My worldview changed in multiple ways on my first day of nursing school which was September 11th, 2001. Moments of change, especially now—require us to navigate the unknown as events unfold around us. During times like this, I have always gravitated towards adaption and growth to light a path forward.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) partnered to launch the SEE YOU NOW podcast about nursing innovation at one of the most historically significant moments for our profession, humanity, and health globally. In the United States alone there are 4.2 million registered nurses. They work across every aspect of the care continuum, from birth to death, and their experiences are as unique as the places they work. Wherever they are, nurses are constantly innovating. Every day nurses are building novel solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing people and healthcare systems.
SEE YOU NOW was born out of a shared alignment and desire to showcase and celebrate the scale of nurse-led innovation. The incredible partnership between ANA and J&J is aligned around the power and potential of the nursing profession to shift human health. Together, we are beginning to highlight nurses actively driving change across healthcare. As the pandemic has taught us—magnifying the work of our profession carries even greater importance during the Year of the Nurse and a global pandemic. We launched SEE YOU NOW talking about the intentional design and vision used to center our podcast around the impact of the nursing profession. Our first episodes told the stories of nurses leading innovative approaches to addressing: a public health crisis and outbreaks; the mental health impact and grief around death and dying; technology geared to work with people; and driving policy to support health coverage and promotion.
Instead of launching into Season Two as planned we pivoted to create shorter episodes called The COVID-19 Nurse Response. This series highlighted nurses who were leading work around the emerging needs of the pandemic: through technology, virtual care, and artificial intelligence; by providing care in communities and school settings; and also addressing the mental health, ethical, and societal complications that started to arise during this time. In Season Two, we introduce nurses leading across government; developing technology and devices to support people and tackling international needs. We’re currently in the middle of Season Three, where we are showcasing the groundbreaking work of nurses tackling health disparities and inequities. With every episode, the breadth of work and impact the nursing profession has on every aspect of our society became crystal clear.
It’s hard to believe we’re almost a year into our podcast and we’ve barely begun to tell the innovative stories from across our profession. Really, the podcast is an opportunity for listeners to get deep insights into the transformational work nurses are leading by creating solutions to address a diverse range of challenges. My hope is that these episodes will ignite something in our listeners—especially those who are nurses or aspire to be—because their wisdom and solutions are key to addressing the unique needs of people and communities across our country.
As I look to the future of SEE YOU NOW, we are fortunate in that there are no shortages of inspirational nurses who are leading bold, transformative work. But there are still so many unsung heroes and nurses who may not yet see themselves as nurse innovators. Going forward our responsibility is to make the work of innovative nurses visible and tangible. The next nurse who creates an unconventional fix to an intractable problem should understand their ideas and work are steeped in the rich traditions and fabric of our profession. Our aim is to inspire and spark the recognition and representation of nurses as innovative change agents, as well as creating the opportunity for the public to understand and acknowledge the central role nurses play in the health and welfare of their communities.
Above all else, I’m excited for the future of the podcast. Nurses experience the world alongside the people and communities they serve, which creates unique insights for new solutions to challenging problems. These firsthand insights position nurses to lead work that transforms care and healthcare systems. The future is determined by the work we do today. SEE YOU NOW will be there to introduce you to these incredible nurses, to tell their stories, and to share the innovative work being done across our profession. Every day, I am inspired by our profession. We hope you are too.
-Oriana Beaudet, DNP, RN, PHN, Vice President of Nursing Innovation, American Nurses Association Enterprise
SEE YOU NOW is available for download on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts.
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