Nurse leading innovation

What happens when frontline nurses are given the time, tools, and organizational support to redesign the systems they work within every day? Northwell Health partnered with Johnson & Johnson and SONSIEL to run a NurseHack4Health event, resulting in dozens of practical ideas, new cross-functional collaboration, and important lessons on sustaining innovation inside a health system.

In many rural hospitals, new nurses may be the only graduate hired that year. The Iowa Online Nurse Residency Program connects them with peers across hospitals, creating the support network they need to build confidence and thrive in practice.

When nurses at Tufts Medical Center saw that patient mobility was clinically essential but operationally difficult, they didn’t accept the gap — they redesigned the work. Through the Nursing Workforce Solutions program, a team of direct care nurses created a dedicated Mobility Tech role that improves patient outcomes while easing nursing workload burden. Here’s how structured nurse-led innovation is transforming care from the bedside up.

Nurses are the backbone of healthcare delivery. Yet philanthropic investment in nursing lags far behind the need to transform complex health systems. Below, learn why sustained investment in nurses is essential to sustained access to care.

Meet the three awardee teams receiving a combined $385,000 supported by Johnson & Johnson Foundation to advance solutions that are deeply rooted in lived experience and engineered for real-world impact.

Growing from a single hackathon to a global platform for nurse-led innovation, NurseHack4Health has been empowering nursing teams to design bold, scalable solutions for five years. This year’s Pitch-A-Thon showcases the breadth of nursing ingenuity, from AI-driven maternal health tools and sensory-based care innovations to solar-powered dialysis and digital workforce solutions, demonstrating how nurses everywhere are transforming healthcare.

A groundbreaking hybrid program from Duke Health and Johnson & Johnson is equipping nurse practitioners (NPs) with leadership and business acumen tools to design and launch NP-run primary care and behavioral health enterprises in limited-resource settings. Learn how 20 NPs are expanding access, advancing equity, and empowering community-driven care.

In a novel and impactful model, Ascension is transforming healthcare innovation by pairing nurse operators with practice-based nurse scientists. This partnership blends operational expertise with scientific rigor, turning frontline insights into scalable, evidence-based solutions. From reducing falls in emergency departments to improving retention and safety, the approach delivers measurable impact and empowers nurses to lead change.

Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System is creating powerful new on-ramps for nursing careers, starting in high school. Through a bold partnership with the Aldine Independent School District and a deep investment in internal mobility, the system is opening doors for students and staff alike to build meaningful careers in healthcare.

Through the 2024–2025 Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship, 10 nurse-led teams are piloting creative, scalable solutions to some of the most persistent challenges in care delivery. Learn how nursing leaders across the country are solving these issues and building a more supportive, sustainable future for nurses everywhere.

At New Orleans-based Ochsner Health, this CNO sees nursing challenges as solvable design problems, and is cultivating an environment where nurses thrive through flexible care models, open communication, and strategic investments. Read on to learn how she’s making the case for nursing leadership as the linchpin of health system transformation.

In these films produced for Johnson & Johnson by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions, you’ll meet three teams of extraordinary nurse innovators, each working to improve healthcare in meaningful ways. Watch the series and download the accompanying Nurse Innovation Toolkit to spark conversations, inspire change, and foster a culture of innovation within your health system.

What happens when frontline nurses are given the space, support, and structure to drive change? At Lehigh Valley Health Network, part of Jefferson Health, the nursing innovation unit started by tackling everyday frustrations, like moving printers and improving communication, and has since evolved into a powerhouse for workflow and care delivery transformation. Find out why the initiative started, what key structural supports make it successful, and how these nurse-led innovations are now scaling across the system.

The Safer Together initiative highlights the critical link between workforce safety and patient care. By fostering a culture of trust and collaboration, it empowers healthcare workers and improves safety for both patients and providers. Learn how the initiative focuses on creating an environment of shared responsibility where everyone plays a part in ensuring safety.

A new toolkit from the Institute of Healthcare Improvement and supported by Johnson & Johnson Foundation provides actionable steps for nurse leaders to scale innovative care models that improve both patient outcomes and nurse satisfaction. Below, explore six steps for engaging frontline staff and building cross-disciplinary teams to foster sustainable and impactful change.

The integration of AI in healthcare is transforming how care is delivered, with the potential to ease the burden on nurses and improve patient outcomes. As AI-based technologies help to solve complex problems, it’s essential that systems emphasize the importance of collaboration between nurses and AI developers to ensure care is delivered compassionately, equitably, and safely.

In an inspiring display of nursing innovation, the nurse-led teams from the Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance and Seattle Children’s Hospital have together been awarded a combined $185,500 in grant funding through the third annual NurseHack4Health Pitch-A-Thon. Meet the two teams here.

The largest health system in the Carolinas has introduced a Well-Being Coaching Initiative that is transforming nurse well-being by reducing burnout and turnover by fostering self-leadership. This program trains nurses to coach both themselves and their peers, creating a ripple effect of support across the organization. With impressive results, Atrium is building a long-term culture of well-being by empowering its nursing staff.