It’s time to share your nursing voice

Nurses have been at the highest of the list of essentially the most honest and ethical professions for nearly twenty years, and in 2020 we achieved a record “very high/high” rating of 89%, which is 4 percentage points higher than last recorded in 2019 (Saad, 2020). In fact, since 1999, when nurses were added to the survey, there has only been one 12 months that we weren’t amongst essentially the most honest and ethical within the rankings; it was 2001 when firefighters topped the list.

While this acknowledges our level of respect from the general public, a lot of us realize how much our voices resonate with those near us in our every day lives. Do family, friends and neighbors come to you with health-related questions? When a friend finds out you are a nurse, do they ask you, “What do you think about…?” These days, greater than ever, I’m asked about Covid-19, vaccines, travel, and back-to-school.

Our voices are essential and I’m glad that the variety of nurses discussing our current healthcare crisis within the media is growing. Our Chief Nurse, Anne Dabrow Woods, wrote for Acute health care AND MedCity News, “Ellen” featured a swab unit from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and increasingly nurses are being interviewed by major news outlets. Here is an example clip New York nurse Sandra Lindsay is the primary person to receive the Covid-19 vaccine within the US. on MSNBC. There are more of them too nurses on boards AND nurses within the US Congress than ever before.

It’s essential to keep up this momentum, but how?

• Stay up to this point with how nurses are represented within the media. It was published in 1998 and repeated in 2018. Here are the main points.
• Look for opportunities to share your story. Speak up in your institution or community, on the national or global stage. It is very important to share the work and innovations of nurses, especially now caring for patients with Covid-19. Remember to at all times prioritize patient and family privacy.
• Educate people around you. There are still many individuals who don’t understand the work of nurses and the numerous roles we play. Whether you’re employed in a clinical or non-clinical role, let others know the way your work impacts health. Social media is one other place where you’ll be able to inform and educate, but again, watch out to keep up privacy and maintain professionalism.
• Write for publication. Whether it is a scientific study or a narrative, get your work published! We know the old saying well: “If it ain’t documented, it ain’t done.” Publication is a approach to document your knowledge and experiences. Wolters Kluwer offers loads writer resources and here it’s extensive list of nursing journals from the International Academy of Nursing Editors.

Saad, L. (2020, December 20). In the USA, ethics assessments of medical staff and teachers are increasing. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/poll/328136/ethics-ratings-rise-medical-workers-teachers.aspx