Recognizing Nursing Excellence and Leadership
We are honored to announce the AAPPN award recipients for 2023!
Piper Buersmeyer, PMHNP-BC, ARNP
2023 Nursing Excellence
The Nursing Excellence award honors an AAPPN member who makes a difference to advanced practice psychiatric nursing, the mental health profession, and/or the clients we serve. Their contribution may be in the areas of client care, education, leadership, advocacy, public policy, or research.
Piper Buersmeyer is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner over the lifespan and co-founder of Med Rx Partners and TMS NW.
In her award nomination, Kristine Highlander praised Piper as “a fierce advocate for PMHNPs at the state and national levels. Through her group practice in SW Washington, she hires PMHNPs and trains them with the goal of cultivating leadership and overall nursing excellence.”
Piper’s work to have TMS included in the Washington State ARNP scope of practice, as well as her efforts to increase access to care, helps ensure practicing at the top of their scope is a reality for PMHNPs in Washington State.
Jean Tang, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, ARNP
2023 Volunteer of the Year
The Volunteer of the Year award honors an AAPPN member who makes a difference to the organization. Examples include helping members, promoting AAPPN and the profession, recruiting new members, working on a committee, or cultivating chapters.
Jean Tang is a board-certified PMHNP, practicing in the community-based outpatient mental health setting. She is also DNP-PMHNP Track Lead for the University of Washington School of Nursing.
Jean combines being a roll-up-your-sleeves worker with being an ambassador for AAPPN.
In her statement of support for Jean’s nomination, Danielle DeOliveira recognized Jean as “a constant promoter of our organization, has recruited many new members, contributes new ideas, mentors students and preceptors alike, and has worked hard to develop resources that support our members. Jean is always professional, thoughtful, and willing to answer questions.”