Research & Publications

SONSIEL’s Innovation Definition

Innovation is the application of creativity or problem-solving that results in a widely adopted sustainable strategy, product, technology, or service that meets a need in a new and different way.  Innovations are about improvement in quality, cost-effectiveness, cost avoidance or efficiency (Kaya et al 2015). Development of new metrics and new models around healthcare innovation, including emerging technologies, will also require ethical vetting.

There needs to be a market for the solution and benefits frontline caregivers. It Involves an approach that includes creativity, controlled risk-taking, pivoting and Human Centered Design through a lens of well-being.

Research

ROBUST is an acronym developed as a pathway to hear pain points and solutions from staff/employees, which closes the gap between leaders and their staff/employees.

  1. Recognize the potential: leaders are not always able to recognize nurses’ potential to innovate and nurses often do not view themselves as innovators.  

  2. Organize: organizational buy-in from key stakeholders and leadership to be on-board  

  3. Build a pathway and identify the gaps to ensure successful outcomes  

  4. Upskill/skill workforce: skill building and upskilling is not only limited to nurses but also for their leaders using design thinking methodology  

  5. Strategize: strategy and vision to align with organization's mission, vision and values  

  6. Take it to the next level by providing resources (time, funds, etc.) to implement the innovation (example: Minimally Viable Product (MVP), pilot, Proof of Concept (POC), prototype) 

Recent Publications

Gardim, L., Zhu, J., Kagan, O., Jeffs, L., Leary, M., Nadel, H. (2024). Navigating nursing innovation competencies within health systems: A scoping review protocol. Open Science Framework. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/4PCYQ

Gardim, L., Mendes, I. A. C., Bernardes, A., Almeida, M. S., Sciasci, N. G., Pereira, M. C. A., Araújo, A. A. C. (2024). Challenging the status quo through nursing entrepreneurship education: A scoping review. Nurse Education Today, 141, 106310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106310

Kagan, O., Sciasci, N. G., Koszalinski, R. S., Kagan, D. H., Leary, M., & Nadel, H. (2023). Nurses’ confidence in starting a new venture, startup or project in the context of nurse-led hackathons: Results of pre-hackathon survey. Nursing Outlook, 71(3), 101961. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2023.101961 

Ayala, K., Kagan, O., Littlejohn, J., Koszalinski, R. S., & Nadel, H. (2022). Nurse’s contributions to collaborative problem solving, entrepreneurship and innovation at MIT hackathons during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics, 17(3-4).  https://cjni.net/journal/?p=1046

Kagan, O., Ayala, K., Littlejohn, J., Koszalinski, R. S., & Nadel, H. (2021). Nurses’ Contributions to Collaborative Problem Solving, Entrepreneurship and Innovation at MIT Hackathons During the COVID-19 Pandemic. ENRS Poster Abstract
Kagan, O., Nadel, H., Littlejohn, J., & Leary M. (2021). Evolution of nurse-led hackathons, incubators and accelerators from an innovation ecosystem perspective. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 26, No. 3.

Koszalinski, R. S., Kagan, O., Littlejohn, J., & Nadel, H. (2021). Collaborative COVID-19 Problem-solving: Nurses as Content Experts, Mentor and Judges. OJIN, Vol. 26, No. 3.

Koszalinski, R. S., Kagan, O., Littlejohn, J., & Nadel, H. (2021). Collaborative COVID-19 Problem-solving: Nurses as Content Experts, Mentor and Judges. ENRS Poster Abstract

SONSIEL Two Years in Review

2019 - 2021

Winner of an AJN Book of the Year Award 2020!

This compilation of stories from more than 40 diverse nurse leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs portrays the winding and demanding paths that every nurse has braved to improve themselves, their patients’ care, and the healthcare of today. These Rebel Nurses push the boundaries of their profession by demanding a seat at the table of healthcare innovation, lobbying on Capitol Hill, expanding their horizons to fix the broken healthcare systems around the world, and valuing the humanity of the inevitable moments of life’s end. The inspiring innovation and entrepreneurship of these nurse leaders range from the incorporation of informatics or design communities and the implementation of artificial intelligence to creating New York’s Silicon Valley or nationwide adolescent programs that focus on school shootings—consistently disrupting the status quo through implementing life-changing procedures and policies. Readers will be inspired to transform today’s healthcare era by improving communities, implementing proactive care, and enhancing the environment of health and healing through research and policy application.

Key Features

Develop a personalized plan for success by using the Motivational Introductions, Rebel Nurse’s Progress Notes, Thought-Provoking Questions, and Online Resources.

Helps nurses at all career levels embrace and develop leadership potential to effect change in healthcare.

The appendix includes a list of dynamic resources authored by SONSIEL members for further insight and professional development.

“As you will read the stories ahead of the incredible, rock star Rebel Nurses who each have challenged the status quo and chosen the road less traveled, remember that each journey has its own period of self-doubt, fear of failure, and uncertainty of success—but they persevered. We hope that these stories will inspire you to believe in yourself and aim a little higher each day.”

—FROM THE FOREWORD MOLLY K. MCCARTHY, MBA, BSN, RN-BC National Director, U.S. Provider Industry and Chief Nursing Officer Microsoft the U.S. Health and Life Sciences