ABNN Certificant of the Year Award and Application
The application deadline is Friday, October 31, 2025.
The ABNN Certificant of the Year award is presented each year at the AANN Neuroscience Nursing Annual Conference. This annual award recognizes one certified nurse’s outstanding achievements in neuroscience nursing. The certified nurse of the year contributes to neuroscience nursing through
- professional service
- mentoring and education
- patient and staff advocacy
- promotion of the certification.
Help promote the Certificant of the Year Award at your hospital. Print and display the awards flyer to encourage your colleagues to nominate a deserving nurse.
Applications
ABNN Certificant of the Year Award applications are due Friday, October 31, 2025, to Morgan Cassidy, ABNN Operations Administrator, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Nominate yourself or a colleague today.
Past Winners
2025 ABNN Certificant of the Year Winner:
Tina Resser, MSN ACNP-BC FNP-BC CNRN
Recommended by: Molly King and Brad Douglas
Tina Resser is a nurse practitioner in Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery at the Cleveland Clinic. For over 20 years, she has dedicated her career to the management of neurosurgical and neuro critically ill patients. Tina received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She has spoken and published in her clinical area of expertise. Tina was the co-founder of the Cleveland chapter of AANN and loves to educate anyone who will listen about cerebrovascular disease. She regularly precepts and lectures graduate students. When not managing patients, Tina enjoys spending time with her family and dreaming about her garden.
2024 ABNN Certificant of the Year Winner:
Angel Duzan, DNP RN ACCNS-AG CCRN CNRN SCRN ASC-BC
Recommended by: Jenae Chamberlain and Richard Scheer
Shortly after graduating from my associate degree program in 2000, I found my passion in neuroscience nursing. I started studying for my first certification, CCRN, just after passing the NCLEX and later my CNRN and SCRN. I am also board certified as an acute care clinical nurse specialist (ACCNS-AG) and stroke coordinator (ASC-BC) and firmly believe that specialty certification is essential to demonstrate the exceptional knowledge nurses use to deliver care to the growing complexity of patients every day. I currently serve as the Director of our Comprehensive Stroke Center where I am fortunate to lead our team in delivering on our commitment to provide the highest level of care to improve clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and resource utilization. My first nursing mentor said, “you should learn something new every day you come in to work”, and I use those words as a guiding principle as I practice and teach.
2023 ABNN Certificant of the Year Winner:
Linda Sugrue, BSN RN SCRN ASC-BC
Recommended by: Lenore Paterno and Raffaele Milizia
I’m a career nurse of 28 years and currently serve my community as the lead for our organization’s multidisciplinary Stroke Program. I have the honor of working beside a dedicated Medical Director and collaborative health care team who share in our mission of providing comprehensive care for patients across the stroke care continuum through best practices and a spirit of inquiry. As a stroke champion, educator, and mentor, I create innovative learning opportunities to teach, motivate, and support our team. I am an ardent patient advocate, a devoted lifelong learner, and a believer in nurse excellence. Professional Certification is an excellent way for nurses to demonstrate commitment to our specialty, to promote elevation of our practice, and to take pride in our personal growth. I highly recommend it.
2022 ABNN Certificant of the Year Winner:
Lisa Cohen, MS RN ACNS-BC CCRN-K CNRN
Recommended by: Brad Torrie and Taylor Pardo
The importance of certification was instilled in me early in my career by the nurses who worked with me in the MICU. I obtained my first certification -CCRN- in 1988 and the CNRN in 1996 and continue to emphasize the importance of obtaining certification to others. I have been a member of AANN since 1989 joining the local Chicago chapter and continuing with the Southeast Michigan chapter after returning home to the Detroit area in 1991. I have been a neuroscience clinical nurse specialist at Henry Ford Hospital for 28 years. I am fortunate to work with an extraordinary group of nurses, managers, educators, administrators, nurse practitioners, neurologists and neurosurgeons who are as passionate and dedicated as I am to provide exceptional care to every patient. I love about what I do. Being a neuro nurse is challenging in every realm- intellectually, physically, and emotionally – and it is always evolving. No two days are alike, and I learn something new every day.