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Health system intelligence profile

Nursing Research Fellowship in Robotics and Innovation

ChristianaCare

Editorially verified · Last reviewed August 30, 2026

Intelligence summary

Program at a Glance

Program mandate
ChristianaCare's Nursing Research Fellowship in Robotics and Innovation is an eight-month program that puts bedside nurses in the lead on research and development involving collaborative robotics. Fellows study how robots can absorb operational tasks such as supply delivery and lab specimen runs so nurses can spend more time on direct patient care.
Organizational model
Nonprofit
Location
Newark, Delaware
Program types
Nursing innovationEntrepreneurshipInnovation center
Commercialization pathways
Strategic partnership
Focus areas
ClinicalMedical deviceWorkforceOperational
Public scale or maturity signals

Established 2024

Documented successes: $1.5 million grant from the American Nurses Foundation's Reimagining Nursing Initiative; four inaugural fellows graduated April 30, 2025 (Briana Abernathy, BSN, RN, CEN; Elizabeth Mitchell, BSN, RN-BC; Hannah Rackie, BSN, RN, C-EFM; Morgan Tallo, BSN, RN, CCRN); fellowship learnings shared with more than 400 ChristianaCare nurses; ChristianaCare nurse leaders named fellows in nursing innovation programs in 2024

Official engagement route
Program website ↗Health system website ↗
Last reviewed
August 30, 2026

Mandate and remit

What This Program Does

ChristianaCare's Nursing Research Fellowship in Robotics and Innovation is an eight-month program that puts bedside nurses in the lead on research and development involving collaborative robotics. Fellows study how robots can absorb operational tasks such as supply delivery and lab specimen runs so nurses can spend more time on direct patient care. The fellowship was created by ChristianaCare's Director of Technology Research and Education and is funded by a grant from the American Nurses Foundation's Reimagining Nursing Initiative. Fellows carry their learning back into the organization, and the inaugural cohort's work reached hundreds of ChristianaCare nurses. ChristianaCare has also placed nurse leaders as fellows in national nursing innovation fellowship programs.

Areas of Focus

ClinicalMedical deviceWorkforceOperational

Commercialization Pathways

These routes appear in the program's sourced public record.

Strategic partnership

Publicly Reported Outcomes

  • Documented successes

    $1.5 million grant from the American Nurses Foundation's Reimagining Nursing Initiative; four inaugural fellows graduated April 30, 2025 (Briana Abernathy, BSN, RN, CEN; Elizabeth Mitchell, BSN, RN-BC; Hannah Rackie, BSN, RN, C-EFM; Morgan Tallo, BSN, RN, CCRN); fellowship learnings shared with more than 400 ChristianaCare nurses; ChristianaCare nurse leaders named fellows in nursing innovation programs in 2024

Leadership and Structure

Organizational home: Nursing Research Fellowship in Robotics and Innovation, ChristianaCare

  • Susan Smith Birkhoff — Director of Technology Research & Education, ChristianaCare; creator of the Nursing Research Fellowship in Robotics and Innovation

Contact the Program

Use the program's published contact route for partnership, licensing, innovation, or program inquiries.

Official contact page
Open contact page ↗

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Sources and Updates

Reviewed August 30, 2026. External source links open in a new tab.

  1. Nursing Research Fellowship in Robotics and Innovation official source ↗ — mychesco.com. Accessed August 30, 2026.
  2. Nursing Research Fellowship in Robotics and Innovation source 2 ↗ — news.christianacare.org. Accessed August 30, 2026.
  3. Nursing Research Fellowship in Robotics and Innovation source 3 ↗ — news.christianacare.org. Accessed August 30, 2026.
  4. Nursing Research Fellowship in Robotics and Innovation source 4 ↗ — news.christianacare.org. Accessed August 30, 2026.

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