Nursing Today
Nursing is an innovative, challenging and rewarding career that’s in high demand,offering those who pursue this career an opportunity to profoundly change human health. Working on the front-lines of patient care, nurses can choose from many specialties, and work in a wide variety of treatment settings.
A spirit of innovation
Nurses work closely with patients, and understand patients’ needs better than anyone. Which is why they’re the ones who often find new solutions to health challenges, that can make a significant difference in patient outcomes.
A timeline of nurses changing human health
- 1854
- 1865
- 1910
- 1943
- 1950
- 1954
- 1968
- 1983
- 2003
- 2016
1854
1854
Florence Nightingale introduces sanitation and hygiene practices that are still used today.
1865
1865
Nurses discover that sugar can be used to clean wounds and fight infection during the Civil War.
1910
1910
Sister Elizabeth Kenny realizes exercise helps rehabilitate polio patients better than splints.
1943
1943
Bessie Blount Griffin invents the feeding tube for paralyzed patients.
1950
1950
Sister Jean Ward discovers that sunlight is a great way to treat babies with jaundice.*
1954
1954
Elise Sorensen creates the first ostomy bag.
1968
1968
Anita Dorr designs the first crash cart.
1983
1983
Nurses broke down barriers during the AIDS crisis.
2003
2003
Teri Barton-Salinas invents color-coded IV lines to reduce medical errors.
2016
2016
Rebecca S. Koszalinski gives cerebral palsy patients a voice by creating the Speak for Myself® app.*
*This image is an actor portrayal
Still leading the way
For nurses, more flexibility and better work/life balance are essential. Solutions like Mercy Works on Demand are meeting nurses where they are by offering a gig-based approach to scheduling. Not only is Mercy’s innovative approach addressing shortages and improving patient care, it is also bringing joy back to nursing and demonstrating that a new, flexible future is possible for the profession.2023-01-13T14:08:05.690Z
Building well-being and leadership skills in nursing isn’t a new concept, but surprisingly, it hasn’t traditionally been a formal component of nursing education. As a result, many nurses enter the profession unprepared for what’s ahead. Beginning this winter, a new educational curriculum from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing will pilot a competency-based approach to developing the next generation of nurses at 10 nursing colleges nationwide, focused on empowering students with the skills needed to prioritize self-care, healthy behaviors and well-being in the healthcare work environment.2023-01-13T14:07:43.179Z
Johnson & Johnson is proud to have supported nurse innovators and entrepreneurs through the Johnson & Johnson Nurses Innovate QuickFire Challenge Awards, which has provided grant funding for nurse-founded healthcare solutions and approaches. But the innovation journey doesn’t stop there. Here, three inspiring QuickFire Challenge awardees share what they’ve been up to since receiving their award, how their solutions have grown and expanded, and their advice for other nurses inspired to solve for healthcare’s biggest challenges.2022-12-13T19:09:51.347Z
A profession in demand
With more roles and more job opportunities opening up every year across the country, it’s a great time to become a nurse.
Supporting Nurses on the Frontlines of Care
Nurses are critically important in addressing public health issues facing communities across the country. Through our partners and educational grants provided to independent, accredited continuing education (CE) providers, Johnson & Johnson is making resources available to nurses to address substance abuse and addiction. Here's how you can learn more:
Nursing Opioid Education Hub
Johnson & Johnson supported the independent development of the Nursing Opioid Education Hub, a CE resource focused on appropriate pain management and prevention of opioid misuse.
AANP MAT Training
Developed by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, access training materials to qualify for the waiver application to prescribe medicated-assisted treatment (MAT).
Johnson & Johnson’s commitment to nursing
Johnson & Johnson has supported the nursing profession for over 125 years because we believe nurses are uniquely positioned to change the global trajectory of health for humanity. Nurses, over 29 million strong, are our critical partners on the frontlines of care and the backbone of healthcare systems around the world. We know that nurses are leaders, innovators, and compassionate caregivers, requiring resiliency and resourcefulness to navigate the intricacies of health no matter where and to whom they provide care, and we are committed to advocating for and empowering their strong voices to address healthcare access and workforce challenges.
A career with choices
With so many specialties, skills, and environments to choose from, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to do what you love and create the career you want.
In their own words
- 01
- 02
01
Most nurses are pushed into the hospital and clinical settings when there are many other opportunities for nursing out there.”
Avery
Emergency Nurse
02
You can obtain multiple degrees, you can travel the world with your degree in hand, and that's a big part of why nursing is so important. You're not bound to one area.”
Krystle
Perioperative Nurse
Something for Everyone
Take the next step on your nursing journey.