Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship Program

2024 Application is Now Open!

Program Overview

The JJNIF is designed for innovative nurse executives who have a passion for finding solutions that provide better care for patients and support a workplace environment where nurses can thrive.

This fellowship is unique in bringing together nurse leaders representing a diversity of organization types, locations, size, populations served and healthcare expertise. Two nurse leaders — one Chief Nursing Officer or nurse executive and one other senior nurse leader from the same organization — participate and work together to address a real-world challenge their health system is facing.

The fellowship will immerse participants in the innovation process by focusing on human-centered design and design thinking methodologies, and will teach fellows how to apply it to their specific challenge area and drive transformative changes to the healthcare environment that support better outcomes for nurses and patients alike. The innovation curriculum provided by Penn Nursing will be paired with business acumen, change management and strategic leadership skills development through Wharton Executive Education. At the conclusion of the fellowship, fellows will pitch their innovative solutions and implement them at their healthcare system.

How is the 2024 Fellowship structured?

The JJNIF program is a combination of in-person and virtual sessions, and teams are expected to attend all sessions. The program begins with a virtual half-day kick-off meeting April 22, 2024 from 11am to 5pm ET, followed by an in-person 5-day Summer Innovation Institute at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA from June 3-7, 2024. Following the Summer Innovation Institute, there are three 2-day virtual synchronous sessions from 11am to 5pm ET on September 10-11, 2024, November 12-13, 2024 and February 11-12, 2025, and a 2-day in-person closing event at Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, NJ, on May 21-22, 2025.

During the fellowship, participants will work on a challenge specific to their health system to create an environment where nurses and patients can thrive. Teams will leave each session with homework to be completed at their institution in order to move their project forward and to sustain buy-in and support from their institutional leaders and stakeholders.

While two-person teams from each health care system are required to attend all in-person and virtual sessions, fellows may invite extended team members from their health care system who can help them identify the problem and develop their solutions to attend virtual sessions as needed. The program will conclude with a final in-person pitch session describing their problem and recommended solution.

Start an Application

Register for an Info Session

Jan 10 at 3pm ET: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/96676287509?pwd=Qm40TERrakUzbmp4aG1RTHNCc3ZrZz09

Jan 18 at 2pm ET: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/94529258012?pwd=aVpMbDBGLzluQVNGSkhWeUd1NnN4QT09

Jan 22 at 11am ET: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/96152600259?pwd=YTREQitVVmNFc0FrNHdtNmc1TkJKdz09

Feb 1 at 1pm ET: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/92543703465?pwd=TDdWUU4rU2VNOURsbW5NdmwzTURQUT09

Feb 5 at 5pm ET: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/92877415438?pwd=NUZ0Sk9ZMFRnQnZjcnNNSTRGcjJ0Zz09

Feb 9 at 12pm ET: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/92466405733?pwd=Y0Z1a0VpdnloZmxsbXcxSXl6VnpYdz09

Feb 16 at 10am ET: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/91839588383?pwd=a0pBOVdMTDNVaGtNV1RxWjhkRHF4QT09

Application Background

Ten two-person teams from different health systems across the United States will be selected as fellows through a competitive process using an online application. Each team will be composed of a CNO or nurse executive and a senior nurse leader.

The application will be submitted by the CNO/nurse executive from a hospital or health system who will serve as the primary applicant. The CNO/nurse executive will choose another senior nurse leader from their hospital or health system to complete the team. Evidence of health system buy-in and support from the Chief Executive Officer is required.

The fellows will be selected by Penn Nursing.

Program Timeline

Applications will be accepted between January 8, 2024 and February 19, 2024. Participants will be selected and notified by March 22, 2024; the program will begin in April 2024 and conclude in May 2025.

Program Timeline

April 22, 2024 (virtual)
June 3-7, 2024 (Philadelphia, PA)
September 10-11, 2024 (virtual)
November 12-13, 2024 (virtual)
February 11-12, 2025 (virtual)
May 21-22, 2025 (New Brunswick, NJ)

Each virtual session lasts approximately 6 hours, tentatively from 11 AM - 5 PM ET (times are subject to change).

Applicant Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

Be a Registered Nurse.
Reside in the U.S. or its territories or Indian Lands of Federally Recognized Tribes of the United States.
The primary applicant will hold the role of Chief Nursing Officer/nurse executive in a hospital or health system and identify a senior nurse leader as the partner on the team.
This is a team-based fellowship; each member of the dyadic team must commit to working together as a part of the JJNIF program.
Have support and buy-in from the executive leadership (e.g., Chief Executive Officer) and c-suite administrators, including a signed letter of support on letterhead guaranteeing release time for the in-person and virtual sessions and stating how they will support the development, implementation, and sustainability of the innovative ideas within the health system.
Must serve at an institution that is agile and committed to being at the forefront of healthcare innovation.
Both team members must commit to a full year of structured learning, travel, self-study, and project activity, including attendance at the in-person and virtual sessions. See key fellowship dates above.
Must focus on a problem that when solved provides better care for patients and supports a workplace environment where nurses can thrive.
Must work in a hospital or health system.
We embrace racial, ethnic, and gender diversity and encourage applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds.

Applications close on February 19, 2024. Selected Fellows will be notified directly by March 22, 2024.

Evaluation and Monitoring

Penn Nursing and the Wharton School will collect evaluation data on an ongoing basis in order for this project to contribute to national efforts to help build and maintain a strong, capable, innovative, and diverse nurse leadership workforce in health and health care. Therefore, the program will have the option to release results from this evaluation publicly. The evaluation team may study the extent to which program outcomes are achieved, as well as the impact fellows have on their work, their organizations, and the health care field as a result of their fellowship experience. These will be studied in aggregate; no specific participant or health system data will be named.

The intent of the JJNIF program is that successes and lessons learned can be communicated beyond the fellowship cohort. Solution-oriented stories from the JJNIF program will be shared with the larger health care and nursing communities. Participating teams and their associated organizations will participate in sharing their journey in the JJNIF program.

As a condition of accepting the JJNIF, fellows must participate in the evaluation. Fellow participation includes assisting with necessary data collection to accomplish the evaluation objectives. These data collection efforts may include surveys, interviews, focus groups, and other related activities to help assess and reflect on the continued development of the Fellowship program. Research on the program may occur.

JJNIF monitors the grantees’ efforts and careful stewardship to assure accountability. We will require Fellows to report on the progress and results of their innovation project work.

Meet the 2023-2024 Fellows

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing is pleased to announce the ten teams from health systems around the country who have been selected for the 2023-2024 JJNIF program, powered by Penn Nursing and the Wharton School.

The fellows come from geographically diverse areas across the US. They come from large and small health systems as well as stand-alone hospitals and public health systems in urban and rural locations.

Meet the Fellows

Learn more about Johnson & Johnson’s 125 commitment to the nursing profession here.

Email Us

Delayed Opening Until 10am, January 16, 2024