DALLAS, Oct 29, 2026 — Children’s Health, the leading pediatric health care system in North Texas, today announced that its nurses and nursing teams earned widespread recognition in 2026, receiving 57 individual honors and three team awards for excellence in patient care, clinical leadership, education and innovation.
The recognitions span national, statewide and regional programs and reflect the expertise and dedication of nurses across Children’s Health. Individual recognitions and honors in 2026 include:
- Texas Nurses Association Outstanding 25 Texas Nurses: Seven Children’s Health nurses were selected. Children’s Health was again the only children’s hospital in Texas with multiple recipients. Over the past four years, 16 Children’s Health nurses have received the honor.
- DFW Great 100 Nurses: Nine Children’s Health nurses were named to the 2026 list, matching the system’s total from 2025 and giving Children’s Health more honorees than any other children’s hospital in the region. Since the program began in 1991, 128 Children’s Health nurses have been recognized.
- D Magazine Excellence in Nursing Awards: Sixteen registered nurses were honored. More than 100 Children’s Health nurses have earned this recognition since 2020.
- Good Samaritan Foundation Awards: Twenty-three Children’s Health nurses were recognized, including one Silver Award recipient and 22 Bronze Award recipients.
- Becker’s Hospital Review CNOs to Know: Josh Bourgeois and Tammy Webb were named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2026 list recognizing chief nursing officers who help shape nursing strategy and strengthen patient care.
- DAISY Awards: Twenty registered nurses received DAISY Awards to date in 2026, recognizing extraordinary nurses for the compassionate and skillful care they provide to patients and families. Children’s Health received more than 1,180 DAISY Award nominations this year. In September, DeRhonda Dossett, BSN, RN, CPN, received the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes nurses who have dedicated 20 years or more to nursing service.
“These honors reflect the extraordinary skill, compassion and dedication our nurses bring to children and families every day,” said Tammy Webb, Ph.D., RN, NE-BC, Chief Nurse Executive at Children’s Health. “Across our system, nurses are not only providing exceptional care at the bedside, but also leading improvements, advancing clinical practice and supporting the next generation of nursing excellence. We are incredibly proud to see their impact recognized across Texas and nationally.”
Nursing teams also received three national awards recognizing excellence in specialized care and the use of technology to support nurses:
- Emergency Nurses Association Lantern Award: The Bright Family Emergency Department at Children’s Medical Center Plano received this recognition for demonstrating excellence in emergency nursing leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research.
- American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Beacon Award for Excellence: The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Children’s Medical Center Plano and the Dallas Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) each earned a Silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence, recognizing positive and supportive work environments, strong nursing practice and patient outcomes. Both awards were announced in January 2026.
- EHR Experience Pinnacle Award for Nursing: Children’s Health received the award for its work to improve nurses’ experience with the electronic health record and support efficient, high-quality care.
Together, the honors highlight the impact Children’s Health nurses have every day – delivering compassionate care, advancing clinical practice, mentoring colleagues and finding new ways to improve care for children and families across North Texas.
To learn more about nursing at Children’s Health and explore career opportunities, visit childrens.com/careers/nursing.
About Children’s Health
Children’s Health is the leading pediatric health care system in North Texas and has long been recognized as a leader in pediatric health. Its campuses include Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Children’s Medical Center Plano and multiple Children’s Health Specialty Centers across the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, caring for more than 370,000 patients each year.
In partnership with UT Southwestern Medical Center, it is consistently recognized among the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. This commitment to excellence and outstanding care has resulted in recognition across all pediatric specialties for nine consecutive years, including Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Behavioral Health, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Neonatology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology, and Urology.
Since 2009, Children’s Health has maintained Magnet® designation – the highest honor for nursing excellence – and continues to earn employer-of-choice recognition locally, nationally, and globally. These honors include the Great Place to Work® Certification™, the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award and Top Workplaces recognition from USA TODAY and The Dallas Morning News. Children’s Health has also been named one of the 150 Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Becker’s Hospital Review for 14 consecutive years.
For more information and to support Children’s Health, visit childrens.com or like us on Facebook, follow Children’s Health on X, Instagram and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.