As nurses, you don’t just work on the frontlines of healthcare—you push its boundaries. 

Hosted by the American Nurses Association and the American Nurses Foundation, and sponsored by Stryker, the Nurse Innovation Awards celebrate those who transform nursing and healthcare with innovative ideas. 

With the application deadline fast approaching, here’s your guide to everything you need to know about the ANA Innovation Awards.

What Are the ANA Innovation Awards?

The ANA Innovation Awards spotlight and award innovations that stand out for their ingenuity and potential impact.

The categories at the ANA Innovation Awards include:

• Care Delivery Models
• Educational Interventions
• Medical Device or Product
• New Business, Program, or Service
• Research
• Technology

Most importantly, the ANA Innovation Awards can provide you with the resources to transform your idea into reality. Take the experience of a member of 2020’s winning team, Taofiki Gafar-Schaner, MSN, RN, co-founder of Frontier Innovation, Inc. Gafar-Schaner was a co-creator of SafeSeizure, a fresh, new solution for seizure precautions.

“Winning the ANA Innovation Award allowed us to purchase our first 20-foot container of product, which enabled us to supply SafeSeizure to more hospitals and drive practice changes across the nation. It helped us expand beyond that initial inventory order, meet rising demand, and save our hospital partners millions in linen costs. The ANA award was the catalyst for this growth; today SafeSeizure is used daily in over 80 hospitals nationwide. We are forever grateful to the ANA,” explained Gafar-Schaner.

Who Can Apply for the ANA Innovation Awards?

The ANA Innovation Awards are open to registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses who want to showcase how they are innovating for nursing or patient care. 

The Innovation Awards are for:

• Both team and individual innovations
• Innovations that improve patient outcomes 
• Nursing innovations that are unique, transformative, and sustainable
• Evidence-based innovations, with improved outcomes demonstrated by evidence
• Innovations primarily for use in the US market

Even if you or your team applied last year, you are allowed to apply again! The ANA loves to see the progress you’ve made with your innovation.

When is the Deadline to apply?

The deadline to apply is November 1, 2024. Yes, it’s close, but there’s still time!

Lois Gould, MS, PMP, the Innovation Lead at the American Nurses Association, says it takes about two to three hours to apply, depending on how much information you or your team have already compiled. The ANA also has monthly office hours to answer your application questions. Gould explains you can also make changes to the application up until the November 1, 2024 deadline.

When Are the Innovation Awards?

Gould says winners will be announced in the first quarter of 2025. “We also launch our award video at that time and do a big social media push,” Gould adds. 

Why Apply?

This is more than a badge of honor—it’s a national stage where your innovative work gets highlighted, appreciated, and amplified. The exposure alone can open doors to new opportunities, collaborations, and life-changing advancements through funding for your innovation.

Benefits of the Innovation Awards include:

• Grant funding of $25,000 for an individual nurse winner and $50,000 for a nurse-led team winner for each category
• Presentation of the winners’ outcomes at an ANA event after one year
• A site visit from the VP of Nursing Innovation for each winner
• An honorable mention for all non-winning participants from each innovation category
• Detailed feedback from the ANA for each applicant

Gafar-Schaner says funding is crucial when you have an idea you want to market. “The ANA Innovation Awards provides grant money that could be the boost your idea needs to become a reality or the lifeline that helps keep your company afloat. There's nothing to lose by applying.” 

The Innovations Awards winners are judged through a double-blind peer review process. Expert reviewers are assigned applications and independently complete the reviews. All reviewers also sign a non-disclosure agreement to protect your innovation.

How to Apply

Applying for the ANA Innovation Awards is easy. Start by heading to the ANA Innovation Awards landing page and clicking through to the application portal. The process is straightforward, but don’t wait too long to start.  

You’ll need to provide a project overview, explain its innovative aspects, and describe the impact your idea can have on healthcare. Evidence-based examples are encouraged to strengthen your case, so gather data or anecdotes that showcase why your innovation matters. Whether you’re focusing on patient outcomes or reshaping how teams function, this is the place to outline your vision clearly.

Don’t Miss Out on the ANA Innovation Awards in 2024!

If you’re a nurse with a vision for the future of healthcare, don’t let this chance slip by. The ANA Innovation Awards offer more than recognition; they provide a platform for you to bring your ideas to life. With the November 1 deadline fast approaching, don’t wait!

Check out the application portal and take that next step. Your innovation could be the one that changes healthcare and nursing for the better.

This article is sponsored by the American Nurses Foundation.

11 October 2024. Exclusive commentary from Lois Gould, MS, PMP, Innovation Lead of the American Nurses Association.

12 October 2024. Exclusive commentary from Taofiki Gafar-Schaner, MSN, RN, co-founder and co-inventor of Frontier Innovation, Inc.