Tammy Aiken, DNP, RN, SANE, of New York
Gail P. Lenehan Advocacy Award
Tammy Aiken, DNP, RN, SANE
Recognizes a nurse who has had a positive impact on emergency nurses through a sustained commitment of advocacy for emergency nurses’ well-being and welfare or the welfare of vulnerable populations.
An emergency and critical care nurse for nearly four decades, Tammy Aiken is especially dedicated to caring for patients who have suffered trauma, abuse or sexual assault. The network director for emergency services for Bassett Healthcare in rural central New York, she is a strong advocate for nurse training, patient advocacy and in-home family services that support patients, their families and their caregivers.
Beyond her role of leading Bassett’s six EDs, she has supported her teams by holding SANE training sessions and building connections within the rural nursing network. In the past three years, her efforts have contributed to a 15 percent increase the number of certified SANEs in the area. She also mentored a new nurse to support launching a Rural Nurses Organization/ED local chapter in collaboration with the local ENA chapter.
Aiken earned her DNP from Case Western Reserve University in 2023 and focused her doctoral research on strategies to improve wellness and decrease burnout among front-line caregivers.
In 2023, Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown was one of the first rural New York hospitals to earn an ENA Lantern Award. Aiken later joined the ENA Lantern Awards Committee in 2024.