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.
Organized in collaboration with SONSIEL – Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs, & Leaders, Johnson & Johnson, and Microsoft, and sponsored by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare and Johnson & Johnson Foundation, the event celebrated nurses for their groundbreaking ideas aimed at transforming the nursing workforce and improving patient care.
At the core of NurseHack4Health is a profound recognition: nurses are not only the backbone of healthcare, but they are also visionary problem-solvers with the capacity to reshape the future of medicine. As Hiyam Nadel, president of the Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs, & Leaders (SONSIEL) and Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellow, put it: “Who better than nurses to see a problem, take it apart, fix it, and build it better?”
1.
Empowering midwives, saving lives
The Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance was awarded the majority of the funding to implement its innovative MAMA-CVD (Midwife-Assisted Monitoring and Assessment of CardioVascular Disease) model. In a country with high maternal mortality rates and an underutilized nursing workforce, this project will train midwives to detect cardiac abnormalities in pregnant women, using artificial intelligence and focused cardiac ultrasounds (fPoCUS). Led by Yvonne Commodore-Mensah, PhD, MHS, RN, FAAN and inspired by the real-life experience of team member Gift Boateng, these vital screenings can save lives, bridging the gap in maternal healthcare by empowering midwives and nurses to take the lead in preventative care.
MAMA-CVD is more than a medical innovation—it is a movement to elevate the nursing profession in Ghana, giving thousands of underemployed nurses the tools to make a meaningful impact in their communities. By aligning with the WHO’s Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery, this initiative showcases the ability of nurses to lead with heart and transform healthcare systems from the inside out.
2.
Preventing catheter failures
Seattle Children’s Hospital was also recognized for its pioneering Nurses Against PIV Infusion Failure project, which seeks to revolutionize the way nurses monitor peripheral intravenous (PIV) catheters. Led by Elena Bosque, ARNP, PhD, the team’s AI-powered software predicts when a catheter might fail, reducing complications like infections and injuries.
Most common catheters have an average lifespan of 30-40 hours, and nurses must continually monitor catheter sites for failures. The team’s solution seeks to predict and prevent infection and injury caused by peripheral intravenous infusions, minimizing the need for constant monitoring and decreasing the occurrences of complications while allowing nurses to focus on patient care and other critical tasks.
