VISIBILITY OF DEMENTIA CARE NURSING
By raising awareness of the opportunities to expand nurses’ roles in dementia care, we can attract more nurses to this field and close the gap in accessible dementia care. The DPENTM program has promoted and raised the profile of dementia care nursing through the Queen Silvia Nursing Award.
Queen Silvia Nursing Award
The Queen Silvia Nursing Award (QSNA) is internationally recognized as one of the highest honors bestowed on emerging nurses in the field of dementia care. The award, originating in Sweden, acknowledges awardees’ commitment to fostering compassionate and innovative nursing care for older adults, particularly those with dementia. The QSNA is far more than a monetary scholarship of $6,500. The winning scholars collaborated with the DPENTM team and act as spokespeople for the nursing profession, learning opportunities for nurses, and the critical need for high-quality dementia and older adult care in the US. To be awarded the QSNA is to be given unparalleled recognition as a nursing student or nurse whose career will combine creativity, problem-solving, and innovation to benefit dementia and aging patients everywhere. Initially available to only Swedish candidates, the QSNA has expanded to other European countries, including Finland, Poland, Germany, and Lithuania. From 2020 to 2024, the UW School of Nursing was honored to be the US’s first—and only—QSNA partner. The winners had the opportunity to travel to Sweden to participate in a grand ceremony.
