A year of inquiry and innovation
MultiCare’s approach to nursing science grew in meaningful ways throughout 2025. Rather than focusing only on individual research projects, the organization invested in building a stronger, more sustainable system for inquiry. The impact has been remarkable.
Since 2022, quality improvement (QI) activity across MultiCare has increased by 650 percent, showing how quickly curiosity and innovation are taking root.
This year marked several major milestones. The New Knowledge and Innovation (NKI) Shared Leadership Council launched, and 16 NKI research fellows completed studies that have the potential to improve everyday practice. The team also expanded its reach beyond our system: MultiCare’s custom QI workbook is now being used by five nursing schools and a local fire district, helping train future clinicians and community partners.
In November, MultiCare hosted its first New Knowledge and Innovation Research Symposium. The systemwide event featured 21 speakers, two keynote presentations and more than 40 posters highlighting work led by nurses across the organization.
This growing body of work supports MultiCare’s goal of becoming a high-reliability nursing organization — one where excellence is fueled by the ideas and questions of nurses at the bedside. By creating an environment where staff can explore problems, test solutions and share what they learn, MultiCare is strengthening its foundation for safe, reliable and continuously improving patient care.
Written by: Emily Calabro, PhD, RN, Clinical Nurse Scientist, MultiCare