Building and sustaining a culture of innovation in nursing Academics, Research, Policy, and Practice: Outcomes of the National Innovation Summit.

Abstract

Healthcare in America faces multiple major challenges, highlighting the critical need for innovative solutions to systemic problems. Nursing is uniquely positioned to lead innovation in healthcare. Nurses represent the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, have the greatest exposure to system failures, and must develop workarounds and solutions for the numerous daily gaps in healthcare delivery. However, multiple barriers limit nurses' ability to engage in the essential work of innovating the future of healthcare. With the goal of bringing attention and urgent action to the need for innovation at all levels of nursing and healthcare, experts in innovation from The Ohio State University gathered nationally recognized nursing leaders in the format of an Innovation Summit to identify gaps in and barriers to innovation in healthcare along with solutions. Using a collaborative process, experts at the Summit identified and developed initial solutions to identified gaps and barriers to innovation across four key areas, which for the purpose of the Summit, we have designated four pillars: Academics, Research, Policy, and Practice. The experts believed that a focus on instilling innovation in all four pillars is necessary to improve healthcare and nursing which will ultimately improve the quality and safety of healthcare as well as population health outcomes. Over the next year, this expert panel of innovation leaders will continue to refine its recommendations and action plans to accelerate innovation in the nursing profession. This article describes the vision, process, and initial outcomes of this National Innovation Summit.