AJC salutes 10 of the region’s top nurses and 1 nurse leader

For the 20th consecutive year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has celebrated 10 of the region’s best nurses and one outstanding nurse leader.

During National Nurses Month, the AJC proudly honors exceptional nurses from across the metro Atlanta area — recognizing nursing excellence and showcasing remarkable individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary skill, compassion, bravery and dedication to health care in our communities.

This year’s Celebrating Nurses awards luncheon was May 8 at Flourish Atlanta in Buckhead. Ella Dorsey, meteorologist at WANF Atlanta News First, served as master of ceremony.

“Nurses serve on the front lines of public health. They are lifesavers, caregivers, and fierce advocates for patients and their families,” said Andrew Morse, publisher of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s our great honor to recognize 2025’s Celebrating Nurses award winners.”

Bosses, colleagues, friends and patients are invited annually to nominate nurses who they believe exemplify the best in their profession. Ten of the nominees received an AJC Nurse Excellence Award, and one was given an AJC Nurse Leader Award.

This year, the paper received 767 nominations, plus 172 for nurse leader. Among the winners were a nurse who brings fun to her job with brightly colored stickers containing uplifting messages; one who goes out of his way to connect to patients, including replacing a broken bike; and one who continues to ensure patients and their families get extra time together.

A committee of judges spent five weeks reading through the nominations and selecting the winners.

Credit: Duke University School of Nursing

Credit: Duke University School of Nursing

Felecia Sanchious, ARNP at Tampa Bay Radiation Oncology; Kyungeh An, professor, associate dean, chief academic officer at Georgia State University; and Jennifer Shepherd, director, Nursing Practice, Work Environment and Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation for the American Nurses Association, judged the nominees for the 10 Celebrating Nurses awards.

Selecting the nurse leader winner were Claudia Grooms, dean of the School of Nursing at Chattahoochee Technical College, and Angela Pointer, director of talent acquisition at Sentara Healthcare.

The luncheon guest speaker was Ernest J. Grant, vice dean of the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at Duke University’s School of Nursing. He is the immediate past-president of the American Nursing Association, and the first male to hold the position. Grant is a recognized burn care and fire safety expert, currently serving as the burn outreach coordinator for the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill.

Read about our 2025 winners