Ten steps to transform ideas into product innovations: An interdisciplinary collaboration between nursing and engineering.

Abstract

To describe the development process of a device from the conception of the idea to the first contact with the commercial environment, and to demonstrate its practical application through an interdisciplinary collaboration between nursing and engineering for the design of a protective device for peripheral venous catheters. Nurses are key agents for identifying unresolved needs or problems related to nursing care. To address these needs, creative ideation processes are often triggered among nurses to seek technological answers to these challenges. The ten steps to develop a device are presented: (1) detecting an unsatisfied clinical need; (2) searching for preexisting marketed products; (3) searching for patents; (4) maintaining confidentiality throughout the process; (5) obtaining institutional support; (6) forming a multidisciplinary team; (7) developing the idea; (8) applying for a patent; (9) building the prototype; (10) marketing the device. This methodology was applied to design a protective device for peripheral venous catheters in hospitalized patients. Nurses can play a key role in the promotion of healthcare innovation in their field to improve procedures, thanks to their direct contact with patients, and by providing their insight on devices that can enhance patient care. The successful interdisciplinary collaboration between nurses and engineers can provide a response to relevant clinical problems such as the manipulation or removal of peripheral venous catheters. A hospital policy is required to encourage the participation of nurses in innovative actions. Furthermore, it is important to support nurse leaders who can play a pivotal role in incorporating creativity into work environments and empowering other nurses to innovatively address clinical issues. This article describes the process for developing a health device.