Profile of Innovative Ideas Recorded by Nurses in an Ideas Bank of a Corporate Virtual Community of Open Innovation: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: Nurses are well-positioned to play an active role in the development of innovation in health care. However, their contribution to health innovation is poorly recognized and often invisible. The aim of this study was to determine the profile of innovative ideas recorded by nurses in the Innòbics ideas bank, a corporate virtual community of open innovation.

Design And Methods: We used a cross-sectional study design. We identified all the innovative ideas recorded in Innòbics from June 8, 2016, to July 6, 2018. To be eligible, the ideas had to be recorded by nurses. Each innovative idea recorded was assessed by the Certification Evaluation Committee of Innòbics. After collective discussion during the evaluation sessions, each committee member independently scored the idea. The screening decision was based on the overall average score. The following variables were collected from each innovative idea that was recorded: (a) level of health care where the idea originated (primary care or secondary care), (b) subject or category according to the classification of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Health Care Innovations Exchange, (c) ratings relative to each screening criteria, and (d) the result of the screening decision: stored = ideas that were poorly developed and in which it was not possible to identify their potential for innovation; susceptible of improvement = potential ideas that needed to be improved and whose authors received comments from the evaluation committee; validated = ideas that continued the process to become innovation projects; forwarded = ideas that were not innovative but they were a complaint or a proposal for quality improvement (these were forwarded to the institutional department concerned).

Findings: A total of 246 innovative ideas were recorded in the period of the study, 61 (24.8%) of which were recorded by nurses. The subjects and categories of these ideas were diverse, highlighting aspects such as patient-centered care, quality improvement strategies, preventive and chronic care, and primary care. Thirty-five (57.4%) of these innovative ideas were stored, 13 (21.3%) were susceptible to improvement, 11 (18.0%) were forwarded, and 2 (3.3%) were validated.

Conclusions: The results demonstrated that approximately a quarter of the ideas were recorded by nurses. Subjects and categories of these ideas were diverse, some of them closely related to the profession and nursing practice. Two ideas were identified as potential innovation projects. Innòbics can act as an organizational tool that promotes a climate for innovation in health care.

Clinical Relevance: This study recognizes nurses' contribution to a healthcare innovation initiative and their interest in sharing innovative ideas. Its findings provide useful insights into a virtual community of open innovation such as an organizational tool for encouraging creativity and innovation in healthcare. Likewise, there is also a need for further development of nurses to master healthcare innovation as a basic competence.