Development and Implementation of a Policy Hackathon to Address Nursing Staffing Issues

The global nursing workforce shortage poses significant challenges to healthcare delivery, necessitating new policy solutions. This article details a pioneering, nurse-led policy hackathon organized by the American Nurses Association-Ohio Public Policy Committee and Miami University to address the nursing workforce shortage. Held over 3 days, the event brought together 120 participants, including nurses, students, legislators, and healthcare leaders, to develop actionable policy solutions across four critical tracks: acute care, chronic care, public health, and nursing education. Teams utilized a structured framework to generate policy briefs and pitches, focusing on creative and collaborative approaches to root causes of the workforce shortage. Winning proposals included optimizing clinical documentation processes, addressing faculty shortages through state-level initiatives, expanding aging-in-place programs, and enhancing public health nursing recruitment and retention. The hackathon demonstrated the potential of collaborative innovation in crafting data-driven policies that align with healthcare needs. Outcomes from the event have already influenced policy discussions, highlighting the value of nurse-led initiatives in shaping healthcare policy and improving workforce sustainability.