Cleveland Clinic allows nurses to submit innovative tech ideas and helps them develop the tools.
Acute care nurse Monica Cummins, MSN, APRN, put forth an idea to the health system's Nursing Innovations team through an online portal, according to an Oct. 15 Cleveland Clinic article. She met regularly with a nursing innovation coordinator before formally submitting the proposal to more efficiently and safely crush medication for patients to Cleveland Clinic Innovations.
While she is still in the research phase for her solution, she recommends other nurses take advantage of Cleveland Clinic's openness to innovation because of their direct knowledge of healthcare workflows and practices.
"Ask questions and ask, 'Why not?'" she said in the story. "Do not be discouraged, even when many people tell you no. Be your own cheerleader and seek support from others who can share your vision and passion and help you navigate through the innovator journey. It may go in a different direction you thought of initially to build your vision, but feedback can help build a better product or solution. When you think of a new solution, remember, you are an innovator; share your ideas!"