Establishing Nurse Innovator Competencies: A Collaborative Initiative

Rapid advancements in augmented and artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping health care, necessitating a strategic approach to integrating innovation into nursing education and practice. This article details a collaborative initiative between academic and practice partners aimed at the initial steps towards establishing the required knowledge, skills, and abilities for nurses to lead change through the creation of Nurse Innovator Competencies.

After an extensive review of literature, the team identified the absence of established Nurse Innovator Competencies. Through a collaborative and iterative process involving subject matter experts (SMEs) in both innovation and academia, key domains for the competencies, including Innovative Thinking, Information Management and Technological Acumen, Iterative Development, Transformational Leadership, and Compassionate Care, were established. Utilizing the same approach, the team then crafted competency statements and solicited input from nurse innovators and health care employees.

The results of this effort underscore the critical areas for enhancement and suggest methodologies for integrating these competencies into nursing curricula and nursing practice. While future analysis is needed to further test the survey tool and expand the data collection, the initial findings indicate emerging reliability.

Ultimately, the Nurse Innovator Competencies are expected to serve as a guide to empower nurses to lead innovation while maintaining the core value of compassionate care in health care settings.