With the right support, nurse scientists don’t just improve health care — they transform it. That impact shines through in a new collection of manuscripts in Nursing Outlook, the official journal of the American Academy of Nursing, showcasing how the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators is reshaping the future of nursing leadership.

Since its launch in 2020, the fellowship has guided more than 60 fellows and alumni in their efforts to advance health care in bold and creative ways. With its unique blend of leadership and innovation development, flexible funding and committed mentorship, the program gives nurses the support needed to create meaningful change far beyond their own institutions.

Manuscripts highlight fellowship’s broad impact

Heather M. Young, fellowship national program director and distinguished professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, said the collection of 12 manuscripts outlines how the fellowship model has empowered fellows to develop new technologies, influence policy, strengthen community partnerships and design programs that promote inclusive health care.

“Together, these manuscripts demonstrate the profound impact that occurs when nurses collaborate and innovate,” Young said. “This body of work affirms that nurse scientists are not only capable of leading change in policy, practice and community health, but that they are essential to driving it forward.”

Each paper reflects a different aspect of the fellowship’s curriculum, including leadership, innovation, anti‑racism, community engagement and strategic communication. More than 50 fellows, national program office leaders, Fellowship National Advisory Council members and UC Davis School of Medicine Office of Research Evaluation staff collaborated to examine the program’s impact, share lessons learned and offer a model for advancing nurse leadership nationwide.

Manuscript highlights include discussions about:

• Flexible “liberation capital” that allows fellows to take risks, engage expert consultants and adapt their research in real time. This freedom is rarely possible with traditional grants. It has accelerated advances in technology development, strengthened community partnerships and expanded inclusion-focused interventions.
• Strategic communications training that equips fellows to translate their research for journalists, policymakers and the public. By applying these skills, fellows elevated national attention on issues such as breastfeeding equity, diabetes in Deaf communities and the health impacts of mass incarceration.
• Community-engaged and anti‑racist research approaches that build trust with Fgroups historically harmed by health care systems. Fellows worked directly with community advisory boards, youth partners and local leaders to design culturally relevant health solutions.
• Innovations addressing health inequities, including programs tailored for Black women, LGBTQ+ youth, rural residents and people living with disabilities. Fellows utilized human-centered design and community partnership models to ensure that solutions reflected the lived experiences of those involved.
• Real-world translation of research into action, from shaping new policies to launching market-ready products such as a telehealth system for forensic sexual assault care and tools that improve electronic health record usability.
• The importance of investing in nurse leaders, who can advance research and education during these turbulent times. The final article brings a philanthropic perspective that early to mid-career nurse scientists are vital to our future and warrant investment and attention to reach their full potential.

A model for the future of nursing

A compelling model for the future of nursing is emerging from an independent evaluation of the fellowship, which found substantial gains in research productivity, leadership confidence and national visibility among participants.

Included in the manuscript collection, the evaluation reports that fellows have produced more than 460 peer-reviewed publications, secured significant new grant funding and built robust national networks. In addition, many fellows describe powerful identity shifts as they grow more confident, influential and prepared to lead systems-level change.

“Nurses are uniquely positioned to identify care gaps and design solutions, but traditional health care and academic systems may unintentionally stifle creativity rather than support it,” said Kristen Fessele. “We hope our work as part of the fellowship inspires institutions to invest in training, protected time and innovation-friendly cultures to ensure nurses can turn promising ideas into meaningful, scalable improvements in health care.”

For Fellowship National Advisory Committee chair and visiting professor Susan Reinhard, it’s remarkable to see how quickly the fellowship’s impact has spread.

“The fellows are already transforming communities across the country and the momentum is undeniable. If this is what’s possible in just a few years, imagine what nurse innovators can achieve over a generation. The future of health innovation is nurse-led, and we’re watching it unfold in real time.”

About the fellowship program

The Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators is a national program developing the next generation of nurse leaders and innovators. The three-year fellowship provides $450,000 in funding and advances early- to mid-career nursing scholars to accelerate leadership in nursing research, practice, education, policy and entrepreneurship.

Funded by an initial $37.5 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and an additional $7.5 million grant in 2023 to expand the program’s capacity, the fellowship program includes nurse scientists from diverse backgrounds, institutions and research interests.