The CNA board of directors is responsible for honouring those who have made profound and impactful contributions to the nursing profession.
Legacy of Excellence Award: This recognition award was introduced in 2025 and is presented to an organization or association whose long-standing contributions have had a transformative impact on nurses to advance our profession, the health of Canadians, and a healthier environment and society.
Sapphire Award: This award was introduced in 2025 and nurses nominated for this prestigious award have made significant, sustained, and innovative contributions to nursing and the health care of people in Canada and/or the global population.
CNA Order of Merit Awards: These four awards were inaugurated in 2008 and were modified in 2025 to honour excellence in clinical nursing practice. One awardee is selected from each regulated nurse category.
Future of Nursing Awards: These four awards were created in 2025 to honour excellence by student nurses from each regulated nurse category.
CNA Values Awards: These three awards were created in 2025 to honour nurses from any nursing category who exemplify one or more of the following CNA values: courage, diversity, equity, inclusion, and innovation.
Additional awards
Certification Employer Recognition Award: The CNA Certification Program created this annual award in 1999 to honour employers who have demonstrated exemplary support for the certification process in nursing specialties. Applications will open later in 2025. Updates will be shared in our newsletter and on social media.
King Charles III Coronation Medal: These prestigious medals were awarded in spring 2025 to deserving individuals, based on their contributions and impacts within their community, Canada, or as a global citizen. The peer nomination process was opened in spring 2024 and closed in October 2024. Recipients of this award were announced during National Nursing Week 2025 in our newsletter and on social media.