April was an exciting month across the nurse community. This month, Johnson & Johnson traveled the country – to Nashville, Tennessee, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Anaheim, California – to shine a spotlight on nurse-led innovation that is changing human health. Johnson & Johnson had the privilege to partner with top nursing organizations and nurse innovators and entrepreneurs who are passionate about elevating the awareness of nurses and their impact on healthcare systems around the world. Johnson & Johnson joined them at some of this month’s largest nursing conferences, including the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA) Annual Convention, the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Global Surgical Conference & Expo, and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Annual Congress.
“The nurses that we met at these conferences are passionate about not only inspiring and empowering their fellow nurses, but also about developing innovative solutions that can profoundly change the trajectory of human health – and Johnson & Johnson is committed to supporting nurses with the tools they need to make their great ideas reality,” said Lynda Benton, Senior Director of Corporate Equity at Johnson & Johnson, who leads the Johnson & Johnson commitment to nurses. “These events are so important to the profession because they not only bring together the top nurses in their field, but also inspire leadership and serve as a perfect incubator for ideas.”
In case you missed us, learn how Johnson & Johnson is championing nurse-led innovation in healthcare (link to nursing website) and how we supported nurse-led innovation and entrepreneurship at this month’s top nursing conferences:
National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA) - 67th Annual Convention
April 3–7, 2019
Salt Lake City, Utah
This year, the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA) 67th Annual Convention brought together student nurses from around the country to learn from nurse leaders who are passionate about transforming the nursing profession so that nurses feel empowered, recognized, and valued as change makers.
Johnson & Johnson hosted a plenary session entitled “What Would a Nurse Do?”, which featured nurse leaders Rebecca Love, MSN, RN, ANP, the first Director of Nurse Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Northeastern University; Rachel Walker, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor at UMass Amherst College of Nursing; Wrenetha Julion, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, Department Chair and Professor in the Department of Women, Children and Family Nursing at the Rush University College of Nursing; and Brittany Molkenthin, BSN, RN, and CEO of Lactation Innovations.
The speakers inspired a packed audience of students with stories about how their inventions are changing lives and how nurses can innovate throughout their careers. Brittany Molkenthin spoke about her journey creating the Manoula, a patent-pending device which measures babies’ breast milk intake; Dr. Wrenetha Julion told the story of creating her cutting-edge parenting programs, the Chicago Parent Project and Building Bridges to Fatherhood; and Dr. Rachel Walker shared stories of her work across the globe, including her process creating a device that can transform local water supplies into critical IV fluids. Then, led by Rebecca Love, the speakers participated in a panel discussion, sharing how healthcare systems can better support innovation and inspire the next generation of nursing leaders. They were celebrated with a standing ovation at the end of their session.
Video from the NSNA Plenary Session presentations will be available on the Johnson & Johnson Nursing YouTube Channel in the coming weeks.
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) - Global Surgical Conference & Expo
April 6-10, 2019
Nashville, Tennessee
Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies served as a Platinum Sponsor for the 2019 Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Global Surgical Conference & Expo, which brought together nearly 5,000 perioperative nurse leaders from around the country and internationally to discuss ways to improve the surgical suite and empower perioperative nurses.
Melissa Fischer, MSN, RN, CNOR, Senior Manager of Clinical Education at Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies, gave a keynote address at AORN about the innovative spirit of nurses and how they are often left to “MacGyver” solutions to provide the best outcomes when perhaps the surgical challenge or technique has been developed, but not all the patient needs have been considered.
During her presentation, Melissa Fischer also announced the launch of the second Johnson & Johnson Nurses Innovate QuickFire Challenge, which will focus on solutions that address the physical and psychological impact of patients throughout pre, intra, and post-operative care. “As innovators on the frontlines of healthcare, perioperative registered nurses have the power to profoundly change lives,” she said. “You all have a ‘MacGyver’ story - innovative ways you’ve creatively cared for patients. Share your ideas and let’s continue to change this world for the better.”
The nurse innovators with the best idea(s) for the Johnson & Johnson Nurses Innovate QuickFire Challenge will receive up to $100,000 in grant funding, mentoring and coaching from experts across the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, and access to the Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS ecosystem to help bring their ideas to life.
Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) - Annual Congress
April 11 –14, 2019
Anaheim, California
Oncology nurses are uniquely positioned to create innovative solutions that can improve human health outcomes for patients undergoing treatment for cancer. At the 2019 Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Annual Congress, Lynda Benton, who leads the Johnson & Johnson commitment to nursing, introduced keynote speaker, ONS member, and nurse innovator Rachel Walker, PhD, RN. In the wake of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, Dr. Rachel Walker invented a method to filter unclean water into sterile IV bags, and for her ingenuity became the first nurse selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and The Lemelson Foundation as an AAAS-Lemelson Invention Ambassador.
Rachel’s talk celebrated nurse inventors, past and present, who have fostered hope and healing in ways only nurses can. Using examples from her research and practice, Rachel explained why nurse inventors are needed now more than ever and shared resources that can help oncology nurses make their ideas a reality.
Attendance at professional nursing organization events such as NSNA, AORN, and ONS are a great way to enhance one’s nursing career and strengthen connections to the nationwide nursing network. Learn more about additional nursing conferences and healthcare innovation events that Johnson & Johnson will support this year here.
