Why Nurses Should Get Published Right Now

It is growing increasingly difficult to differentiate one nurse’s resume from another’s, in today’s competitive job marketplace. For example, even while listing a specialty certification on a resume, it is becoming more commonplace as organizations push for it to become a standard of practice. However, one recent resume trend which shows promise for some nurses is listing nurse writing as a skill. Being a nurse writer means that they can add their published works to their list of accomplishments. While this strategy has been used in nurse academia for years, it is a now being used by nurses without advanced degrees in a culture which encourages them to practice to their fullest potential and scope of practice.

Another factor influencing this trend can be contributed to the ease of self-publishing and the rise of nursing blogs. The online environment offers unlimited ways for nurses to publish their work when they discard the preconceived notion that in order to be a published nurse author their work must appear in a nursing journal or textbook (which are very highly valued accomplishments).

If you are looking for a possible gold star on your resume, try entering the world of nurse writing. Nurses who publish is a trend that is growing (but not overly common outside of academia). Here are 5 reasons why nurses should publish:

Nurses have valuable information and experience that others want to know. While nurses should not give medical advice when writing as it could be litigious, there are many topics that nurses can educate the public about. Some examples of articles written by nurse authors include:

Being a published nurse writer can help nurses stand out in the workplace and increase their value.

Very few people like to write. In fact, some people hate to write. Others are intimidated by the writing process and have the misguided notion that only people who majored in English, Creative Writing, or Journalism in college are qualified to write. Admittedly, building a writing portfolio takes initiative, time, and practice.

Ultimately, this means that the writing competition among nursing co-workers is probably very little if any at all. Nurses who enjoy writing should seize the opportunity to become known as a nurse writer at their place of work. Most nursing departments have nurses with specialty certifications or advanced degrees, but how many are nurses are published writers?

Typically department managers have ongoing departmental and interdepartmental projects which are writing intensive and they often recruit volunteer helpers for these projects. Nurses that help with these projects usually get to know their management team on a more personal level, and stay abreast of departmental happenings. A nurse’s established writing experience and willingness to be a team player might be considered for a promotion before other colleagues.

Freelance writing is a legitimate way for nurses to make extra money from home. Building a freelance writing business might be a preferable alternative compared to working overtime for extra income. We are in the age of digital content marketing and many businesses need the services of a nurse writer.

Some nursing grad programs are very competitive. Being a published author might be the bump that a nurse’s grad application needs.

A nurse that hones their writing skills to leverage it with other skills can expand their career. For example, by combining an advanced nursing degree with writing experience, a nurse could have the leverage they need to seek a career in writing e-learning curriculum or writing e-courses.