Nurses Are on the Cutting Edge; Now They Can Pitch Their Ideas
“Calling all products, prototypes, apps and ideas”: That’s the invitation from Northeastern University and AARP Innovations Lab, with support from the American Nurses Association, asking nurses to present their disruptive ideas in home health care to funders in an evening called Nurse SharkTank.
The name is misleading—see last year’s Nurse SharkTank to get a feel for the camaraderie involved; rather than sharp teeth, think of entrepreneurial nurses hoping to get funders to bite on their breakthrough ideas. Innovations pitched last year included a device that attaches to wheelchairs in hospitals to make patient transport easier on nurses; an “interface” that helps ease communication between hospitals and medical device representatives; and a “key-shirt,” a way to help those with mild dementia not lose house keys.
If you already have an idea, or even a model of a product, this is the place to get others’ suggestions and, possibly, financial backing.
In the sponsors’ words: “We welcome startups and entrepreneurs who have created solutions using disruptive technologies (artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, robotics, IoT & other) to assist caregivers or nurses who empower individuals to live longer and more independently.”
The live pitch is June 4. Deadline for written proposals is May 12.