ANA Individual Innovation Award Winner: Rebecca Williams

Rebecca Williams, BSN, BS, RN

Harnessing curiosity and determination to improve patient care.

“I noticed that overworked nurses were trying to cram in intensive patient tracheostomy training within the last 48 hours of patient stay,” said Rebecca Williams, BSN, BS, RN, a nurse, student, and inventor of the TrachTrail™ training program. “That wasn’t working. Patients were deciding last minute that they couldn’t do this, and that they should go to a facility instead of going home.”

After the death of one of her patients with a trach, Williams assessed the current state of tracheostomy training programs.

“The loss springboarded this pathway of innovation,” she recalled. “I became curious, determined, and passionate to find ways to improve quality of care and patient and caregiver education.

Recognizing that the current resources and education for trach training were lacking, Williams, a nurse of 11 years, set out on a path to create a program of her own. The result is TrachTrail™, a standardized discharge education program that earned her an ANA Individual Innovation Award in 2021.

TrachTrail™ is a comprehensive standardized adult tracheostomy care education program that trains nurses, patients, and caregivers. The program uses a multimedia platform called TrachTrail™ toolkit that addresses the different adult learning styles and includes workbooks, videos, and a care pathway. The evidence-based curriculum combines programs that are available for adult patient populations, mitigating the risk in transition from hospital to home for discharged patients.

The patient-centered program includes six two-minute video vignettes at different trail markers of the education journey, a skills education checklist, and guidance for nurses as they implement the program. The training has reduced patient length of stay from 21 days to 10 days, saving money and improving patient satisfaction.

Williams credits her success to many resources and opportunities. She participated in a staff nurse evidence-based practice fellowship at her health system that provided a framework and guidance in her efforts. Her co-workers, several nurse champions, administrators, managers, family, clinical nurse specialists, and educators all provided a support system in-house and at home that made it possible.

Since winning the award, Williams has grown and improved TrachTrail™ and expanded it within her health system. It’s now included in materials for new hires within their units. She is also developing a landing page to increase access to the program’s resources. The program has seen such success that her health system is even lauding it in their reputational development.

“TrachTrail™ was one of the main examples for our institution’s continuing Magnet®-recognition,” Williams notes. “I think that speaks to the excellence of the program.”

Williams has deployed ANA’s award disbursement to fine-tune the program videos and explore options for commercializing the in-development landing page – whether that’s an open-source approach or licensing for a fee. The page will grow the program’s audience exponentially.

COVID-19 slowed the rollout of the program and the completion of some program materials. Williams also notes that finding the right creative partners for developing education materials was also difficult. Lastly, she acknowledged that her program has a unique place in terms of audience.

“Programs are often centered in either the health system or in the community,” Williams said. “Mine is dual, which can be challenging for balancing both. I wear several hats.”

Winning the ANA Innovation award has opened several doors for Williams. She was invited to be a presenter at a Nurse’s Day celebration at Atrium Health. Williams also spoke to a gateway committee in her health system, reaching a hospital-wide group with her work. Most importantly, the award inspired her to pursue her PhD in innovation.

“Going through this process and earning this recognition made me realize that I can do this,” Williams said. “Hearing pivotal people in innovation speak broadened my horizons of what I could do one day. Could I have that same range of knowledge and inspire someone? That’s the goal now.”

As TrachTrail™ grows its sphere of influence, Williams is most looking forward to how it will ease patients’ and caregivers’ minds. While still in development, the landing page for the program will provide instant, widespread access to resources – a major boon to her efforts.

“I don’t want anyone to feel alone,” she said. “I hope that TrachTrail™ can be a support to patients and their loved ones across the globe.”

Williams encourages nurses embarking on their own innovation journeys to persist.

“If you run into pushback, try your idea a little differently. Don’t give up,” she said. “Fail forward and fail fast. Hold onto your own innovation spirit and tenacity. You can do it.”