Honoring the outstanding contributions of my family nursing colleagues around the world who have helped to develop and advance family nursing has been a joyful privilege for me as Editor of the Journal of Family Nursing. I had the pleasure of first recognizing and offering Family Nursing Awards to outstanding family nursing scholars in 2005 at the 7th International Family Nursing Conference in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Between 2005-2011, Journal of Family Nursing Awards were offered to 37 recipients from 8 countries. Here is a history of these important awards.
(In 2015, the International Family Nursing Association began offering awards to recognize outstanding contributions to family nursing/family health by IFNA members and included a Partner Award to recognize non-IFNA members and individuals outside of the discipline of Nursing, including associations, corporations, or non-profit organizations who demonstrate sustained investment and excellence in advancing family focused health care).
Definitions of Journal of Family Nursing Awards:
Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Award – this award recognizes persons for outstanding contribution to the development of family nursing through either cumulative career achievement and/or a single contribution that has played a seminal role in the field.
Innovative Contribution to Family Nursing Award – this award recognizes persons who have provided leadership in innovatively disseminating and implementing family nursing theory, research, and/or practice in their countries and languages.
Description of the Award Ceremony:
Each award recipient was given a framed certificate donated from personal funds of Dr. Janice M. Bell, Editor of the Journal of Family Nursing with a conference logo in the background (see Figure below). A tribute to the individual was offered by a colleague or by Dr. Bell and published in the Journal of Family Nursing (see attached bibliography). Recipients of the first Distinguished Contribution Awards in 2005 were also gifted a Tiffany eternity circle necklace. Recipients of the first Innovative Contribution Awards in 2005 were also gifted a silverplate engraved letter opener.
7th International Family Nursing Conference (IFNC7) June 1-4, 2005, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
IFNC7 Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Award
(Outstanding contribution to the development of family nursing: Authors of foundational family nursing textbooks in a 2nd edition or more)
Dr. Perri Bomar, USA
Dr. Marilyn Friedman, USA
Dr. Shirley Hanson, USA
Dr. Maureen Leahey, Canada
Dr. Lorraine Wright, Canada
IFNC7 Innovative Contribution to Family Nursing Award
(Foundational family nursing leaders who are innovatively disseminating and implementing family nursing in their countries and languages)
Dr. Margareth Angelo, Brazil
Dr. Eva Benzein, Sweden
Dr. Wannee Deoisres, Thailand
Dr. Fabie Duhamel, Canada
Dr. Michiko Moriyama, Japan
Dr. Britt-Inger Saveman, Sweden
Dr. Chieko Sugishita, Japan
Dr. Erla Kolbrun Svavarsdottir, Iceland
Dr. Chintana Wacharasin, Thailand
Dr. Dorothy Whyte, Scotland
8th International Family Nursing Conference (IFNC8) June 4-7, 2007, Bangkok, Thailand
IFNC8 Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Research Award
(Outstanding contribution to the development of family nursing research)
Dr. Catherine “Kit” Chesla, USA
Dr. Suzanne Feetham, USA
Dr. Catherine Gilliss, USA
Dr. Marilyn McCubbin, USA
The research team of Drs. Kathleen A. Knafl, Janet A. Deatrick, and Agatha Gallo, USA
IFNC8 Innovative Contribution to Family Nursing Award
(Foundational family nursing leaders who have/and continue to innovatively disseminate and implement family nursing in Thailand)
Dr. Darunee Jongudomkarn, Thailand
Dr. Kobkul Phancharoenworakul, Thailand
Dr. Rutja Phuphaibul, Thailand
Dr. Suntharawadee Thienpichet, Thailand
9th International Family Nursing Conference (IFNC9) June 2-5, 2009, Reykjavik, Iceland
IFNC9 Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Award
(Outstanding contribution to the development of family nursing)
Dr. Päivi Åstedt-Kurki, Finland
Dr. Marcia Van Riper, USA
Dr. Janice M. Bell, Canada (surprise award created and awarded by Dr. Suzanne Feetham, Dr. Kathleen Knafl, Dr. Lorraine Wright, and Dr. Erla Svavarsdottir. Not included in the total of N=37 awards)
IFNC9 Innovative Contribution to Family Nursing Award
(Innovative dissemination and implementation of family nursing through the Landspitali University Hospital Family Nursing Implementation Project)
Anna Stefánsdóttir, RN, MSc, Iceland
Anna Ólafía Sigurðardóttir, RN, MS, Iceland
Elísabet Konráðsdóttir, RN, MSc, Iceland
Eydís Kristín Sveinbjarnardóttir, RN, MSN, Iceland
10th International Family Nursing Conference (IFNC10) June 24-28, 2011, Kyoto, Japan
IFNC10 Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Award
(Outstanding contribution to the development of family nursing)
Dr. Larry Ganong, USA
IFNC10 Innovative Contribution to Family Nursing Award
(Foundational family nursing leaders who have/and continue to innovatively disseminate and implement family nursing in Japan)
Dr. Kazuko Ishigaki, Japan
Dr. Sayumi Nojima, Japan
Dr. Kazuko Suzuki, Japan
IFNC10 Innovative Contribution to Family Nursing Award
(Exceptional early career contribution to disseminating and implementing family nursing by a new scholar)
Dr. Nami Kobayashi, Japan
JOURNAL OF FAMILY NURSING AWARDS – Publications
Bibliography developed by Janice M. Bell, RN, PhD: Editor, Journal of Family Nursing
Bell, J. M. (2005). Profiles in family nursing leadership: Honoring the authors of family nursing textbooks [Editorial]. Journal of Family Nursing, 11(3), 191-194.doi:10.1177/1074840705279384 (Dr. Marilyn Friedman, Dr. Lorraine Wright, Dr. Maureen Leahey, Dr. Perri Bomar, Dr. Shirley Hanson)
Bell, J. M. (2007). Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Award: Dr. Lorraine M. Wright [Editorial]. Journal of Family Nursing, 13(1), 3-8. doi:10.1177/1074840706297947
Bell, J. M. (2007). Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Award: Dr. Marilyn Friedman [Editorial]. Journal of Family Nursing, 13(3), 287-289. doi:10.1177/1074840707304863
Bell, J. M. (2007). Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Award: Dr. Perri J. Bomar [Editorial]. Journal of Family Nursing, 13(3), 290-292. doi:10.1177/1074840707304867
Bell, J. M. (2007). Innovative Contribution to Family Nursing Award 2007: Recognizing Family Nursing leaders in Thailand. Journal of Family Nursing, 13(4), 503-508. doi:10.1177/1074840707309614 (Dr. Kobkul Phancharoenworakul, Dr. Rutja Phuphaibul, Dr. Darunee Jongudomkarn, Dr. Suntharawadee Thienpichet)
Bell, J. M. (2008). Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Research Award (2007): Catherine L. Gilliss, DNSc, RN, FAAN. Journal of Family Nursing, 14(2), 157-161. doi:10.1177/1074840708318763
Bell, J. M. (2008). Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Research Award (2007): Suzanne L. Feetham, PhD, RN, FAAN. Journal of Family Nursing, 14(2), 147-150. doi:10.1177/1074840708317052
Bell, J. M. (2008). Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Research Award (2007): The research team of Kathleen A. Knafl, Janet A. Deatrick, and Agatha Gallo. Journal of Family Nursing, 14(2), 151-156. doi:10.1177/1074840708318764
Bell, J. M. (2010). Innovative Contribution to Family Nursing Award 2009: Anna Stefánsdóttir, RN, MSc; Anna Ólafía Sigurðardóttir, RN, MS; Elísabet Konráðsdóttir, RN, MSc; and Eydís Kristín Sveinbjarnardóttir, RN, MSN. Journal of Family Nursing, 16(1), 3-7. doi:10.1177/1074840709357683
Bell, J. M. (2011). Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Award 2011: Lawrence H. Ganong, PhD. Journal of Family Nursing, 17(3), 283-290. doi:10.1177/1074840711417691
Bell, J. M. (2011). Innovative Contribution to Family Nursing Award 2011: Kazuko Ishigaki, RN, PHN, PhD; Kazuko Suzuki, RN, PHN, DSN; Sayumi Nojima, RN, PHN, DSN; and Nami Kobayashi, RN, CHN, PhD. Journal of Family Nursing, 17(4), 411-415. doi:10.1177/1074840711424966
Bell, J. M., & Moules, N. J. (2005). Profiles in family nursing leadership: Innovative contributors [Editorial]. Journal of Family Nursing, 11(4), 313-323. doi:10.1177/1074840705280774 (Dr. Chieko Sugishita, Dr. Michiko Moriyama, Dr. Britt-Inger Saveman, Dr. Eva Benzein, Dr. Margareth Angelo, Dr. Erla Kolbrun Svavarsdottir, Dr. Wannee Deoisres, Dr. Chintana Wacharasin, Dr. Dorothy Whyte, Dr. Fabie Duhamel)
Feetham, S. (2008). Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Research Award (2007): Marilyn McCubbin, PhD, RN, FAAN. Journal of Family Nursing, 14(1), 3-10. doi:10.1177/1074840707312797
Gilliss, C. L. (2008). Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Research Award (2007): Catherine “Kit” Chesla, DNSc, RN, FAAN. Journal of Family Nursing 14(1), 11-15. doi:10.1177/1074840707312796
Houger Limacher, L. (2007). Tribute to Dr. Maureen Leahey offered by Lori Houger Limacher, RN, PhD [Guest Editorial]. Journal of Family Nursing, 13(1), 9-12. doi:10.1177/1074840706297986
Kaakinen, J. (2007). Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Award: Dr. Shirley May Harmon Hanson. Journal of Family Nursing, 13(2), 151-156. doi:10.1177/10748407070130020102
Knafl, K. A. (2009). Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Award 2009: Marcia Van Riper, RN, PhD. Journal of Family Nursing,15,(4), 412-416. doi:10.1177/1074840709349039
Kobayashi, N., & Bell, J. M. (2005). Profiles in Family Nursing Leadership: Dr. Chieko Sugishita. Journal of Family Nursing, 11(1), 87-89, doi:10.1177/1074840705276387
Saveman,B.-I. (2009). Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Award (2009): Päivi Åstedt-Kurki, PhD, RN. Journal of Family Nursing, 15(3), 267-272. doi:10.1177/1074840709341474