Health system intelligence profile

Center for Nursing Research, Innovation and Quality (NRIQ)

Texas Children's Hospital

Editorially verified · Last reviewed August 30, 2026

Intelligence summary

Program at a Glance

Program mandate: The Center for Nursing Research, Innovation and Quality is Texas Children's Hospital's infrastructure for clinical inquiry by nurses, described by the hospital as the means to advance the frontier of nursing knowledge and improve practice and patient outcomes. NRIQ provides education, consultation and mentorship to clinical nurses running research studies, evidence-based practice projects and quality improvement work.
Organizational model: Children's · Nonprofit
Location: Houston, Texas
Program types: Innovation center Nursing innovation
Focus areas: ClinicalPediatricWorkforce
Public scale or maturity signals: Documented successes: Mary Jo and David Andre Research Grants fund staff-nurse-originated clinical research and quality improvement projects; Nursing Grand Rounds series showcasing nurse scholars; Evidence Based Practice and Research shared governance council; staffed by named nurse scientists and executives including Darlene E. Acorda, PhD, RN, CNE, CPNP-PC, Jennifer Sanders, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Amanda Garey, PhD, RN, EBP-C and Stacey Crane, PhD, RN; Texas Children's nurse-led team (Michael Pickett, Marilyn Hockenberry and colleagues) won the 2022 ANA Nurse-Led Team Innovation Award for the Global HOPE Nursing initiative
Official engagement route: Program website ↗Health system website ↗
Last reviewed: August 30, 2026

Mandate and remit

What This Program Does

The Center for Nursing Research, Innovation and Quality is Texas Children's Hospital's infrastructure for clinical inquiry by nurses, described by the hospital as the means to advance the frontier of nursing knowledge and improve practice and patient outcomes. NRIQ provides education, consultation and mentorship to clinical nurses running research studies, evidence-based practice projects and quality improvement work. It administers the Mary Jo and David Andre Research Grants, which fund original clinical research and quality improvement projects proposed by staff nurses. The center hosts Nursing Grand Rounds throughout the year to showcase nurse scholars' work and supports the Evidence Based Practice and Research shared governance council. Nurse scientists and nurse executives staff the center and are individually reachable by email.

Areas of Focus

ClinicalPediatricWorkforce

Publicly Reported Outcomes

Documented successes
Mary Jo and David Andre Research Grants fund staff-nurse-originated clinical research and quality improvement projects; Nursing Grand Rounds series showcasing nurse scholars; Evidence Based Practice and Research shared governance council; staffed by named nurse scientists and executives including Darlene E. Acorda, PhD, RN, CNE, CPNP-PC, Jennifer Sanders, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Amanda Garey, PhD, RN, EBP-C and Stacey Crane, PhD, RN; Texas Children's nurse-led team (Michael Pickett, Marilyn Hockenberry and colleagues) won the 2022 ANA Nurse-Led Team Innovation Award for the Global HOPE Nursing initiative

Leadership and Structure

Organizational home: Center for Nursing Research, Innovation and Quality (NRIQ), Texas Children's Hospital

Tarra Kerr — Assistant Vice President for Quality, Service, and Safety

Contact the Program

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

Program phone: 832-824-1000
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.

Center for Nursing Research, Innovation and Quality (NRIQ) official source ↗ — texaschildrens.org. Accessed August 30, 2026.
Center for Nursing Research, Innovation and Quality (NRIQ) source 2 ↗ — texaschildrens.org. Accessed August 30, 2026.
Center for Nursing Research, Innovation and Quality (NRIQ) source 3 ↗ — nursingworld.org. Accessed August 30, 2026.

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