ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - Jan. 21, 2026 – The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recognized a record 580 units from more than 300 hospitals that successfully applied for the Beacon Award for Excellence in 2025.
The Beacon Award for Excellence is awarded annually to honor hospital units that employ evidence-based practices to improve outcomes and the work environment. The award presents gold, silver and bronze levels of recognition to hospital units that exemplify excellence in professional practice, patient care and outcomes.
In 2025, 16% of applicants received a gold Beacon Award, with 92 units recognized at the top level. Most units received silver awards, with 74% recognized at that level. Bronze awards were received by 10% of the applying units. Units with current Beacon awards are part of a searchable directory on the AACN website.
Beyond honoring individual units, AACN provides them with a quantifiable comparison of performance with the most current and relevant benchmark data (compiled from all participating units).
The Beacon Award recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve unit outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment (HWE) standards. Units that earn this annual award meet specific criteria established by AACN that represent the characteristics and components of the unit environment that nurses can influence to achieve nursing excellence.
AACN President Rebekah Marsh praises the commitment that unit teams who achieve the Beacon Award for Excellence demonstrate by 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.”
Memorial Hermann Health System in the Houston area of Texas was among numerous organizations with multiple Beacon units this year. Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center had 12 units recognized in 2025 – the most for any single hospital. Additional units at Memorial Hermann hospitals in Katy and Cypress also earned Beacon awards.
“Memorial Hermann receiving the most Beacon Awards of Excellence is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the nurses throughout our system,” said Bryan Sisk, senior vice president and chief nursing executive for Memorial Hermann. “The patient is at the center of everything we do, and our outstanding nursing staff is committed every day to transforming challenges into healing and hope, and providing outstanding care and compassionate service that lead to positive patient outcomes.”
Hospital units in 43 states and the District of Columbia were recognized with Beacon Awards. New York, with 80 awards, was the state with the most units receiving Beacon.
Outside the United States, units at three facilities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, received awards: King Khalid University Hospital (three units), KSUMC’s King Abdulaziz University Hospital (three units) and King Faisal Specialist Hospital (one unit).
Beacon units consistently report higher nurse job satisfaction, lower staff turnover and better than average patient outcomes. Results from AACN’s most recent national nurse work environment study indicate that nurses who work in Beacon units and units on the Beacon journey report healthier work environments and higher quality of patient care than nurses who don’t work in Beacon units.
The Beacon Award program is composed of three distinct modules: Patient Outcomes, Work Environment and Nursing Workforce. While units must complete all three modules to be eligible for the Beacon Award, a unit may still receive recognition for top-tier performance at the module level even if only one module is completed.
Recipients of a gold-level Beacon Award demonstrate staff-driven excellence in sustained unit performance and improved patient outcomes that exceed national benchmarks. Silver-level recipients demonstrate continual learning and effective systems to achieve optimal patient care. Bronze-level awardees demonstrate success in developing, deploying and integrating unit-based performance criteria for optimal outcomes.
The application process begins with completion of AACN’s online HWE Assessment Tool prior to Jan. 1 each year, with applications due by Aug. 31. Award recipients are notified before the end of the year.
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. To learn more about the award, visit www.aacn.org/beacon or call 800-899-2226.
About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: For more than 55 years, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has 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.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
27071 Aliso Creek Road, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656;
949-362-2000; www.aacn.org