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College of Nursing faculty publish paper urging for innovation in nursing education
Published in the Journal of Professional Nursing, the paper analyzes how innovation is reflected in the AACN Essentials and offers a roadmap for preparing future nurses to lead in a complex, rapidly evolving healthcare environment.
Faculty at The Ohio State University College of Nursing, including Taura Barr, PhD, RN, FAHA, and Michael Ackerman, PhD, RN, co-authored a paper with a team of nurse leaders from across the country in the Journal of Professional Nursing highlighting a need to better integrate innovation competencies into nursing education.
The article, A summative content analysis of innovation in the AACN Essentials informed by Pillay's innovation competencies, examines how innovation is represented in the framework shaping nursing education across the United States. It also outlines a roadmap for preparing the next generation of nurses to lead in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.
“Nursing has always been a profession of innovation, but we have not always named it, taught it or measured it as a core competency,” said Barr. “Our goal is to move that conversation forward and it challenges us to think more intentionally about how we prepare nurses to create, lead and sustain meaningful change across healthcare.”
The paper emphasizes that innovation in nursing extends beyond technology. It includes problem-solving, systems thinking and adapting care delivery in real-world settings. The authors aim to help educators embed these skills into their programs by offering a clearer definition and approach.
As healthcare systems face increasing complexity, workforce challenges and rapid technological advancement, the need for innovative thinking among nurses continues to grow. The authors say integrating innovation into education is critical to preparing practice-ready nurses who can drive meaningful change.
“If we want nurses to be prepared for the future of healthcare, innovation cannot sit at the margins of nursing education,” Barr said. “It must be intentionally woven into how we teach, how we practice and how we develop nurses as leaders who are ready to respond to complexity, improve systems and create new solutions for the people and communities we serve.”
