Where will the next big idea in healthcare come from? Johnson & Johnson is counting on nurses.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Oct. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- There's a reason the saying goes, "nurse someone back to health." Throughout history, nurses have been important facilitators of health – caring for the sick when others would not, identifying smarter and better ways to heal and developing life-saving methods.

Today, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is launching a new campaign that does more than just recognize nurses as critical partners on the front lines of health care – it empowers them as innovators. Through the "Nurses Innovate QuickFire Challenge," Johnson & Johnson is inviting the more than 3.2 million nurses¹ in the United States to submit ideas for new devices, health technologies, protocols or treatment approaches. The company has committed up to $100,000 in grants and access to mentoring and coaching via Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS.

"Nurses have ideas that can profoundly change lives, and at Johnson & Johnson, we've consistently provided support by educating, inspiring, and empowering those in the field," said Michael Sneed, Executive Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs & Chief Communication Officer at Johnson & Johnson. "The Johnson & Johnson Nurses Innovate QuickFire Challenge was created to bring these ideas to life by pairing them with our vast network of resources and expertise. In the end, our goal is to use Johnson & Johnson's scale, resources and know-how to help incredible ideas move forward."

Throughout history, nurses have brought innovation to patient care from Florence Nightingale, who established sanitary practices still used today, to Nurse Jean Ward, who discovered that sunlight helped reduce jaundice in newborns, to Nurse Rebecca Koszalinski, who created the Speak for Myself© app. Nurses' deep patient experience, coupled with insight and resourcefulness, makes them a significant force in addressing critical health challenges.

Yet, Johnson & Johnson discovered through a nationwide survey² that nearly half of Americans (41%) are unaware of the role that nurses play in developing new medical tools and solutions, even though the majority (66%) believe that all medical professionals are capable of coming up with lifesaving ideas. Three-quarters (75%) of those surveyed believe nurses should be given a platform to submit their ideas and inventions to improve patient care.

To help draw attention to the role nurses play as innovators, and bring their innovations to life, Johnson & Johnson is partnering with Emmy Award-Winning Journalist, New York Times Best Selling Author, SiriusXM radio host and Founder/CEO of AfterBuzz TV Networks Maria Menounos to announce the Johnson & Johnson Nurses Innovate QuickFire Challenge. Menounos, who experienced the importance of nurses firsthand throughout her health journey battling a brain tumor said, "I interacted with nurses every day and know that nurses do so much more than many people realize. They're resourceful, creative problem-solvers. I truly believe we will all benefit from helping nurses develop their ideas for better patient care."

The Johnson & Johnson Nurses Innovate QuickFire Challenge will run from October 1, 2018 to February 1, 2019. Solutions will be evaluated by a panel of reviewers and judges on their ability to meet the following criteria:

• Uniqueness of the idea
• Potential impact on human health
• Feasibility of the idea
• Thoroughness of approach
• Identification of key resources and plan to further idea

The Johnson & Johnson Nurses Innovate QuickFire Challenge is the latest initiative from the company that, since 1897, has supported nurses through employment, partnerships, training, and millions in scholarships. For example, Johnson & Johnson previously launched the iconic "Campaign for Nursing's Future" to address a projected shortage of nurses. The result was an increase in the nursing workforce by more than one million (Buerhaus, Nursing Economics)³.

Every day, nurses' creativity, innovation and healing touch change the lives of patients around the world. Johnson & Johnson is proud to advocate for a world where nurses are empowered, recognized and valued as critical changemakers in patient care. To learn more about Johnson & Johnson's 120 years of commitment to nursing and how to apply for the Johnson & Johnson Nurses Innovate QuickFire Challenge, visit nursing.jnj.com/home.

About Johnson & Johnson
About Johnson & Johnson At Johnson & Johnson, we believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities and forward progress. That's why for more than 130 years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and every stage of life. Today, as the world's largest and most broadly-based health care company, we are committed to using our reach and size for good. We strive to improve access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere. We are blending our heart, science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity.

¹ State of the Registered Nurse Workforce as a New Era of Health Reform Emerges, NURSING ECONOMIC$/September-October 2017/Vol. 35/No. 5, Peter I. Buerhaus, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAANP(h)

² Harris Interactive UK, Sept 2018, 1,144 respondents

³ Buerhaus, Nursing Economics Needleman, J., Buerhaus, P., Mattke, S., Stewart, M., Zelevinsky, K., Nurse stang and quality of care in hospitals in the United States, The New England Journal of Medicine May 30, 2002;346(22):1715-1722.[Designated AHRQ Patient Safety Classic]

SOURCE Johnson & Johnson

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