The APNA Memorial Scholarship “Reminded me that my work matters”
The APNA Memorial Scholarship highlights why the work of psychiatric-mental health nurses matters.
“More than financial support, the scholarship gave me a renewed sense of purpose and responsibility to honor the legacy behind it by serving my patients and colleagues with excellence and heart,” Stacy Horowitz, MSN, RN, PMH-BC, CARN, said.
One of last year’s recipients, Horowitz, a nurse at Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health, found the scholarship supported the care she gives and reinforced her purpose. Horowitz was awarded the scholarship in part because of the work she has done to improve her organization and her work as a PMH nurse, striving to advance the profession and positively impact patient care.
This year, two recipients will receive funding to attend the APNA 40th Annual Conference on October 28-31 in Phoenix, Arizona. To be considered, applicants must have been members of APNA for at least two years and practice at the RN level.
Horowitz shares what receiving the scholarship meant to her and how it helped her appreciate how much her work matters:
APNA: How has receiving the scholarship changed you professionally?
Horowitz: Receiving the APNA Memorial Scholarship [in 2025] has changed how I see myself as a psychiatric nurse. Being recognized by the American Psychiatric Nurses Association made me feel deeply honored. Being chosen as the award recipient validated my passion for mental health nursing and reminded me that my work matters. It also strengthened my confidence, encouraged me to step more fully into leadership, and inspired me to stay engaged in advancing evidence-based care.
What’s different about your work now because of that experience?
Horowitz: What’s different now is how I show up in my work. Being an APNA Memorial Scholarship recipient and presenting at the APNA Annual Conference helped me see myself not just as a bedside clinician, but as a leader and voice in psychiatric nursing. I practice with more confidence and intention. I think more critically, speak up more often, and feel more comfortable educating and mentoring others. Most of all, I carry a deeper sense of purpose since knowing that I’ve been trusted to contribute to the profession, which makes me want to give even more to my patients and colleagues.
What’s one thing you discovered at the APNA Annual Conference that you put into action?
Horowitz: One thing I discovered: brief therapeutic skills. I learned practical, quick interventions I can use in everyday encounters such as “Implementation of Box Breathing as an Evidenced-Based Intervention to Reduce PRN Anxiolytic Use in Adults in an Inpatient Psychiatric Setting.” I now make it a point to include at least one skill-building moment with my patients whenever possible.
>>> Interested in receiving the APNA Memorial Scholarship, a program made possible by donations in honor of APNA members who made a lasting impact on psychiatric-mental health nurses and those they serve? Apply by April 28.
Published March 2026
About APNA: The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is a national professional membership organization committed to the practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing and wellness promotion, prevention of mental health problems, and the care and treatment of persons with psychiatric disorders. APNA’s membership is inclusive of all psychiatric-mental health registered nurses including associate degree, baccalaureate, advanced practice (comprised of clinical nurse specialists and psychiatric nurse practitioners), and nurse scientists and academicians (PhD). APNA serves as a resource for psychiatric-mental health nurses to engage in networking, education, and the dissemination of evidence. The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
