NEWS
Saint Peter’s University Hospital’s ICU and NICU Nurses Earn Beacon Award for Exceptional Patient Care and Greater Overall Patient Satisfaction
May 15, 2025
New Brunswick, N.J. – May 15, 2025 – The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Saint Peter’s University Hospital and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital have earned the Silver Beacon Award for Excellence by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). This is the seventh Beacon Award for the ICU and the second for the PICU.
The Beacon Award for Excellence, a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments, recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve unit outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards: skilled communication, true collaboration, effective decision making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, and authentic leadership. Units that earn this annual award with a gold, silver or bronze designation meet specific criteria established by AACN that represent the characteristics and components of the unit environment that nurses can influence to achieve nursing excellence. Saint Peter's Cardiac Progressive Care Unit has earned the Beacon Award twice in the past. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital has received the Beacon Award four times in the past and was the first NICU in New Jersey to earn this distinction.
Many units provide exceptional patient care; however, units recognized with the Beacon award distinguish themselves by excelling in many areas demonstrated in their application. Through participation in the Beacon Award Program, units can compare and reflect on their performance compared to global applicants. All awardees demonstrate dynamic and outstanding performance in the areas of patient outcomes through safe medication practices and reduced unit-acquired infections, nursing workforce through competency and mentorship, and work environment through nurse well-being and retention, among other areas.
“This dual recognition of our ICU and PICU with the Silver Beacon Award highlights the extraordinary dedication, skill, and compassion of our critical care nursing teams. It’s a proud moment that reflects their commitment to excellence in delivering high-quality patient care in the most complex environments,” said Linda Carroll, MSN, RN, RN-BC, vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at Saint Peter's Healthcare System.
AACN President Jennifer Adamski, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, CCRN, FCCM, applauds the commitment of the caregivers at Saint Peter’s ICU and NICU for working together to meet and exceed the high standards set forth by the Beacon Award for Excellence to achieve a silver-level designation. These dedicated healthcare professionals join other members of our exceptional community of nurses, who set the standard for optimal patient care.
“The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes caregivers in outstanding units whose consistent and systematic approach to evidence-based care optimizes patient outcomes. Units that receive this national recognition serve as role models to others on their journey to excellent patient and family care,” she explains.
To learn more about Saint Peter’s recognitions, visit saintpetershcs.com/awards.
About Saint Peter’s University Hospital
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, is a 478-bed acute-care teaching hospital sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Saint Peter’s, which received its sixth consecutive designation as a Magnet® hospital for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2020, is also state-designated children’s hospital and a regional perinatal center, and is a regional specialist in diabetes, gastroenterology, head and neck surgery, oncology, orthopedics, and women’s services. Saint Peter’s is the recipient of the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for the adult intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, cardiac progressive care unit and the pediatric intensive care unit. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties, including a nationally recognized Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, pediatric surgery and orthopedic surgery featuring innovative anterior scoliosis correction. The hospital has the state’s only hospital-based, midwifery-led birth center – the Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center, accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers. Saint Peter’s is a sponsor of residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and internal medicine, and is a major clinical affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Visit saintpetershcs.com or call 732.745.8600.
About The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital
The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital is a state-designated acute care children’s hospital and regional perinatal center sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties, including a nationally renowned Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a dedicated Pediatric Emergency Department, adolescent medicine, cancer care, diabetes, orthopedics, surgery, developmental pediatrics, gastroenterology, allergy and immunology, infectious disease medicine, cardiology, nephrology, neurology, pediatric intensive care, pulmonary/sleep medicine, audiology and physical therapy. Other programs and services include Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine, which counsels, tests and treats children with rare diseases; the Craniofacial and Neurosurgical Center, which offers corrective surgery and multidisciplinary support for children born with cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities; the Dorothy B. Hersh Regional Child Protection Center, a state-designated regional Diagnostic and Treatment Center for child abuse prevention; For KEEPs, a partial hospitalization program for children experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties; and the Center for Diabetes Self-Management and Education, which diagnoses and treats children with diabetes and other endocrine disorders.
Saint Peter’s has received Perinatal Care Advanced Certification and Level IV Maternal Levels of Care Verification from the Joint Commission and the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for its Neonatal Intensive Care and Pediatric Intensive Care units. The Dorothy B. Hersh Pediatric Emergency Department is the only pediatric emergency department in New Jersey to earn the Lantern Award (2022-2024) from the Emergency Nurses Association.
About the Beacon Award for Excellence
Established in 2003, the Beacon Award for Excellence offers a road map to help guide exceptional care through improved outcomes and greater overall patient satisfaction. U.S. and Canadian units where patients receive their principal nursing care after hospital admission qualify for this excellence award. Units that receive the Beacon Award for Excellence meet criteria in six categories: leadership structures and systems; appropriate staffing and staff engagement; effective communication, knowledge management, and learning and development; evidence-based practice and processes; and outcome measurement. To learn more, visit www.aacn.org/beacon or call 800-899-2226.
About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, California, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN represents the interests of more than half a million acute and critical care nurses and includes more than 200 chapters in the United States. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. To learn more about AACN, visit www.aacn.org, connect with the organization on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aacnface or follow AACN on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aacnme.
The Beacon Award for Excellence, a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments, recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve unit outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards: skilled communication, true collaboration, effective decision making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, and authentic leadership. Units that earn this annual award with a gold, silver or bronze designation meet specific criteria established by AACN that represent the characteristics and components of the unit environment that nurses can influence to achieve nursing excellence. Saint Peter's Cardiac Progressive Care Unit has earned the Beacon Award twice in the past. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital has received the Beacon Award four times in the past and was the first NICU in New Jersey to earn this distinction.
Many units provide exceptional patient care; however, units recognized with the Beacon award distinguish themselves by excelling in many areas demonstrated in their application. Through participation in the Beacon Award Program, units can compare and reflect on their performance compared to global applicants. All awardees demonstrate dynamic and outstanding performance in the areas of patient outcomes through safe medication practices and reduced unit-acquired infections, nursing workforce through competency and mentorship, and work environment through nurse well-being and retention, among other areas.
“This dual recognition of our ICU and PICU with the Silver Beacon Award highlights the extraordinary dedication, skill, and compassion of our critical care nursing teams. It’s a proud moment that reflects their commitment to excellence in delivering high-quality patient care in the most complex environments,” said Linda Carroll, MSN, RN, RN-BC, vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at Saint Peter's Healthcare System.
AACN President Jennifer Adamski, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, CCRN, FCCM, applauds the commitment of the caregivers at Saint Peter’s ICU and NICU for working together to meet and exceed the high standards set forth by the Beacon Award for Excellence to achieve a silver-level designation. These dedicated healthcare professionals join other members of our exceptional community of nurses, who set the standard for optimal patient care.
“The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes caregivers in outstanding units whose consistent and systematic approach to evidence-based care optimizes patient outcomes. Units that receive this national recognition serve as role models to others on their journey to excellent patient and family care,” she explains.
To learn more about Saint Peter’s recognitions, visit saintpetershcs.com/awards.
About Saint Peter’s University Hospital
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, is a 478-bed acute-care teaching hospital sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Saint Peter’s, which received its sixth consecutive designation as a Magnet® hospital for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2020, is also state-designated children’s hospital and a regional perinatal center, and is a regional specialist in diabetes, gastroenterology, head and neck surgery, oncology, orthopedics, and women’s services. Saint Peter’s is the recipient of the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for the adult intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, cardiac progressive care unit and the pediatric intensive care unit. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties, including a nationally recognized Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, pediatric surgery and orthopedic surgery featuring innovative anterior scoliosis correction. The hospital has the state’s only hospital-based, midwifery-led birth center – the Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center, accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers. Saint Peter’s is a sponsor of residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and internal medicine, and is a major clinical affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Visit saintpetershcs.com or call 732.745.8600.
About The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital
The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital is a state-designated acute care children’s hospital and regional perinatal center sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties, including a nationally renowned Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a dedicated Pediatric Emergency Department, adolescent medicine, cancer care, diabetes, orthopedics, surgery, developmental pediatrics, gastroenterology, allergy and immunology, infectious disease medicine, cardiology, nephrology, neurology, pediatric intensive care, pulmonary/sleep medicine, audiology and physical therapy. Other programs and services include Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine, which counsels, tests and treats children with rare diseases; the Craniofacial and Neurosurgical Center, which offers corrective surgery and multidisciplinary support for children born with cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities; the Dorothy B. Hersh Regional Child Protection Center, a state-designated regional Diagnostic and Treatment Center for child abuse prevention; For KEEPs, a partial hospitalization program for children experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties; and the Center for Diabetes Self-Management and Education, which diagnoses and treats children with diabetes and other endocrine disorders.
Saint Peter’s has received Perinatal Care Advanced Certification and Level IV Maternal Levels of Care Verification from the Joint Commission and the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for its Neonatal Intensive Care and Pediatric Intensive Care units. The Dorothy B. Hersh Pediatric Emergency Department is the only pediatric emergency department in New Jersey to earn the Lantern Award (2022-2024) from the Emergency Nurses Association.
About the Beacon Award for Excellence
Established in 2003, the Beacon Award for Excellence offers a road map to help guide exceptional care through improved outcomes and greater overall patient satisfaction. U.S. and Canadian units where patients receive their principal nursing care after hospital admission qualify for this excellence award. Units that receive the Beacon Award for Excellence meet criteria in six categories: leadership structures and systems; appropriate staffing and staff engagement; effective communication, knowledge management, and learning and development; evidence-based practice and processes; and outcome measurement. To learn more, visit www.aacn.org/beacon or call 800-899-2226.
About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, California, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN represents the interests of more than half a million acute and critical care nurses and includes more than 200 chapters in the United States. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. To learn more about AACN, visit www.aacn.org, connect with the organization on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aacnface or follow AACN on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aacnme.