The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has tested the prowess of the healthcare industry across the world. This highlighted the extensive need for accessible healthcare services and nursing care.
A recent Harris Poll commissioned by NursesEverywhere found 87% of Americans say nurses have been indispensable during the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey also found that 89% Americans expressed the need of same high-quality care received from nurses during the pandemic should remain a national standard for all.
Furthermore, the survey uncovered a high demand for nurses to address urgent societal needs related to improve nurse staffing in hospitals and nursing homes, reopening schools, providing safety in nursing homes and greater equality in healthcare including telehealth. While these may sound facts for many, only a healthcare professional would understand the burning issue underneath giving rise to health inequality.
Dr Tim Raderstorf, COO of NursesEverywhere, has been on a mission to tackle this challenge through his non-profit organization. In the following interview with Dr Raderstorf, he shares the organization’s mission of making healthcare more accessible across America and his views on the need of leveraging technology to provide quality healthcare.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Please brief our audience about NursesEverywhere, its values, vision, and mission.
NursesEverywhere is a voluntary nonpartisan organization dedicated to keeping everyone in America healthy and well through exceptional nursing care. Dedicated to educating people about their rights to access nursing care, our core values are Justice, Access, Respect, and Health Equity.
Our founding members are internationally recognized nurses and health care leaders committed to improving health outcomes on an individual, regional, and national level.
We believe everyone in America should expect and demand high quality and equitable nursing care at all levels and in all settings and that these nurses will help them achieve a greater degree of health and well-being.
The health and well-being of our nation can be enhanced if more diverse nurses are available at all levels of service from the front lines to corporate, governmental, and health services board rooms, responsible for making the most of policymaking decisions.
Brief us about how you have set yourself apart from the competition through your expertise?
Many wonderful organizations represent nurses, but NursesEverywhere highlights its uniqueness by representing the trusting relationship between nurses and the public. With one in every 10 families in this country including a nurse, nurses truly are everywhere. We span beyond healthcare clinics and hospitals and serve as neighborhood and community leaders.
With an engaged and educated public on the role of nursing care, together we can make changes based on the best available evidence to improve the health and wellness of the communities we serve.
What services does your organization offer, and how are you making an impact on the global healthcare industry?
NursesEverywhere provides educational resources about health, wellness, and the role of nurses in improving health outcomes. We have conducted a Harris Poll to evaluate the public’s view of nurses and weren’t surprised to find that the public wants more engagement with the nursing profession.
We’ve also got feedback from the communities speaking of their need to access meaningful ways to show gratitude for the sacrifices nurses are making during these challenging times. Our nursing colleagues are telling us that the best way to thank them is by following safe COVID-19 prevention measures. So, we created a Public Service Announcement and partnered with country duo Brown & Gray to produce a music video encouraging mask adherence and other prevention measures.
Being an experienced leader, share with us your opinion on how the adoption of modern technologies in the healthcare discipline has transformed the industry and what more could be expected in the near future?
New technologies are changing healthcare, but we have not yet been able to match the rate of adoption with the rate of creation. The adoption rate in the clinical setting is mostly dependent upon the amount of behavior change the technology integration requires. The electronic health record was particularly disruptive as it required significant behavior change without providing much, if any, benefit for clinicians.
Conversely, the amazing technology used to create the mRNA vaccines that are helping us adapt to the pandemic required very little change to clinical behavior. We’ve always given shots, so the delivery of this technology was no different. In the future, I expect new technologies to prioritize integration into existing clinical behavior as they look to drive adoption and increase impact.
Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its impact on global economies, how are you driving your organization to sustain operations and ensuring the safety of your employees at the same time?
The pandemic has been an exceptional catalyst for healthcare innovation. Latent technologies like telehealth that struggled to find a pathway to adoption were suddenly the gold standard of practice overnight. But most importantly a new sense of urgency has electrified healthcare, showcasing what can be possible. The key to this success will be caring for our clinicians and making sure they have the support and resources to be successful at this new pace.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the healthcare sector?
Partner with a nurse or clinician as a co-founder from the start. A nurse founder will help you recognize problems before they arise and keep you from making mistakes that only clinical expertise can foresee.
You likely have no idea how your technology will impact those at the frontlines and integrating a clinical founder will help you navigate the immense challenge of creating WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?) for the people who will determine your success.
Where do you envision your organization to be in the long run and what are your future goals?
NursesEverywhere is on the pathway to becoming an internationally recognized organization, with the goal of every person across the planet viewing a nurse as the linchpin to their health and wellness.
About the leader
Dr Tim Raderstorf is the Chief Operating Officer of the non-profit NursesEverywhere also serves as the Chief Innovation Officer at The Ohio State University College of Nursing and The Head of Academic Entrepreneurship at the Erdős Institute. From TED talks to textbooks, Tim uses every platform he can to empower those at the frontlines to initiate patient-centric change in healthcare.
As the first nurse holding the Chief Innovation Officer in academia, Dr Tim takes pride in educating the world about a nurse’s role as an innovator. He is the founder of the Innovation Studio, known for democratizing innovation, providing every interprofessional team with funds, tools, and mentorship to turn ideas into actions. In addition, Tim is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Practice in the Master of Healthcare Innovation program at Ohio State.
Throughout his career, Tim has founded and led multiple businesses, including a profitable healthcare startup. Co-authored with Dr Bern Melnyk, Dr Tim’s latest textbook, Evidence-Based Leadership, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship in Nursing and Healthcare: A Practical Guide for Success, was a #1 new release on Amazon and the American Journal of Nursing Management & Leadership Book of the Year.
Some of Dr Tim’s recognitions include the Distinguished Recent Alumni at the Ohio State University as well as the Early Career Innovator of the Year. The Innovation Studio was named Non-Profit of the year by Columbus Business First in 2019. Dr Tim was recently inducted into the 2020 Class of 40 under 40 by Columbus Business First.