On Thursday Johnson & Johnson announced the expansion of its efforts to champion the nursing workforce and improve access to quality care for communities around the world.
Part of J&J CareCommunity, a new social impact platform, the expansion aims to help address the global shortfall of nurses, which will reach approximately 4.5 million by 2030, driven in part by burnout and low morale, contributing to a significant gap in care and poorer patient outcomes.
“For health care to work, it takes nurses. They are leaders, innovators and changemakers within our health systems. J&J CareCommunity enables us to double down in our efforts to support nurses at this pivotal point. Together with our partners, we aim to equip nurses with the skills and support they need to drive meaningful change for patients around the world,” Vanessa Broadhurst, executive vice president, Global Corporate Affairs at Johnson & Johnson, said.
J&J CareCommunity programs accelerate nurse education and innovation.
Programs such as what J&J does in concert with the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Wharton Executive Education. For 2025, J&J is announcing the 2025 class of J&J Nurse Innovation Fellows, a groundbreaking, one-year, team-based fellowship for nurse leaders focused on nurse-led innovation and leadership to drive transformative change.
“Nurses are innovators on the front lines of care,” Marion Leary, director of Innovation at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing said. “By investing in their creativity and leadership, we strengthen the profession and tap into critical expertise. Our collaboration with Johnson & Johnson helps scale nurse-led solutions that drive meaningful change for patients and communities.”
The J&J Foundation also works with the Aga Khan University School of Nursing & Midwifery East Africa which is continuing to expand opportunities for nursing education and leadership across East Africa. To date, the university has helped train over 3,500 nurses, significantly advancing health care across the region.
Other programs J&J collaborates on include:
Operation Smile: A Nurse Leadership and Development Initiative that is expanding access to safe surgical care by providing nurses with advanced clinical training and mentorship in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. To date, the initiative has trained 2,880 nurses from 24 countries, reaching more than 18,800 patients.
World Continuing Education Alliance (WCEA): J&J Foundation is doubling down on its impact after helping nearly one million nurses in more than 60 low-to-middle income countries access more than 70 million hours of training via low-bandwidth and digital platforms optimized for offline learning.
J&J CareCommunity Employee Family Nurse Scholarship: a scholarship for J&J employee family members that builds on our decades of scholarships and academic partnerships for students. It honors J&J employees and family members whose nursing careers share Our Credo values.
Microsoft and SONSIEL: NurseHack4Health will continue convening nurse-led teams globally to innovate solutions for challenges in care delivery. The program has brought together over 5,500 nurses to date and will host its inaugural Hackathon with the International Council of Nurses at their bi-annual congress in Helsinki, Finland, in June 2025.
Brazil’s Federal Nursing Council (COFEN): J&J supports education and leadership development through CofenPlay, a first-of-its-kind digital platform that integrates more than 100,000 resources for more than one million registered nurses and supports the long-term resilience of Brazil’s nurses.
Impact Ventures: This an investment fund within J&J Foundation, is funding in scalable solutions that engage and equip nurses in Kenya to provide quality and affordable care, including Jacaranda Maternity, Penda Health, and South Lake Medical Center.
Building on a long legacy of impact.
“Nurses are the heart and strength of our health care system — vigilant guardians, compassionate advocates, and skilled navigators through each patient’s health care journey,” Saber Mostafa, Clinical Nurse educator at Operation Smile said. “Nursing development trainings are essential in equipping them with the expertise and confidence they need to advance their professional growth and deliver high-quality, compassionate care.”
J&J has championed nurses since 1897. In 2002, the company launched the Campaign for Nursing’s Future, a multi-year, collaborative, $50 million initiative to elevate the reputation of nursing, recruit new talent, and support nurse educators across the United States. With the support of cross-sector partners, this campaign helped more than one million nurses enter the workforce, accounting for nearly one-fourth of the U.S. nursing workforce and supported the growth and recognition of the nursing profession.
