A record-breaking 53 emergency departments were honored with a 2023 Emergency Nurses Association Lantern Award this year, the Emergency Nurses Association announced on July 12. Among them, three Georgia hospitals were honored. Piedmont Rockdale Hospital’s emergency department, Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s Barrow emergency department and Gainesville emergency department all took home awards this year.

“Each and every emergency department on this list has worked extremely hard implementing innovations to better their emergency department for staff and patients alike,” ENA President Terry Foster, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CCRN, TCRN, FAEN, said in a press release. “Hearing the excitement these EDs had when notified that they were a recipient was so heart-warming and reminded me of the commitment that ED nurses have to continuous improvement.”

To apply for the Emergency Nurses Association Lantern Award, emergency departments must share stories highlighting their commitment to care and their active initiatives for improving nursing staff’s well-being. Applications are then reviewed and scored by a committee.

“We are grateful to receive this award and be the first ED in the Piedmont system to do so,” Jaime Doan, Piedmont Rockdale’s emergency department manager, said in a press release. “This great achievement shows our team’s dedication and commitment to our patients and of fulfilling Piedmont’s promise in making a positive difference in every life we touch.”

Recipients of the 2023 Emergency Nurses Association Lantern Award will receive an award to display in their emergency departments, as well as receive recognition in the Hall of Honor at Emergency Nursing 2023, the Emergency Nurses Association’s annual San Diego conference.

“We are honored to have our emergency care team recognized as among the best in the country,” Angela Gary, executive director of trauma and emergency services at NGMC, said in a news release. “It’s wonderful to have the hard work and dedication of our physicians, staff, and leadership team recognized, but that’s not why they do what they do. They bring their best every day because they want every patient to recover quickly and return home, happy and healthy.”