In 2025, the KP Research Innovation Academy (RIA) Grand Rounds continued to serve as a cornerstone for knowledge dissemination, scholarly dialogue, and practice transformation across Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Designed to make cutting‑edge science accessible and actionable, Grand Rounds convened nurse leaders, clinicians, researchers, and interdisciplinary partners around timely topics shaping the future of care.
This year’s sessions reflected the complexity of modern healthcare and nursing’s expanding influence across clinical excellence, health equity, innovation, and workforce well-being. Presentations explored advanced clinical integration through topics such as transforming systolic heart failure care within an integrated health system and reducing ICU pressure injuries through implementation of the SSKIN bundle. These sessions underscored how evidence‑based interventions—when paired with system alignment—can meaningfully improve patient outcomes.
Grand Rounds also elevated critical conversations on equity and culturally responsive care. Sessions addressing lung cancer in Asian American populations and mental health within Indian communities provided population‑specific data and culturally informed strategies, reinforcing nursing’s essential role in advancing equitable care delivery. Additional dialogue focused on navigating substance use while reducing clinical bias, emphasizing the profession’s ethical responsibility to provide compassionate, nonjudgmental care to vulnerable populations.
Innovation and the future of nursing practice were central themes throughout the year. A forward‑looking session on “Man vs. Machine” invited participants to consider the evolving relationship between clinicians and technology, reaffirming the irreplaceable human dimensions of nursing judgment, presence, and caring. Other sessions highlighted nontraditional approaches to care delivery—such as dementia care through equine‑assisted services—expanding how nurses conceptualize healing environments and therapeutic modalities.
Workforce health and resilience were also prioritized. Grand Rounds featured original research examining psychological hardiness among night‑shift nurses, contributing to a growing body of knowledge focused on well‑being, sustainability, and retention in high‑demand practice settings.
Across all sessions, RIA Grand Rounds fostered inquiry, reflection, and translation of evidence into practice. By bringing together diverse experts and perspectives, the series strengthened nursing’s scholarly foundation while reinforcing Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s commitment to innovation, equity, and excellence in patient care.
To view recordings of our Grand Rounds, please visit us here.