Together, the four discuss how this partnership introduced human-centered design methodology to nursing education and practice, fostering innovation across academia and healthcare. The program adapted elements from the U.S.-based Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship, training NHS nurse leaders to tackle real-world challenges. Highlights include building one of Scotland’s few dedicated NHS innovation teams to drive cultural change and technology adoption post-COVID, using design thinking to address ICU staffing and skill mix issues through empathy mapping and co-designed solutions, and plans to embed design thinking into undergraduate nursing curricula while expanding its use in solving organizational challenges. The conversation underscores the importance of end-user engagement, listening to staff, and collaborative innovation to transform healthcare delivery and highlights how international collaborations increase innovation’s spread in nursing and healthcare. 

She highlights the use of systems and futures thinking to design solutions with long-term impact and explains prompt engineering as the art of asking purposeful, context-rich questions to generative AI. Rachael discusses the difference between deterministic and non-deterministic AI and encourages listeners to use AI thoughtfully, to verify information, foster curiosity, and drive creativity in healthcare design.

She discusses the creation of the first MSN program focused on AI applications, designed to equip nurses with foundational knowledge in ethics, responsible use, and practical applications of AI. Dr. Wang emphasizes that while not every nurse needs a master’s degree, all should understand core AI principles through options like certificates and micro-credentials.

She highlights AI’s potential to reduce administrative burden, support clinical decision-making, and combat burnout, while stressing the importance of nurses leading its integration to preserve human-centered care. Looking ahead, she calls for a united nursing voice in AI to ensure the profession shapes the future of healthcare innovation. 

The discussion highlights human-centered AI through five lenses from Anderson and Coiera: design, values, interaction, socio-technical systems, and implementation. Dr. Bakken emphasizes the need for nurses to be involved in AI development and evaluation, with core competencies in ethics, model understanding, and critical assessment. She also addresses bias and equity, underscoring the importance of vigilance, community engagement, and transparency.

The episode closes with resources for nurses interested in building knowledge around equitable AI.

Participants, including Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellows and PennAITech pilot project leaders, shared their motivations for attending, from building sustainable innovation processes to advancing solutions in aging and dementia care. Common themes included human-centered design, equity-focused innovation, and empowering nurses to be recognized as leaders and problem-solvers.

Faculty and leaders from Penn, UCLA, and beyond emphasized preparing the next generation of nurse innovators and creating space for nursing within broader entrepreneurial and technology ecosystems. The week-long institute reflects the power of collaboration, learning, and momentum to drive meaningful change in healthcare through nursing innovation.

Timestamps:

00:00-01:05: Maddie Nicol and Dean Villarruel

01:05-03:13: Nancy Tkacs

03:13-05:04: Vicky Vo

05:04-09:28: Sydney Edelson

09:28- close: Susan Dickey

In this episode she talks with us about the importance of history in shaping contemporary health policy and practice, advocating for its integration into nursing education and innovation. Her goals include expanding digital access to the Center’s archives, amplifying underrepresented voices in nursing history, and positioning the Bates Center as a collaborative hub for both historical scholarship and forward-looking transformation in health care. 

Under her leadership, the Bates Center aims to not only preserve the past but actively shape the future of nursing and population health through research, education, and policy. 

Through DNPs of Color, Danielle has built a powerful, supportive network for nurses of color pursuing doctoral degrees, providing mentorship, resources, and community. She also shares exciting details about her latest initiative, the Nurses Shift Change Movement, and the upcoming Report for Duty Rally on May 24th—a nationwide effort to mobilize nurses around social justice, ethics, and equitable healthcare access. Tune in to hear how she’s driving change, lifting others, and leading with purpose. 

In this episode Brooke shares how after her son’s down syndrome and autism diagnosis, she saw critical gaps in support and resources for families navigating disabilities. After pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, she co-founded GETincluded, a nonprofit promoting inclusion and employment for people with developmental disabilities. 

Her initiative, Get Café in Narberth, PA, is more than a coffee shop, it’s a community space employing people with disabilities. Brooke shares how she’s turning research into real-world change and why nurses are key to a more equitable future. 

In this episode we discuss Cat’s journey from serving in the Army, working in a fast paced emergency department, to then researching gaps in reproductive healthcare for servicewomen. With Dr. Holly Harner, Cat is developing a secure & anonymous online resource to educate servicewomen on reproductive health resources. Their project, Camo Care, supported by Penn Nursing’s Innovation Accelerator, is set to launch soon. They aim to navigate evolving policies and ensure military women have the knowledge and access they need. 

Forest therapy is an immersive nature experience that guides you on a gentle journey to reawaken your senses and connection with nature and self. 

 In this episode we discuss the physical and mental benefits of being in nature, the importance of connecting with and protecting our natural lands, and the seasonal changes that occur in nature which mirror the natural transitions of life. 

Today we discuss the importance of utilizing trauma-informed care in practice.

The Nurse Innovation Fellowship program is supported by Johnson & Johnson and powered by Penn Nursing and the Wharton School.

In this episode, we talk about the genesis of nursing care in hospitals, current payment models, and the importance of having a seat at the table.

She is an advocate for an inclusive and diverse nursing landscape and the empowerment of underrepresented students. She continues her efforts to expose young minds to the possibilities within the nursing profession through the NBNA’s Mini Nurse Academy.

Today, we talk about Monica Harmon's journey into nursing, her dedication to community health, and the transformative impact of the Mini Nurse Academy in fostering diversity and empowering young students to envision a future in the nursing profession.

Today, we talk with Jessica about the history of nursing and the need for nurses to push boundaries, engage in community-oriented care, and work together for a more just and equitable future for the profession.  

cost accounting and managerial positions, Kimberly chose to pursue a career in nursing and

, eventually, nurse anesthesia. While completing her Doctor of Nursing practice at Yale University,

she and a colleague developed the first-of-its-kind campaign school for nurses and midwives.

Kimberly is a practicing CRNA, adjunct faculty at Wake Forest and Western Carolina University,

and sits on the board of several professional organizations. She is the co-founder of Healing

Politics a non-profit organization on a mission to inspire, motivate, recruit, and train nurses and

midwives to run for elected office while building a culture of civic engagement within the

profession of nursing. Today, we talk about nursing leadership, professionalism, and how nurses have the power to change the world by working together.

This was a very fun episode to record. We hope you enjoy it.

Dr. Canty talks with us about the prevalence of racism in nursing, the importance of initiating change in nursing education policy, and how she uses art and poetry to express her passions.

We talk with Brighid about the Ryan Haight Act, informing policy with evidence, and some of the many challenges facing the US healthcare system.

Randi and John talk with us about how their unique backgrounds brought them to Penn nursing innovation, their work on the innovation committee of the board of advisors, how Penn Nursing facilitates collaborative innovation projects between nurses and experts in other fields, and how we can help others realize the importance of nurse-led innovation in improving healthcare.

Barbara talks with us about how her early exposure to news, policy, and activism shaped her career interests, the power of storytelling, incorporating personal interests into nursing care, her work with Project Kesher, and how nurses can make their voices heard.

In her 18-year career in academia, Dr. Mund has occupied roles at the University of Minnesota as well as the Medical University of South Carolina, where she currently serves as the chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences. As a proponent of nurse leadership, she is actively involved in a number of committees and boards that amplify the voices and views of nurses.

Dr. Mund talks with us about her path to becoming a nurse anesthetist, the importance of getting involved in professional organizations, and how leaders can cultivate safe environments to help others thrive.

Today Ali talks about her nursing experience, how her nursing background influenced her journalism career, and her latest move as an entrepreneur, launching her app TruFaves.

Taofiki talks with us about how he became interested in nursing, the importance of drawing inspiration from bedside care, and how he navigated manufacturing and funding challenges in his journey to develop a new healthcare product.

Through her 30 years of experience in health care and nearly two decades of work as an acute care nurse practitioner, Dr. Kapu has become widely renowned as an expert in advanced practice leadership and the development of health system advanced practice infrastructure.

Dr. Kapu talks with us about how full practice authority for nurse practitioners increases access to care, utilizing technology to provide better education and care, and the importance of collaboration between nurses in advocating for the profession as a whole.

In this episode, Julia and Casey talk with us about their experiences in healthcare innovation, how they became part of the ED Pavilion collaboration, and how they were able to implement the Design Thinking process throughout the project to co-create with ED staff and clinicians to construct an impactful solution. 

Mike, Neil, and Jackie talk with us about how their interests in healthcare innovation led them to the Pavilion ED Project, the benefits of co-creation between students from different backgrounds, how design thinking and human-centered design can spark improvements in healthcare, and the challenges they faced as they attempted to integrate new processes in the emergency department.

           Dr. Ackerman-Barger talks with us about her pathway into nursing, the challenges of addressing diversity in healthcare, the impact of stereotype threat and microaggressions on learning outcomes, and the importance of promoting not only diversity but inclusion as well.

Follow us on Twitter at PennNursing and by using the hashtag: #PennNursingInnovation

​Alison Hernandez PhD, RN is a former 2019-2020 Health and Aging Policy Fellow turned hill staffer. You can listen to Dr. Hernandez’s Amplify Nursing podcast episode here.

Melissa Batchelor PhD, RN FNP, FAAN is a scientist, author, and speaker. She was a 2018-2019 Health and Aging Policy Fellow, serving the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging. She hosts a weekly podcast called This is Getting Old: Moving Towards an Age-Friendly World.

Read his articles here:

The Case for Innovation Education in Nursing School

Getting Nursing Students Involved in Hackathons

Christina received her Master’s Degree in Public Health from UC Berkeley and has worked over the past decade to combine her expertise in performing arts with her public health background to facilitate and amplify health/healthcare topics including the recent Penn Nursing Frontline Health Workers Digital Theater project.

Dr. Bardhan and Christina talk with us about how their backgrounds in performing arts brought them to storytelling, the reflective nature of storytelling, and the parallels between clinical practice and the theater arts. 

As a faculty at Penn Nursing, Dr. Bent has mentored numerous nursing students, and she continues to inspire and support them through the many clinical and academic rigors that they face.

Dr. Bent talks with us about the significance mentorship plays in nursing education, the parallels between athletics and leadership, and the importance of promoting diversity among nurse anesthesia faculty.

Dr. Fairman talks with us about the nuances involved with studying the history of healthcare, the role of nurses in addressing structural racism and social injustice, and how historical perspectives shape the landscape of healthcare practice and policy today.

As an undergrad at Penn Nursing, Anthony was intrigued by the idea of attending a nurse hackathon. He embraced the challenge, pitched an idea to the group, and even met his co-founder.

We talk to Anthony about his transformative experience, the benefits of working with a design thinking model of innovation, and his journey from nursing student to CEO.

Studying the history of nursing has been the joy of Dr. D'Antonio's career and she believes history is one of the most critical methodologies we have to confront the complexities we face in health and helathcare today and to think about how all things are interconnected. Dr. D'Antonio is one of the authors of a white paper examining the history of racism in nursing that will be released along with the 2022 National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing Foundational Report.

The Commission's goal is to look at how racism is still perpetuated in nursing and by nurses and to create strategies to combat it.

Dr. D'Antonio talks with us about the history of racism in nursing, how historians look at the past, and how structural racism is embedded in nursing's origin story.

Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, as a child of a mother of the civil rights movement, Dr. Anchrum understood the need to preserve these stories due to a scarcity of historical scholarship focused on black nurses.

We talk with Dr. Anchrum about her early experiences in the profession, the inequities baked into the education system, and who gets to tell the history of nursing, what is being taught, and whose work is celebrated.

Today we talk to Matt about his early career challenges in nursing, his passion for research, and the importance of ethical considerations in resuscitation research. 

We talk with Ravenne about how her educational, clinical, and life experiences contributed to the work she does today, the disconnect between nursing history and practice, and how she is using the NYSK project to highlight the work nurses of color have done - and are doing - to contribute to the nursing profession.

A second-degree nursing student, and no stranger to academia, Mary Rose has spent her career supporting underrepresented students in healthcare. Today we talk about her journey into nursing, her passion for workforce diversity initiatives, and her plans to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner. 

Organizations she mentioned:

Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs and Leaders (SONSIEL)

Nurse Hack 4 Health

Launch Pad at Oculus

Dr. Villarruel is an internationally renowned leader in research, policy, and practice and has worked to improve the health of underserved Latino communities as well as our community at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, the number one nursing school in the world.