The Partners in Practice Committee has selected Duke Anesthesiology’s Karen Nielsen, MD, as the recipient of the 2026 Duke Regional Hospital Nursing Partners in Practice Award in the category: Physician Partner Award.
The Partners in Practice Award Program was developed by nurses at Duke Regional Hospital (DRH) 16 years ago to recognize non-nursing colleagues who exemplify outstanding professionalism, compassion, dedication, and collaboration with nursing. Nielsen was nominated for the award by a few nurses who observed her qualities in action.
A specialist in ambulatory and regional anesthesia, Nielsen has been a Duke Anesthesiology faculty member for more than two decades and serves within the Ambulatory Anesthesiology Division. She notably led Duke's regional anesthesiology fellowship—the same program she graduated from—as director from 2009 to 2017, helping it earn global recognition for advanced outpatient care. In 2017, the fellowship became one of the first programs in the country to be ACGME accredited in regional anesthesiology and acute pain medicine.
Nielsen was honored at an awards ceremony on April 29 in the DRH Auditorium.