at the congress to receive the honorary plaque.

ACNAP Distinguished Service Award Winner 2023

Prof. Tiny Jaarsma, Sweden

Congratulations to Prof. Tiny Jaarsma who won this first year's award in recognition of outstanding commitment and contribution to the ESC Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions (ACNAP).

Tiny's background within ACNAP: 

Dr Tiny Jaarsma is a professor in nursing science. Her research focuses on the consequences of chronic heart disease for patients and their families and developing and testing interventions to enhance their self-care. Professor Jaarsma’s dedication to ACNAP, previously CCNAP and the Working Group on Cardiovascular Nursing (WGCN), extends over two decades. She was the Chair of the WGCN in 2000 and the founding Editor-in Chief of the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing (EJCN) for 20 years. She was member and subsequently Chair of the CCNAP Science Committee and UNITE study group for several years. She has represented ACNAP / CCNAP in the development of over numerous scientific publications, including ESC Guidelines and the ESC Textbook of Cardiovascular Nursing. She recently co-authored the ACNAP Core Curriculum for Cardiovascular Nurses and Allied Professionals. Professor Jaarsma is part of the ACNAP mentorship programme and she was also the local host of EuroHeartCare Congress (the former name of ACNAP Congress) in Amsterdam in 2000 and in Jonkoping in 2017. She gave the first ESC Florence Nightingale lecture in nurse-led research in 2020.