Nursing Honors

Brigham and Women’s Hospital has been recognized for nursing excellence and the care delivered by interprofessional care teams with numerous external awards and honors.

Magnet Designation

The Brigham achieved Magnet designation — the gold standard of nursing excellence in and high-quality patient care delivered by an entire institution — from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2018. In the spring of 2023, we were designated for the second time. The Brigham is among less than 10 percent of hospitals nationwide to achieve Magnet.

Baby-Friendly Hospital

In 2019, the Brigham was awarded Baby-Friendly Hospital designation from Baby-Friendly USA in recognition of exceptional, evidence-based, patient-centered care and education around infant feeding practices. The World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund launched the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative to recognize birthing hospitals and centers that offer information and support for new mothers as they begin, or continue, to breastfeed or safely feed with formula.

Beacon Award for Excellence

The Brigham is home to five units that have received the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). Beacon units set the standard for excellence in patient care by collecting and using evidence-based information to improve patient outcomes, as well as patient and staff satisfaction.

Our Beacon Award-winning units are:

  • Cardiac Surgery Intermediate Care
  • Medical Intensive Care Unit
  • Braunwald Tower 10AB (now 16AB) Medicine (pictured)
  • Braunwald Tower 14CD Medicine
  • Braunwald Tower 14AB Medicine

10 AB Beacon Award winners

Learn more about Brigham and Women's Hospital


For over a century, a leader in patient care, medical education and research, with expertise in virtually every specialty of medicine and surgery.

About BWH