Carolyn Dickens selected as Illinois recipient of AANP award
Carolyn Dickens selected as Illinois recipient of AANP award
Carolyn Dickens, PhD ’17, ACNP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, associate dean for faculty practice and partnerships at UIC Nursing and member of the Department of Medicine, was selected as the Illinois recipient of the 2026 American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) State Award for Outstanding Contributions.
Only one individual from each state is selected to receive the award.
The award honors individuals who have made significant strides in advancing health care through practice, education, advocacy, research and leadership, and have demonstrated efforts to advance the image, profile and visibility of nurse practitioners.
“Each of these honorees exemplifies the very best of our profession,” said AANP president Valerie Fuller, PhD, DNP. “Their dedication to advancing patient care, strengthening our communities and elevating the role of nurse practitioners is truly inspiring. AANP is proud to recognize their leadership and the meaningful difference they make every day.”
In addition to Dickens’ work as associate dean, she is a board-certified nurse practitioner who specializes in heart failure and cardiovascular disease at UI Health.
With a grant from the Community Health Advocacy Program, she developed a video series to promote empathy between nurses and patients to curb rising incivility in health care settings. She is also an advocate for integrating nurse practitioners and physician assistants into medical ICU teams, publishing a “how-to” guide in the journal CHEST, the American College of Chest Physicians, last year.
Dickens was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing, one of the highest honors in nursing, in October 2025.
Award recipients will be honored for this achievement at the Salute to the States Award Ceremony on June 26, 2026, at the 2026 AANP National Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.