Nurses Emerge as a Source of Innovation in Digital Health

Both clinical and business leaders are already looking to nurses for individual-level innovation and clinical acumen skills. But they're missing out on the opportunity—and better patient outcomes—that comes from bringing nurses into innovation at the leadership level, according to BDO's Unleashing Nurse-Led Innovation.

The study (with Penn Nursing) surveyed two distinct groups—104 clinical leaders and 172 business leaders—about the future of nursing innovation and its role in their organizations. More than half (57 percent) of business leaders say advanced leadership is a skill they'll view as very important to nurse innovators within their organization by 2025. Yet, just 46 percent of health businesses have someone with a nursing background in their C-suite, and among those that do, just 7 percent are the CEO and 8 percent are the Chief Innovation Officer.  

By not elevating nurses to the leadership levels needed to fully transform care, the industry and its investors are missing an opportunity. Patrick Pilch, managing director and national leader of The BDO Center for Healthcare Excellence & Innovation, explains why in The Wall Street Journal.