The NONPF Board of Directors selected Charlene Hanson for the award in recognition of her vision and accomplishments in successfully developing and promoting the nurse practitioner role. Dr. Hanson meets and exceeds each of the possible criteria for selection of the Lifetime Achievement Award: (1) Provides leadership in new programs, models, and research related to nurse practitioners; (2) promotes the role of nurse practitioners through political, media, organizational, academic, and other processes; (3) attains leadership positions of distinction in the academic, government, and/or community arena; and (4) supports NONPF’s mission through her many contributions.

Dr. Hanson has been a long-time nurse practitioner clinician and educator, providing leadership and mentoring to many in the profession over her years of service. She served as president of NONPF (1994-1995) and has headed many special initiatives and committees within the organization. From 1996-1997, she co-facilitated the National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education resulting in the development of the nationally-recognized Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs. Building on this accomplishment, she has headed NONPF’s efforts to develop a continuous quality improvement (CQI) program that will provide a consultative service for nurse practitioner educational programs. She is a professor in the School of Nursing at Georgia Southern University and maintains a clinical practice in rural Georgia as a family nurse practitioner.

NONPF established the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000 to recognize stellar individuals as a means to remind us of our history and promote these individuals as role models for others. Selection of recipients for the award is at the discretion of the NONPF Board of Directors, and the award is not necessarily given annually.