COVER STORY
Jane Hartman, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC
Interview By John Soeder
Photo: Annie O'Neill
“If you’re jerry-rigging something, you need to figure out what can be done better. The four P’s of innovation are passion, persistence, patience and perseverance.”
Jane Hartman, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC
Listen to Jane Hartman’s thoughts on innovation in her own words.
I’m an inquisitive person. I’m not afraid to ask: Why are we doing it that way?
When I was in middle school, we had a science project where we had to come up with a product that nobody else had invented — which, of course, is difficult. My invention was windshield wipers for eyeglasses. I’ve worn glasses since I was 8 years old, so I know that rain on your glasses can be a problem if you don’t have a tissue.
It’s true what they say: Necessity is the mother of invention. When you’re a nurse, there are times when you have to figure out a problem and not have what you think you need. If you’re jerry-rigging something, you need to figure out what can be done better. The four P’s of innovation are passion, persistence, patience and perseverance.
If you’re not passionate about your idea, no one else is going to be. Even when naysayers are all around you, if you believe, you persist. That’s when patience and perseverance are key. It took years to make the High-Line™ a reality.
Believe in what you’re doing, no matter how long it takes. If it’s the right thing to do, don’t let it go. For me, this was a family affair. My older son, Jonathan, is an innovation director in the aerospace industry. He told me, “If all you have is an idea on a piece of paper, nobody will get it.” My younger son, Nathaniel, made a 3D-printed prototype of the High-Line. Then we were off and running.
At Cleveland Clinic, I’ve been fortunate to have the support of Dr. Nancy Albert and Dr. Mary Beth Modic as mentors. They’ve inspired me to be fearless. My grandchildren — Juniper, Arlo and Elianna — inspire me, too. Their sense of wonder and their eagerness to learn give me great joy.
Jane Hartman, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC, is an advanced practice nurse at Cleveland Clinic Children’s. She created the High-Line, a novel color-coded IV carriage system that organizes and elevates IV tubing to prevent it from dragging on hospital floors. Originally conceived for the benefit of pediatric patients, Hartman’s invention proved invaluable during the pandemic, when IV pumps placed outside ICU patient rooms to decrease caregivers’ exposure to COVID-19 spurred thousands of High-Line usages.