Nursing innovation emerges as critical lever in healthcare transformation
Nurses are the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, uniquely positioned at the intersection of patient care, technology, safety, and systems operations. Amid workforce shortages, escalating care complexity, and rapid digital transformation, they represent a powerful yet underutilized force for meaningful change.
From AI-enabled documentation tools to remote patient monitoring, predictive analytics, and digitally integrated care models, innovation is reshaping how care is delivered. Yet nurses are too often treated as end users of technology rather than co-designers of its future.
Despite their proximity to frontline challenges, nursing innovation encounters persistent systemic barriers: limited protected time, insufficient training in innovation methodologies, and organizational cultures that lack the venture access and industry relationships needed to bring nurse-driven ideas to scale.
Melissa Cheeks, DNP, RN
Recognizing both the urgency and the opportunity, the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Nursing is taking deliberate steps to position nurses at the forefront of healthcare transformation. It has created an Innovation Strategic Plan and established a dedicated Industry Advisory Board—drawing senior executives from Ethicon/Johnson & Johnson, Intuitive Surgical, Telix Pharmaceuticals, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Titan Health, and others—to forge the academic-industry partnerships essential to accelerating nurse-driven innovation.
The college has also partnered with UC Lindner College of Business to launch a Nurse-Led Innovation Certificate program, which equips nurses with the entrepreneurial tools, design thinking frameworks, and technology fluency to translate clinical insight into scalable healthcare solutions.
"Nurses understand patients, systems, and gaps in ways that no other provider does," says Melissa Cheeks, DNP, RN, Joan and Mark Hurray Professor of Innovation & Director of Nursing Innovation and director of the certificate program. "Our role as an academic institution is to give them the skills, partnerships, and pathways to turn those insights into new models of care, safety practices, more efficient processes, and even innovations that tackle social challenges to improve patient outcomes.”
Child using EZ Induction (credit: EZ Induction's website)
Examples of nurse-led innovation emerging from alumni of the UC College of Nursing include the Snugli Baby Carrier (developed by Ann Moore ’56), which enabled mothers to keep infants close while remaining mobile, and EZ Induction (created by Abby Hess ’09, ’11, ’15), a gamified app designed to reduce pediatric anxiety during the anesthesia-induction process.
Beyond individual products, nurse-led innovation is transforming care delivery through:
- Digital triage systems that reduce emergency department congestion
- Smart workflow redesign to enhance medication safety
- Telehealth-enabled chronic disease management programs
- Behavioral health access models built on virtual care platforms
UC College of Nursing: Building the bridge between academia and industry
In addition to its broader efforts to advance nurse-led innovation, the UC College of Nursing hosts a recurring webinar and in-person convening as part of the Joan and Mark Hurray Visiting Professor Lectureship Series.
The third installment of the series will feature Ryan Shaw, PhD, RN, Chief Nurse Innovation Officer for Duke University Health System. A nationally recognized leader in digital health and nursing innovation, Shaw will examine the key drivers, types, and measurable impact of nursing innovation, with particular emphasis on emerging technologies reshaping clinical practice.
On Friday, Feb. 27, Shaw will lead Empowering Nursing Innovation in the Digital Age of Healthcare, offering practical strategies to lead or support innovation initiatives within digitally transforming healthcare environments—whether through informatics, AI-enabled workflows, device development, care model redesign, or cross-sector partnerships.
The event will be hosted in person for local Chief Nursing Officers (CNO) and senior nurse leaders at the 1819 Innovation Hub and shared nationally as a live webinar from 9–10 a.m. ET, followed by an invitation-only CNO roundtable discussion from 10–11 a.m.
Approximately 20 Chief Nursing Officers and senior nurse executives representing regional health systems—including The Christ Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s, Mercy West, TriHealth, Premier Health, Margaret Mary Health, and Summit Behavioral Healthcare—are confirmed to participate. Advisory Board members, industry leaders, and invited guests will also attend, including Rachel Baker, Ohio State Representative and UC College of Nursing alumna and faculty member, and Oriana Beaudet, Vice President of Innovation at the American Nurses Association.
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