Environment and Health

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.

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.

Ten nurse-led multidisciplinary health system teams from around the world were selected as finalists for the NurseHack4Health Pitch-A-Thon, with the chance to be awarded up to $150,000 in grant funding to bring solutions for a thriving workforce and healthy work environment to life. Meet the finalist teams below!

A new resource from the Duke University School of Nursing is empowering nurses to make artificial intelligence (AI) an ally in their nursing practice. Nurse and Associate Professor Michael Cary, PhD, RN, FAAN emphasizes the importance of training and educating nurses for practice in the era of AI and how to use it to best benefit patients.

Through an action network created by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement and Johnson & Johnson Foundation, with the support of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, five nurse-led teams piloted acute care delivery solutions to support and empower a thriving nursing workforce. Across three phases and 22 months, here’s what they found – and how health systems nationwide can implement their learnings.

Through the Nurse Innovation Fellowship Program by Johnson & Johnson, powered by Penn Nursing and the Wharton School, nursing leaders are immersed in the innovation process to redefine the future of patient care and professional well-being by tackling a real problem at their health systems.

Data and information gathering is vital to healthcare outcomes and quality – from identifying best practices for taking care of patients to predicting and planning resource needs and staying nimble during constant change. The role of nurses in technology and informatics is more critical than ever as AI is poised to streamline systems and practices.

In the last two years, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act has created programs that increase access to, and reduce stigma of, evidence-based mental health treatment for nurses and all healthcare workers. But there is much more work to be done to support our nation’s healthcare workforce. As Congress looks to reauthorize the bill, here are three areas of focus for 2024 and beyond.

Cardiac care nurse Michele Santoro and her fellow clinicians at the Yale New Haven Heart and Vascular Center routinely race against time to save lives. In honor of American Heart Month, read on to find out how her innovations combine technology and a human touch to transform cardiovascular care delivery and improve patient outcomes.

The Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship, powered by Penn Nursing and the Wharton School, is built on the concept of applying design thinking and human-centered design to real-world challenges within health systems. But what is design thinking? And how does this concept help nurses enhance their innovative skills and drive change?

Is perioperative nursing for you? Perioperative or operating room (OR) nurses provide patient-focused care in a variety of settings and specialties, with ample opportunities for professional growth. Get the scoop on this fast-paced, team-based, and fulfilling specialty, and find out how health systems and nursing schools are working to strengthen the pipeline of new nurses entering this critical specialty.

Interprofessional collaboration is the practice of approaching patient care from a team-based perspective, with a team comprised of multiple health workers with varying professional backgrounds. By implementing interprofessional collaboration into healthcare environments, multiple disciplines can work more effectively as a team to help improve patient outcomes and better the workplace.

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.

Throughout history, nurses have played an outsized role in interacting with patients, with critical roles in prevention, education, treatment and recovery. In celebration of International Women's Day and Women’s History Month, meet nurses whose innovative approaches to patient care have profoundly changed human health.

When Hiyam Nadel, RN, MBA, CGC, gives lectures to nurses, she often begins by showing a roll of tape and asking a simple question: “How many things have you done with a piece of tape - making modifications to equipment that wasn’t working quite right?”