About ENA
The ENA mission is to lead the advancement of excellence and innovation in emergency nursing through research, education, resources, advocacy and collaboration.
ENA's vision is a world where every emergency nurse is fully supported to provide the highest quality care.
Derived from the vision of ENA’s co-founders Judith Kelleher and Anita Dorr, ENA's priorities are guided by these values and beliefs. ENA believes …
- In the inclusion and contributions of nursing, in collaboration with healthcare partners worldwide, to explore innovative solutions to the challenges of emergency care delivery.
- Compassion is an essential element of the emergency nursing profession.
- We should embrace inclusion, diversity and mutual respect in all interactions and initiatives to promote the essential value of different perspectives and experiences within emergency nursing.
- Visit ENA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity webpage for more on how we work to create a healthy and welcoming environment for ENA staff and members
- In a team-based delivery of resources that meet the highest quality standards of excellence for patients and emergency nurses.
- Emergency care evolves through lifelong learning and a culture of inquiry for the discovery and integration of evidence-based research into emergency nursing practice.
- ENA's Code of Ethics establishes and encourages adherence to principles of honesty and integrity.
- The spirit of philanthropy allows the advancement of the profession of emergency nursing and improves the lives of patients throughout the world.
- We place the highest value on our members for their contributions to the care of patients and their families, the emergency nursing profession, and our organization.
Five-Year Strategic Plan
As part of its mission to lead the advancement of excellence and innovation in emergency nursing, ENA is guided by its 2025-2030 Strategic Plan to achieve its vision of a world where every emergency nurse is fully supported to provide the highest quality of patient care. The ENA Board of Directors updated and approved the plan in September 2024 with the following strategic areas of focus:
- Professional Excellence
- Advocacy
- Community
- Membership
- Operational Excellence
Annual Report
Inspire
ENA and its members found a new spark in 2023, one focused on seizing opportunities and motivating others through inspiration. Emergency nurses looked inward to find what inspired them to grow and succeed, while also seeking ways to inspire those around them. ENA did the same. Knowing the challenges emergency nurses face did not lessen throughout the year, the association tapped into the determined spirit of ED nurses to build energy and excitement that yielded solutions and progress which will carry on well beyond 2023.
Academy of Emergency Nursing
Since 2004, the Academy of Emergency Nursing has honored more than 200 emergency nurses who have made enduring, substantial contributions to emergency nursing. Academy inductees, known as Fellows, have advanced the specialty of emergency nursing, including the health care system in which emergency nurses extensively contribute to patient care. This prestigious group provides visionary leadership to ENA and the Academy.
Lantern Award
A recognition award given to emergency departments that exemplify exceptional practice and innovative performance in the core areas of leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research. The award is a visible symbol of an emergency department’s commitment to quality, presence of a healthy work environment, and accomplishment in incorporating evidence-based practice and innovation into emergency care.
Achievement Awards
Recognizes individuals who exemplify exceptional performance in professional practice, innovation, leadership or advocacy. Achievement Award recipients have been described as role models, mentors and leaders in the emergency nursing specialty.
Council Achievement Awards
Recognizing ENA councils for achieving best practices and organizational excellence during the prior year in the following core areas: administration/governance; communications/public relations; education; membership; and advocacy/government affairs.
Learn more about the Council Achievement Awards
Congratulations to the 2024 State Council Achievement Award recipients:
- Florida ENA State Council
- Illinois ENA State Council
- Louisiana ENA State Council
- Maryland ENA State Council
- Minnesota ENA State Council
- North Carolina ENA State Council
- South Carolina ENA State Council
- Texas ENA State Council
- Washington ENA State Council
State Council Innovative Project Award Recipient
North Carolina ENA State Council for implementing its first global health initiative, called ENCare, to provide a service opportunity for emergency nurses to work collaboratively with international partners to impact health care inequity.
Journal of Emergency Nursing Awards
The “JEN Author of the Year”, and “JEN Reviewers of the Year” awards recognize excellence in contributions to the Journal of Emergency Nursing.
Congratulations to the 2024 JEN award recipients:
JEN Author(s) of the Year:
Matthew J. Douma, MN, RN; Calah Myhre, BScN; Samina Ali, MD; Tim A.D. Graham, MD; Kim Ruether, MA; Peter G. Brindley, MD; Katie N. Dainty, PhD; Katherine E. Smith, MD; Carmel L. Montgomery, PhD; Liz Dennet, MLIS; Christopher Picard, MN; Kate Frazer, PhD and Thilo Kroll, PhD for their research paper, “What Are the Care Needs of Families Experiencing Sudden Cardiac Arrest? A Survivor- and Family-Performed Systematic Review, Qualitative Meta-Synthesis, and Clinical Practice Recommendations.”
Dawn Peta, BN, RN, ENC(C); Alison Day, PhD, PGCE, RN, FAEN; Walter Sergio Lugari, BSN, RN, FKP-NP; Vanessa Gorman, MSN, BSN, RN; Nurul’Ain Ahayalimudin, PhD, RN, CEN, OHN; and Vientiane Melchizedek T. Pajo, BSN, RN, CEN, TCRN for their clinical paper, “Triage – A Global Perspective.”
JEN Reviewers of the Year Award:
Judith Young Bradford, DNS, MSN, RN, FAEN
Christopher DePesa, PhD, RN
Significant Contributor of the Year Award:
Anne P. Manton, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, FAEN, FAAN
Travel through ENA's history to learn about its co-founders, headquarters locations, the ENA Foundation and more.
ENA Recognition
ENA is honored to be recognized by several national organizations such as the American Society for Association Executives for our work advocating for patient safety and excellence in emergency nursing. ENA has been recognized over the years for excellence in areas ranging from crisis communications to redesigned membership materials and a successful online learning management system launch.
