COLLAB-RN
The Collaboratory for Organizational Learning and Research on the Nursing Workforce (COLLAB-RN) is a joint initiative of the Yale School of Nursing (YSN) and Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS). It serves as a hub for research, education, and policy advocacy focused on strengthening the nursing workforce at a critical moment in healthcare. COLLAB RN is united with a shared vision to create a sustainable, diverse, and adaptable healthcare workforce that improves both patient outcomes and nurses’ experiences.
Leadership and Partnership
Yale School of Nursing (YSN) and Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS) are national pioneers in academic-practice collaborations, providing a strategic competitive advantage in education, research, and workforce diversity and development. With executive sponsorship from Yale New Haven’s Health Chief Nurse Executive and Yale School of Nursing’s Dean and Deputy Dean, COLLAB RN is spearheaded by Dr. Deena Costa, Professor of Nursing at YSN and Dr. Kelly Nicholson, Nurse Scientist at YNHHS. Together, with their team they lead efforts to develop and test innovative, evidence-based solutions to today’s most pressing nursing workforce challenges.
Focus & Approach
At its core, COLLAB RN develops, implements and evaluates strategies that strengthen retention and workforce stability and advance patient care quality. By prioritizing nurse well-being, fostering a sense of belonging, and championing workforce diversity, COLLAB-RN drives impactful, nurse-led research and educational initiatives designed to improve nursing care and patient outcomes.
Current Initiatives
COLLAB-RN is engaged in several high-impact projects across the health system. For example,
- Virtual nursing: investigating how emerging care delivery models affects practice, nursing workforce, and patient outcomes
- Retention: a longitudinal analysis of system wide factors that influence nurse retention and workforce stability across all Yale New Haven Health Hospital
- Nurse Manager Turnover: a funded project by American Organization of Nursing Leadership (AONL) to explore the impact of nurse manager turnover
Collectively, this work reflects COLLAB-RN’s commitment to applying rigorous methods while leveraging real-world health system data to inform leaders with evidence-based solutions that strengthen the nursing workforce, improve care delivery and provide meaningful contributions to scientific knowledge.
Support and Growth
COLLAB-RN recently expanded its capacity, growing its research team and their subsequent impact, through generous support from the Bedford Falls Foundation and Yale New Haven Health.