Abstract
Background: Hackathons are organized to bring together both experienced and novice individuals from a variety of backgrounds to brainstorm creative solutions to complex issues. Hackathons may last from a few hours to a few days and may provide rewards for winning entries.
Purpose: In this article, we describe an experience with a scientific hackathon at an international nursing research congress in Calgary, Canada. We discuss the purpose, process, benefits, and challenges of this hackathon.
Approach: For this article, we have used a descriptive approach.
Outcomes: The scientific hackathon experience united international nursing scholars into a community with a common focus enabling the continuation of mutual, future endeavors.
Conclusion: Hackathons are a means of connecting novices and experts from different backgrounds to develop technology-based solutions for health care issues. The ideas generated at hackathons may be further developed to bring the project to fruition to positively impact health care.