Nurses make an art of thinking on their feet. We’ve all MacGyvered our way through nursing shifts, creating on-the-spot solutions for unique problems. We’ve powdered bedpans so they don’t stick, put gauze under our tourniquets to save our patients from pinching, and dabbed some peppermint oil on our masks on the way to a code brown.

Throughout history, nurses have led the way in finding a wide array of practical solutions to problems that crop up in their day-to-day practice. Did you know nurses invented the crash cart, the one-handed syringe, and the ostomy pouch? Nurses know how to take the problem apart, fix it, and build it better.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J), a strong advocate and active supporter of nurses everywhere, knows the power of nurses’ problem-solving superpowers. They want to give every nurse a chance to shout their idea from the rooftops. Together with Microsoft and SONSIEL, and supported by ALL IN Wellbeing First for Healthcare and Johnson & Johnson Foundation, the NurseHack4Health (NH4H) Pitch-A-Thon is a program where nurses can pitch their problem and solution for a chance to receive grant funding to bring their solution to life.

This event allows teams to use creativity, experience, and technology to take apart a problem, fix it, and build it better for a thriving workforce and healthier workplace. Excited yet? Or does the idea of pitching an idea to a panel of nursing leaders intimidate you? Well, let us answer some of your questions and quell your nerves with what you need to know about the NH4H Pitch-A-Thon. Because we know you’ve got some fantastic solutions to persistent problems up your sleeve.

The NH4H Pitch-A-Thon Offers a Place to Share Your Brilliant Nursing Hack

As natural problem-solvers in the “trenches,” nurses see workflow and patient care issues before many other medical team members. And who better to create change than nurses, who advocate daily for their patients and their team?

The NurseHack4Health Pitch-A-Thon, a free virtual program, allows any nurse-led team to make themselves heard. Industry expert coaches and judges donate their time, knowledge, and skillsets to help all participants parse out their solutions for better healthcare–for you and your patients.

Not sure what kinds of pitches get the green light? Take a look at these past NH4H Pitch-A-Thon-winning solutions:

• Paws to Reflect: The Geisinger Health System’s Paws to Reflect program combines peer support with animal-assisted therapy. Their grant money funded the training of six certified pet therapy dogs to provide stress relief and smiles to nurses across the system.
• Dear Hospital: Children's Hospital of Orange County's Dear Hospital program uses storytelling and photography to strengthen staff connections, improve morale, and reduce turnover.
• AutoChart: Vancouver Coastal Health's AutoChart is an AI-enabled documentation solution that uses natural language processing to capture bedside patient assessments. It saves time and increases staff satisfaction, and their grant funding supports its development, pilot, and validation.

If you use a hack at work to get things done faster and better, apply now for the Pitch-A-Thon! You never know—your team’s idea could offer nurses everywhere a better way to care for themselves and their patients.

Nurses From Any Specialty Can Participate

Any nurse from any specialty can participate in the NurseHack4Health Pitch-A-Thon, since all nurses are innovators! Whether you work in a hemodialysis clinic, a psych unit, med-surg, or OB, you probably already come up with nursing hacks all the time.

While all nurses are welcome, let’s break down some of the requirements.

NH4H is open globally to those working in a non-profit/501c3 designation health system or those with a fiscal partner. If your eyes glazed over reading that sentence, don’t worry: we can explain.

A non-profit organization uses any money earned to run the business and not to dole out a bunch of benjamins to its shareholders or board members. Many hospitals and medical systems use this model, and you can find out if your employer falls under this category on their website or by asking your manager.

But even if your employer doesn’t qualify as a non-profit, you can still apply to the Pitch-A-Thon by asking your facility’s leadership to take on a fiscal sponsor. (Hang tight, the legal stuff’s almost over.)

This just means that for your hospital or health system to back your pitch, they want a non-profit organization to join up with them and be in charge of the money, to give an extra layer of accountability that any grant winnings will go toward building your idea, and not into anyone’s pocket.

Whew! That may sound like a lot, but the creators of the Pitch-A-Thon want to set you up for success, so they put these safeguards in place to ensure your idea gets built right. They also give you a ton of help throughout the process, which we’ll discuss soon!

Teams Have a Generous Timeline Before Their Virtual Pitch

All pitches are given virtually. You will have plenty of time and help from the NH4H team before pitch day. Here’s how the timeline shakes out:

The Innovation Academy is throughout June and July and will teach you the skills you need to analyze the problem you’re trying to solve, build the foundation of a solution, and pitch.

August 9, 2024, is the deadline to apply for the Pitch-A-Thon. Finalists are then selected by August 30, 2024.

If you become a finalist, you will participate in the Innovation Accelerator to work with experts to refine your pitch.

Then, on October 15, 2024, you and your team will virtually pitch your solution at the NH4H Pitch-A-Thon. This free virtual event is open to the public, so even if you don’t pitch yourself, you can join in to watch the pitches!

Want to know what the pitching experience looks like? Watch some examples here.

All Teams Have Free Guidance During the Pitch-Building Process

Do you have a solution you’re thinking of that might be a good idea to pitch? NH4H offers a ton of support for anyone preparing for the Pitch-A-Thon.

In June and July, you can attend any of several informational or educational sessions to help you build your pitch. On their website, you can view training videos to help you know what they’re looking for in a good pitch. Have a specific question? NurseHack4Health offers office hours throughout the summer—fill out an online form to set up time with coaches and ask any questions you have about your pitch.

You can even request mentoring from subject matter experts until the application deadline to ensure your application is the best it can be.

If you are selected as a finalist, you’ll get a coach as part of their Innovation Accelerator to help you pressure test your innovation, refine the budget, and practice pitching.

In September, NurseHack4Health will also hold a practice pitch session so you can experience pitching and massage any kinks out of your presentation before the big day.

Your Team Could Receive Funding to Bring Your Solution to Life

After pitching to a panel of industry-expert judges, awardees(s) will be awarded grant funding based on the budget you present and the feasibility of your solution, up to $150,000. The grant funding is provided by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare, a coalition of healthcare organizations dedicated to supporting solutions that improve the well-being of healthcare workers and Johnson & Johnson Foundation.

What Are You Waiting For?

Your nursing hacks could make a big difference for nurses and patients and skyrocket your career to the next level if that’s what you’d like. By participating in the Pitch-A-Thon, your team will show your respective management your capabilities in leadership and design thinking. You’ll get to work with your own hand-picked team of colleagues and push nursing and healthcare to a new level with your idea. So what are you waiting for? Apply today!

This article is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.