Nurses are at the center of healthcare.
They provide the majority of hands-on care for patients—seeing them day in and day out, understanding their needs and responding in real time. That perspective gives nurses a clear view of where care works, where it breaks down and where it can be improved. Combined with their skill, empathy and creativity, it makes them powerful innovators.
Around the world, nurse-led innovation is already shaping how care is delivered. Through NurseHack4Health, J&J CareCommunity is helping support, develop and scale those ideas.
Developed in collaboration with Microsoft and the Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs & Leaders (SONSIEL) with support from the J&J Foundation, NurseHack4Health has grown from a single hackathon into a global platform for nurse-led innovation. Since 2019, it has brought together more than 5,500 participants, providing mentorship, opportunities for collaboration, training and funding to translate ideas into real-world solutions.
From ideas to implementation
NurseHack4Health has expanded globally and held its first global hackathon at the International Council of Nurses Congress in Helsinki in June 2025, gathering nurses together to share challenges, form teams and begin developing solutions grounded in everyday care.
“Sitting around my table, I am with people from six different countries with the same problems,” said Angela Wignall, RN, Canadian Nurses Association. “And when we put our brilliant minds together, it’s our opportunity to take all of the brilliance and wisdom that we have as nurses from the bedside to the boardroom and bring it to fruition in real world solutions.”
The ideas cover the full continuum of care, from enhancing patient experience to strengthening clinical decision-making to expanding access to care in both high- and low-resource settings. Each was rooted in hands-on experience and built to work in real care environments.
By November, those ideas advanced into solutions ready for real-world application.
At the 2025 NurseHack4Health Pitch-A-Thon, more than 120 nurse-led teams came together to present their innovations with clear pathways to implementation. Finalists received mentorship and coaching to refine their solutions, with three awardees selected:
- SafeSticker (Blythedale Children’s Hospital) –a child-friendly, skin-safe alternative to traditional ID bands that improves pediatric safety and reduces distress
- A solar-powered dialysis model(The NephroHaven Foundation) – expanding access to life-saving carein Ghana and low-resource settings
- InspiroAxis(InspiroSense Innovations) –a device that automates pressure monitoring in critical care, improving accuracy and reducing strain on nurses
These three teams received a combined $385,000 in funding, supported by the J&J Foundation, to advance prototype development, pilot testing and real-world deployment. With this investment, NurseHack4Health has now awarded more than $1 million to nurse-led teams since its inception.
Supporting the people closest to care
From breakthrough to bedside, nurses lead—and programs like NurseHack4health help bring their ideas to life.
This work is supported by J&J CareCommunity, Johnson & Johnson’s global social impact platform championing nurses and community health workers to accelerate access to quality care.
Building on more than 125 years of support for the nursing profession—including reaching over 1 million nurses in the past decade—Johnson & Johnson is helping turn nurse-led ideas into solutions that strengthen care for patients and communities around the world.
When the innovative ideas of nurses are supported, a better health system is possible. Learn more about our efforts to connect communities to care and champion nurses through J&J CareCommunity today.
