In praise of nurses

America's 3.4 million nurses serve in a variety of settings, from the bedside to the C-suite and from the OR to the dean's office. During most healthcare visits, a nurse will be the first caregiver a patient encounters. In a growing number of situations, advanced-practice nurses, who typically have master's degrees, will be the only caregiver a patient sees.

Modern Healthcare launched its Excellence in Nursing Awards—which in its inaugural year is sponsored by the ANA Enterprise, the umbrella organization that includes the American Nurses Association—to shine a spotlight on the diverse and critical roles these clinicians, managers and executives play in delivering high-quality, compassionate care. We profile the three award winners in this special section.

We are especially honored to present the Lillian Carter Exemplary Acts in Nursing Award—presented in partnership with the Lillian Carter Center for Global Health & Social Responsibility at the Emory University School of Nursing in Atlanta. The award recognizes a nurse or nursing program that stands out for providing healthcare in areas of special need. It's named after President Jimmy Carter's late mother, affectionately known as Miss Lillian, who worked as a nurse in community hospitals and nursing homes before, late in her career, joining the Peace Corps to continue serving and caring for others abroad.

More than 150 nominations were received for these awards. We thank our judges, eight distinguished nursing leaders (See p. 18), for taking on the challenging job of choosing among the many high-caliber nominees submitted. We also thank all nursing professionals for their service.