Innovation for Well-Being: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Healthcare Faculty Innovation Fellowship

Introduction: Clinicians face rising burnout while being expected to lead transformation in education and care delivery.Although innovation and well-being are often treated as competing priorities, evidence suggests they are interdependent.A one-year Innovation Fellowship grounded in integrative nurse coaching was developed to strengthen innovation competencies while supporting participant well-being.This study examined Fellowship outcomes, including well-being, innovation competency, and perceived connections among innovation, professional identity, and wellness.Methods: A convergent mixed-methods design was used.Quantitative measures included the Integrative Health and Wellness Assessment (IHWA) and a 19-item Benner-based Innovation Competency Scale.Qualitative data included evaluation responses, retreat reflections, and end-of-year surveys.A three-member analytic team conducted content analysis and reflexive thematic development.Results: Over five years, 63 fellows participated.Fifty IHWA surveys were available, including 14 paired pre-post surveys.Paired IHWA scores improved significantly from 3.84 ± 0.32 to 4.16 ± 0.32 (p = .003;d ≈ 1.08).Innovation competency surveys were completed by 36 fellows at baseline and nine at follow-up, with six paired responses.Overall scores increased descriptively from 3.0 to 3.5, while paired scores increased from 2.79 to 3.73.These findings were considered exploratory because of small paired samples and follow-up attrition.Qualitative themes included: innovation identity and legacy formation, boundarysetting to protect creative energy, applied innovation skill-building, community, mentorship, and psychological safety.Conclusion: Integrating innovation and well-being within professional development may strengthen morale, retention, and readiness to lead change.This Fellowship offers a reproducible, evidence-informed model linking well-being, innovation competency, and institutional impact.