The Emergency Nurses Association recently unveiled the 2024 recipients of its coveted ENA Lantern Award. Out of its largest class of winners ever – 94 in total – five are based in New Jersey. 

Established in 2011, the ENA Lantern Award recognizes emergency departments around the country for demonstrating exceptional and innovative leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research. 

Of the five Garden State recipients, three are first-time award winners. Honorees are eligible to apply again after three years. In 2023, six New Jersey departments took home the award. 

To be considered for an ENA Lantern Award, emergency departments submit stories highlighting their commitment to care and the initiatives to improve their nursing staff’s well-being.  

“These departments put so much time and energy into not only the application but work that goes into creating the best patient care and healthy work environments,” ENA President Chris Dellinger said in a July 10 statement. 

ENA Lantern Award winners will be honored at the association’s annual conference in Las Vegas in September. 

New Jersey’s 2024 ENA Lantern Award recipients are: 

• Hackensack University Medical Center Adult Emergency Department, Hackensack
  Hackensack Meridian Health 
• Hackensack University Medical Center Pediatric Emergency Department, Hackensack
  Hackensack Meridian Health 
• Overlook Medical Center Emergency Services, Summit campus
  Atlantic Health System 
• Riverview Medical Center Emergency Department, Red Bank
  Hackensack Meridian Health 
• Saint Peter’s University Hospital Adult Emergency Department, New Brunswick
  Saint Peter’s Healthcare System 

Hackensack University Medical Center’s two departments and Saint Peter’s team were first-time recipients. Click here to see all 94 honorees.

Team validation

In a statement released July 17, Overlook Medical Center celebrated its second consecutive cycle win.  

“I am incredibly proud of the care, research and collaboration the emergency department team at Overlook Medical Center consistently provides to our communities,” said Heather Veltre, Overlook’s chief nursing officer. “The multiple consecutive Lantern Award honors for our team by the Emergency Nurses Association further validate our commitment to excellence.” 

Dr. Andre Bonnet, interim chair of emergency medicine at Overlook, credited the collaboration between the department’s physicians and nurses as key to top-quality patient care. 

According to Overlook, its satellite emergency department in Union is the only unit in the world to receive the Lantern Award for every three-year cycle since the award’s inception. 

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