UF College of Nursing alumna Linda H. Aiken, PhD, FAAN, FRCN, RN, (BSN 1964, MSN 1966) at the Claire M. Fagin Leadership Professor in Nursing, Professor of Sociology, and Director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) has been named the 2017 recipient of the International Council of Nurses’ (ICN) Christiane Reimann Prize. Aiken will receive the award at the ICN Congress in Barcelona, Spain on May 27, 2017, where she will also be a keynote speaker on results of her research to improve quality and safety of hospital care and patient outcomes.
The world-renowned ICN award is presented every four years to a nurse who has made a significant impact on the nursing profession internationally, or through the nursing profession for the benefit of humanity.
Aiken conducts research on the health care workforce and quality of health care in the U.S. and globally, and is the author of more than 300 scientific papers. Dr. Aiken has directed studies of the impact of nursing on patient outcomes in over 30 countries. Her seminal research demonstrating the impact of adequate nurse staffing on improving patient outcomes is widely used as a basis for managerial and policy decision-making.
In early 2016, Aiken committed $1 million to endow the Linda Harman Aiken Professorship to support excellence in nursing research at the College of Nursing. She was also presented with a special Legacy Award in recognition of her commitment to the college, the University of Florida and the nursing profession. Aiken has received many major awards from her alma mater, including Distinguished Alumni, a Top Woman Leader, and she was presented with an honorary doctorate in 2006.
Aiken has received the major research awards in her field of health services and policy research. In 2014, she received the Gustav O. Lienhard Award from the National Academy of Medicine for her research, which has impacted practice and policy in the US and more than 30 countries. She has also been honored as the first nurse to receive the top awards in health services research, including the Distinguished Investigator Award from AcademyHealth and the Baxter Graham Prize in Health Services Research from the Association of University Programs in Health Administration.