An exclusive interview: Elevating nurse-led innovation to improve healthcare

As healthcare as we know it has changed so much, J&J has also grown exponentially as a healthcare leader.

I love this story. Because 125 years ago, our leaders recognized the critical role of nurses in healthcare, and that mindset has been part of our executive leadership ever since. We were employing nurses in our workforce in 1897, and went on to support clinical training, education, mentorship, scholarships, leadership training and even advertising in support of the nursing profession. Nurses are in the first sentence of our Credo, which outlines Johnson & Johnson’s guiding values. We like to say that nurses are part of our DNA, and emphasize that for healthcare to work, it takes nurses, We are strong advocates for the profession and proud to support nurse innovation, clinical and leadership education for nurses, nurse mental health and well-being, and foster health equity through supporting greater diversity in the nursing workforce.

We know that throughout history, nurses have been innate dot-connectors and problem-solvers, constantly finding better ways to do things to improve patient care. We also know that nurses have unique, invaluable insights, as many spend so much time in direct patient care. But even though they have the insights and the ideas, we learned that nurses don’t necessarily see themselves as innovators. And they also have not had a way to bring those innovative ideas forward. Events like NurseHack4Health, our hackathon platform in partnership with SONSIEL and Microsoft help nurses flex their innovation skills, brainstorm with others and bring their amazing ideas to life. We think ideas coming from nurses are critical to transforming healthcare we as know it.

Lynda Benton is a veteran of the healthcare industry. She has spent her entire professional career with Johnson & Johnson in sales, marketing, and management roles, leading brands and large-scale corporate sponsorships and stakeholder platforms. Today, she leads Johnson & Johnson Nursing, a platform representing the company’s 125-year commitment to supporting and advocating for the nursing profession. Lynda has seen first-hand the critical impact nurses have in healthcare and the lives of their patients every day. As the U.S. health system is ever more strained by greater patient, resource and systemic demands—and the challenges of the pandemic—she is passionate about elevating, advocating for, and empowering nurses as innovative leaders with the knowledge, mindset, and skills to move healthcare forward.

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