In 1992, the CANAC/ACIIS Awards of Excellence were established to recognize members who have demonstrated excellence in HIV/AIDS clinical practice, or who have made an exceptional contribution to the development of nursing in HIV/AIDS care. Annually, the CANAC/ACIIS membership is invited to nominate members to receive an Award of Excellence. The Awards are presented in a special ceremony during the Annual CANAC Conference gala dinner.

Jill Sullivan Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice

This award is named in memory of Jill Sullivan; a pioneer in the delivery of HIV/AIDS nursing care in Canada. The recipient of this award is a nurse who consistently demonstrates excellence in the application of skill and knowledge in her/his nursing practice. In addition to her/his clinical expertise, this nurse brings an approach to caring for people with HIV/AIDS, their families and friends that serves as a source of inspiration to patients, peers and colleagues.

Exceptional Contribution to the Development of Nursing in HIV/AIDS Care

This award recognises the exceptional contribution made by a nurse working in the area of clinical practice, education, research and/or administration to the advancement of Nursing's role in HIV/AIDS care. The recipient of this award is a nurse who demonstrates outstanding leadership in her/his role. The vision and commitment this nurse brings to her/his position motivates other nurses to participate in affecting change. Overall, the impact of the recipient's contribution to the development of HIV/AIDS nursing and to people living with and/or vulnerable to HIV should reach beyond her/his working environment.

Newcomer of the Year

Providing care to individuals living with and/or vulnerable to HIV/AIDS can be both rewarding and frustrating at the same time. CANAC/ACIIS acknowledges the learning challenges and emotional burdens faced by nurses entering the field of HIV/AIDS care. This category recognises a member who has 'braved the storm and survived' their entry into the field of HIV/AIDS. Nominees in this award category must:

Nominees must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Any member in good standing (i.e. membership is up to date) is eligible to nominate a fellow member for an Award of Excellence. All submissions must include the following:

• A completed nomination form signed by the nominator.
• A letter describing why the person is being nominated and how the nominee meets the criteria of the Award he/she is being nominated for.

Letters of support from other members and/or non-members (i.e. co-workers, supervisors, etc) may also be submitted in addition to the above. Please note that excerpts from the information provided in letters of support may be used in the presentations made during the Awards ceremony.

The Nominations Committee is responsible for implementing the Awards selection process which involves three steps.

Step 1	Verification of submissions against eligibility criteria.	Nominations Committee
Step 2	For each award category, submissions are reviewed in depth before being ranked in order of merit.	Nominations Committee
Step 3	The results of Step 2 are reviewed / discussed; final selection of award recipients.	CANAC Board of Directors

It is a CANAC/ACIIS tradition that the names of award recipients remain confidential until they are announced at the Awards ceremony during the Annual CANAC Conference. Experience has shown that this practice brings an element of excitement to the Awards ceremony resulting in a powerful display of recognition and mutual support. In the event an award recipient is not among the delegation attending the ceremony, arrangements will be made to present the award in an appropriate fashion at a later date. Nominees not selected to receive an Award this year, will receive a certificate of recognition.

Before submitting your nomination, please ensure that:

Your membership (and that of your nominee) is up to date.
You checked one of the three Award categories on the Nomination Form.
The nominee's name is spelled correctly.
Your contact information is complete in case we need to reach you.
Your signature is on the Nomination Form.
You attach a letter of support describing why the person is being nominated and how the nominee meets the Award eligibility criteria.

Please mail or e-mail your completed nomination form and letter of support to:

CANAC Nominations Committee
CANAC/ACIIS
P.O. Box 93
Pontypool, ON L0A 1K0

E-mail: info@canac.org

The deadline for receipt of nominations is: March 19th, 2008

For more information please contact:
Jennifer Shaw, Executive Assistant
Email: jennifer.shaw3@sympatico.ca