creative writing for nurses

Writing retreats for nurses: Inspiration to share

Invest in your writing skills and journey..

• Nurses can write about various topics, including evidence-based practice, patient engagement and education, quality improvement, new care approach effectiveness, clinical interests, and more.
• Writing retreats have become increasingly popular, and they’re associated with positive outcomes.
• Whether engaged in individually or collectively, writing retreats offer a creative outlet for disseminating the art and science of nursing.

Have you ever considered taking time away from your normal life to focus on learning or accomplishing a goal? Think about what you could gain from a purposeful time investment focused on writing. As a busy professional in the current healthcare climate, departing from your day-to-day responsibilities to write may seem impossible.

However, the science and process of writing retreats (a time of withdrawal focused on writing), as presented through two personal experiences, may stimulate your interest in this potentially restorative and productive experience. Whether engaged in individually or collectively, writing retreats offer a creative outlet for disseminating the art and science of nursing.

Engaging nurses in scholarly work

Writing clinical articles: A step-by-step guide for nurses

Why should nurses write?

Positioned across the healthcare continuum, we’re keepers of science and stories that can benefit others. Nurses can write about various topics, including evidence-based practice, patient engagement and education, quality improvement, new care approach effectiveness, clinical interests, and more. As we practice writing and communicate through the written word, we become better communicators. Writing provides an opportunity for us to harness and amplify our voice as nurses.

Writing retreats

If you’re like me when I started my writing journey, you may wonder how you can devote focused time to write. A writing retreat may offer a solution. These planned events, which take place in space-bound gatherings, allow you to journey away from your normal routine, typically to an inspiring location (near or far from your home base), to make progress on or complete a writing project. You can venture out on your own or join a group with similar goals. Some writing retreats include professional writing support.

Writing retreats have become increasingly popular, and they’re associated with positive outcomes. As the beneficiary of two writing retreats, one formal and one informal, I can attest to their ability to aid writing success. (See Writing retreat recommendations .)

Writing retreat recommendations

With the emphasis on collaboration in all aspects of healthcare, including research, you’ll likely write with others as part of a team. I intend to make regular writing retreats a professional staple based on my experience. Whether you’re an aspiring or seasoned writer, consider these best practices when planning a writing retreat:

• Identify your target audience (early career, experienced, broad/general audience) and your dissemination plan (book, chapter, journal article, presentation).
• Create an outline to guide your structured writing time.
• Set an achievable writing goal (2,000 words, four pages, five sections, 20 slides).
• Choose an inspiring, quiet, and comfortable writing location.
• Prepare to limit distractions as much as possible (silence mobile devices).
• Seek spaces that allow for some level of physical activity (access to walking trails, a small area to practice yoga) according to your individual needs.
• Plan to eat a healthy variety of wholesome, nutritious foods according to your dietary preferences.

When you attend a writing retreat, keep the following suggestions in mind:

• Craft your primary message specifically for your target audience.
• Start with what you know or the part of the manuscript you’re most familiar with.
• Build in breaks from writing to allow for deep reflection.
• Pause to read your work aloud periodically.
• Celebrate writing milestones. When you finish a section, reward yourself. This could be as simple as taking a walk or getting a treat.
• Be honest; good writing is about telling the truth.
• Notice what decisions and practices lead to success and continue them.
• Accommodate for changes in your plan or circumstances.
• Pursue writing progress rather than perfection.

Experience #1

Last year, a writing facilitator from my organization invited me to attend a funded writing retreat. I quickly looked up some information about writing retreats and wondered how I had never known about them before. I eagerly completed the retreat application and a couple of months later drove a few hours to the place I hoped would help me complete two writing projects I couldn’t seem to finish. As a wife and mother of active young children, I wanted to make this time away matter.

When I arrived, I joined a group of 12 nurses with diverse backgrounds and varied levels of writing experience. We met and discussed the plan for the weekend, including our individual writing topics, and offered each other start-up advice with the help of a facilitator. We agreed to connect and debrief over meals and each evening. On the expansive property, we found an abundance of space and privacy to focus on writing.

Rather than follow most of the group to the houses where we’d be staying, I jumped back into my car and drove around until I heard the sound of flowing water. I pulled up to the edge of a river and set up my writing supplies on the bank. I walked out into the cool spring water barefoot, snapped a photo, checked in with my family, and then placed my phone on airplane mode. Several productive hours elapsed before I realized it was time for dinner.

Over our first meal together, the other participants and I shared our experiences, successes, and obstacles from the day. We then split up and wrote some more and met up again to play board games, which involved a great deal of laughter, before going to bed early to ensure we were rested for the next day of writing.

As we repeated this pattern for the next 2 days, I always returned to my fresh air writing station surrounded by water. I rarely spend time alone. Sitting in nature without any distractions rejuvenated me—it didn’t feel like work. When I emerged back at the houses around mealtime, I noticed that several of the nurses had set up their writing areas close to each other where a writing coach provided consultative expertise.

I continued to be amazed at how no distractions could make several hours of writing feel like only one. I’d never experienced anything like it before. Although I worked alone, I enjoyed connecting with the other nurses as part of a group. We shared delicious meals and took walks together on the second afternoon, pointing out natural elements that inspired us while encouraging and holding each other accountable for the writing goals we’d set during our initial meeting.

After some structured writing time, we came together to provide peer feedback. We used our collective experience as authors in a collegial environment. Because we were all writing articles for peer-reviewed journals, we spent time exploring vetted nursing journals ( nursingeditors.com/journals-directory ) related to our chosen topics.

Although I drove away from the retreat with two submitted manuscripts, I felt like I’d had a vacation with new friends. Several of those friends also enjoyed the experience and submitted completed manuscripts eventually accepted for publication.

A few group members who didn’t complete their work shared that they’d spent a great deal of time trying to get set up in just the right location. Delaying the writing start had made some who didn’t progress feel behind and give up prematurely. This knowledge may serve as a cautionary note to first-time writing retreat participants—don’t deter your success. You can move locations and edit your writing later. Get situated and get started!

Experience #2

Recently, I led a large-scale initiative on an expedited timeline. I wondered how I could possibly complete the writing portion of the work, and I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I remembered my initial writing retreat experience and invited two prolific nursing writers from my team to join me on our own writing retreat. To my delight, these trusted and inspiring mentors immediately agreed to come. Positioned across three states, we organized our writing retreat over text messaging and rented a house on a beautiful lake in North Carolina at a reduced winter rate.

As our retreat approached, we held a virtual meeting to work on our manuscript outline together, each of us completing pre-retreat preparation tasks. When our retreat day arrived, we met at the airport and headed straight to a local office supply store for a large flip board and several office items to complement our portable printer. Next, we stopped at a grocery store for exciting and nutritious spreads of food to ensure hunger didn’t impede to our progress.

Upon arrival at our weekend oasis, we paused to take in the awe-inspiring views and then ate lunch outside. My two mentors shared invaluable advice about life and nursing. I’ll never forget their words and encouragement. We then went inside and set up at a long table next to large windows, which remained our writing space throughout the retreat.

We began by developing a writing plan, which included a mind’s eye rehearsal to visualize how we wanted the retreat to go. What would success look like for us? Next, we set a collective goal by deciding where we wanted to be by the end of the retreat and worked backward from there. After brainstorming on the flip chart, we conducted a free flow of referenced ideas and discussed our writing points and possibilities. For example, we wrote ideas for our paper in a mind mapping format and then assigned writing sections based on individual experience and interest to organize and strengthen the work.

Our main writing occurred with real-time work on sections within a shared Google document with periodic breaks to read each other’s work and receive feedback. Occasionally reading aloud reinforced the sense of our writing while receiving peer review. As the piles of printed pages grew, we would pause, trade stacks, and double-check our reviewing practices.

We knew the best likelihood of creative activity and attention to detail would occur when we focused on writing for an undistracted block of the day; we adhered to this, especially in the morning. We also followed the recommended strategy of writing first and revising later to avoid the dual pitfalls of procrastination and perfectionism. (See Stay in the flow .)

Stay in the flow

If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word – Margaret Atwood

Consider these tips to help keep your writing practice flowing:

• Prioritize your health and wellness so that you’re prepared to start or continue writing.
• Look for opportunities to apply for or initiate writing experiences with trusted peers.
• Notice the writing experiences that work for you as an individual, and build on them.
• Journal about meaningful ideas you want to share as you become inspired. If applicable, take pictures and add quick captions.
• For encouragement, position a visible reminder or token of your memorable nursing experiences in a prominent place.
• Develop a writing timeline for your projects—idea generation to manuscript submission—with built-in soft and hard deadlines.
• Remember that writing (like nursing) requires practice. To get better at it, you must hone this skill regularly.
• Celebrate completing your writing project, and then begin planning your next one.

Throughout the weekend, we alternated between writing, cooking, exercise, and taking breaks. I also continued to learn the writing approaches of my mentors through action. Although I had known them both for years, I felt privileged to closely witness how they organize their thoughts and even hear their positive personal pep talks while sitting beside them. For example, one would say, “We’ve got a great draft going here,” or “We’re almost there,” accompanied by fist pumps. Although our task at hand proved difficult, no one complained and we encountered only a few welcome distractions. We channeled our energy into accomplishing our shared goal.

We wrapped up our first full writing day by celebrating with s’mores and dancing to good music while gathered around a campfire. We lost power that night due to a severe winter storm. In the morning, I drove into town to get coffee for the group and saw one of my mentors running in freezing rain. She epitomized resilience. Her example transcended writing for me and reminded me that we can overcome setbacks and experience increased productivity and wellness through perseverance.

Although we never regained power, we left our cold, dark writing site replenished with warm spirits. When I opened our shared document at the airport, I was impressed with our progress. What would have likely taken me weeks or months to accomplish alone had been nearly completed within 2 days together. We finished the small amount of writing that remained remotely and submitted our work for publication ahead of our scheduled deadline.

I stashed away reminders and tokens of our writing time together so I would always remember this experience with two individuals I admire and hope to emulate.

Make the investment

During or after a writing retreat, ask a trusted friend or mentor who’s an experienced writer to review your work and provide constructive feedback. Don’t be afraid to ask. We all improve our writing when we’re open to learning and growing from peer feedback. I can’t overemphasize the importance of having someone critique your draft before submission for publication. Feedback before a formal peer review may increase your chances of eventual publication.

Consider seeking administrative support from your organizational leaders for a writing retreat by calculating and articulating the return on investment of your disseminated work. Successful publication can elevate your organization and increase your credibility as an expert in your field, which can lead to new professional opportunities.

Whether a novice or seasoned writer, you can choose to invest in your own writing journey through ongoing writing engagement. Find what works for you and go for it.

Jayne Jennings Dunlap is an associate clinical professor and interim DNP program director at Texas Woman’s University in Denton.

King S. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft . New York City, NY: Scribner; 2000.

Lamott A. Bird by Bird . New York City, NY: Vintage<; 1995.

Lewis CS. On Writing (and Writers) . New York City, NY: HarperOne; 2022.

Oermann MH, Hays JC. Writing for Publication in Nursing . 4th ed. New York City, NY: Springer; 2018

Saver C. Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses. 5th ed. Indianapolis, IN: Sigma Theta Tau International; 2024

Sword H. Air & Light & Time & Space: How Successful Academics Write . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; 2017

Webb C. How to Have a Good Day . New York City, NY: Crown Currency; 2016

Key words: writing, writing skills, writing retreats

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Jennings Dunlap J. Writing retreats for nurses: Inspiration to share. American Nurse Journal. 2024;19(7). doi:10.51256/anj0724101. https://www.myamericannurse.com/writing-retreats-for-nurses-inspiration-to-share/

Nurse Turned Writer: The Ultimate Guide to Freelance Writing for Nurses

It’s 9 am, my kids are finally off to school and daycare, and I’m on my second cup of coffee. I have a few hours before my mani/pedi appointment, and then my oldest gets off the school bus around 2:30 pm. 

It’s just enough time to draft an article for one of my clients, a major wellness website. I spend an hour outlining and researching and then take a break to fold laundry and have a snack. It takes me two more hours to finish the first draft, where I pull in research from PubMed and MedlinePlus to help readers understand an important mental health disorder and how it’s treated.

Now it’s time for my nail appointment, and I use the downtime to read a book about business mindset. Afterward, I meet my daughter at the bus stop and pick up the little ones from daycare. I spend the afternoon helping with homework, providing endless snacks, and ferrying kids to extracurriculars. After everyone is in bed that night, I spend an hour revising and editing the piece before sending it off to my editor.

I worked about four hours today, plus another hour of professional development and responding to emails. Mainly from my couch. And I made $700. 

What is freelance nurse writing?

Freelance nurse writers use their advanced knowledge of patient education, disease processes and management, and the healthcare system to produce clear, accurate, and engaging health communications.

Nurse writers create a variety of content, like:

• Blog articles (like this one!)
• Patient brochures
• Professional training materials, including Continuing Education Credit (CEC) courses
• Newsletters and emails
• White papers
• Case studies
• Textbook chapters
• Articles and entries for medical apps
• Recruitment materials for clinical studies
• Advertising for pharmaceutical or medical device companies
• And much, much more

Some nurse writers choose to join a writing agency or large healthcare organization, which can provide job stability and benefits. On the other hand, freelance nurse writers are self-employed. This means they choose their own clients, what types of projects they accept, and when they work.

What qualifications do you need to become a nurse writer?

Freelance writers can work from anywhere in the world, at any hour of the day or night. All you need is a laptop, wifi, and strong writing and research skills.

To be successful as a nurse writer, you need a few basic qualifications. These include:

• Clinical experience working as a Registered Nurse (at least one year)
• Strong writing and research skills
• The ability to manage your time and work without direct oversight

Other qualifications can help you find clients or specialize in a particular niche. 

Beneficial qualifications include:

• Advanced degrees, like a Masters or Doctorate in a health-related field
• Additional years of clinical experience or deep knowledge of a particular specialty
• Facility with technology and social media (or a willingness to learn)
• Strong motivation to learn new skills

Why become a freelance nurse writer?

Nurse writing is the perfect career path for nurses looking for remote work with flexible hours. The job is scalable, allowing you to work more or fewer hours depending on your goals and other professional and personal responsibilities.

Nurse writing can be a side gig or a full-time job. It’s something you can start while still at the bedside, allowing you to establish your business and build a client list before going full-time. 

Some nurses turn to freelance writing to supplement their income or to build a viable retirement option if they know they want to leave the bedside in the future. There are nurse writers who write just 1 or 2 blog articles a month for a little extra cash, and there are other nurse writers who earn a full-time living from their work.

Some of the benefits of freelance nurse writing include:

• Scalable work: Your business can grow when you’re ready and take a backseat when you’re busy with other things
• Flexible hours: Work can be completed while your kids nap, while on vacation, or on your day off from bedside nursing
• Healthy income potential: It’s possible for nurse writers to support themselves and their families solely on their freelance writing income
• Autonomy: The ability to choose your own projects and clients based on what you most enjoy
• Independence: No boss to report to and no one to ask permission if you have a dentist appointment or one of your kids wakes up with a fever and can’t go to school that day
• Growth potential: The opportunity to learn exciting and relevant new skills based on your interests and goals

One of the greatest benefits of freelance nurse writing is that it’s possible to earn a healthy, full-time income from 25-35 hours per week. 

Since freelance writing is incredibly flexible, this allows nurse writers to take their kids to the doctor’s office, attend a daytime yoga class, or do their grocery shopping on a Tuesday morning, all without impacting their bottom line.

Types of Nurse Writing

There is enormous variety in the types of writing available to nurse writers. Each type requires slightly different skills and experience.

Health Writing

Health writing typically refers to patient-facing materials like blog articles, patient education materials, newsletters, health journalism, and other health materials written specifically for patients and general readers.

This type of writing is the easiest to break into for new writers. To be successful as a health writer, you should be able to translate complex ideas into simple language. It can also be helpful to understand concepts like search engine optimization (SEO) and writing for the web, which requires a particular tone and style.

Medical Writing

Medical writing tends to be more technical. The audience for medical writing includes healthcare providers, researchers and academics, and healthcare organizations. 

Most clients look for medical writers with advanced degrees like a Masters, Doctorate, or Pharm.D. It also helps if you’ve published research articles in the past.

Given the specialized nature of this work, the earning potential can be quite a bit higher. Potential projects in this genre might include:

• Research articles for publication
• Grant writing
• Articles, case studies, or white papers for healthcare providers or health executives
• Content for apps used by medical and nursing students
• Continuing Education Credit materials

This type of writing requires excellent research skills and the ability to assess research studies for methodology and statistical validity and then translate that research into something meaningful or actionable for providers and healthcare professionals.  

If you are interested in this type of writing, check out the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) for more information. AMWA offers continuing education, an active member forum, and a job board.

AMWA also offers a certificate program for aspiring medical writers. Other options include well-reviewed continuing education programs at UC San Diego and The University of Chicago . This course by a current medical writer is also highly reviewed.

Before investing in a pricey certificate program, it’s worth exploring this career path in-depth and speaking with others in the field. While many medical writers earn six figures (or more) with this type of work, it does require a specialized background and more start-up effort than general health writing.

Copywriting

Copywriting is marketing and advertising. This may include Facebook ads, email campaigns, patient handouts, recruitment posters, or Google search ads. 

There are many online copywriting courses for nurses interested in this type of work, though most focus on general copywriting instead of health-specific writing. Copywriting has a high earning potential for those who can demonstrate how their writing increases sales or patient recruitment.

Marketing might seem like an odd choice for nurses, but advertising and marketing copy plays an essential role in medical research. 

For example, clinical trials require skilled copywriters to help find qualified patients who could benefit from new and emerging science. Pharmaceutical companies need ethical, experienced healthcare providers who can explain new medications or complex procedures to patients. Nonprofits need writers who can share their message with the public and help explain their mission to donors.

As a freelance writer, you can choose the projects and clients that fit your skills, background, and personal values.  

What do freelance nurse writers earn?

Earning potential for nurse writers can vary widely based on the type of writing and the number of hours you commit to client work each week. It’s important to know that freelance nurse writing takes time to develop. Nurse writers must be committed to their long-term goal to make it through the early months of building their business.

It’s also important to understand that self-employed freelance writers are responsible for their own taxes and business expenses. Nurse writers should expect to set aside anywhere from 20-40% of their income for taxes, professional development, retirement savings, and business expenses, depending on their goals.

General health writing earning potential

Many nurse writers start by writing blog articles for general health sites. With around 10 hours of work a week, many nurse writers find they can write 3-5 simple blog articles a month at a starting income of about $200 per 1000-word article. This rate can – and should! – increase quickly once a nurse writer has a decent portfolio of quality clips to demonstrate their expertise. 

Nurse writers with 1-3 years of experience usually earn anywhere from $300 – $700 for articles in the 1000-2000 word range. Experienced nurse writers who write for specialty clients can earn $500-$800 per article (or more), especially if they can demonstrate how their writing adds extra value, like optimized search strategy or increased sales potential. 

As a side hustle, nurse writing can generate $1500-$2500 per month after around six months of dedicated, persistent effort. Nurses who write blog articles full-time may earn up to $5000 per month within their first year or two. Of course, this will depend on the individual writer, their marketing strategy, and whether they specialize in a particular topic or niche.

New writers will find many opportunities to write for “content mills” that assign dozens of articles monthly at very low rates (as low as 2 cents a word). 

While these might be tempting to beginning freelancers looking to land their first few clients, nurse writers should remember that, as nurses, they have exceptional experience and training that should command higher rates than the average freelance writer.

Business writing and medical writing

There is greater earning potential for health and medical writing that requires additional skills like marketing strategy, technical language, or highly-specialized knowledge. In general, these are all skills that can be acquired through self-study and practice.

Nurse writers who work for business-facing clients (sometimes called B2B writing) and those who write highly technical pieces for academic or research clients can earn much more. For example, a well-researched case study that includes multiple interviews could be worth anywhere from $500-$4000, depending on the client, length, and topic.

Direct-consumer copywriting, patient recruitment, and advertising also have exceptional income potential for experienced and talented writers. Depending on the client, a single landing page directly tied to sales for a health-related product could be worth $2500 – $10,000 (or more!). Some writers even negotiate for a portion of the profit in addition to a base fee, guaranteeing continuing income from one piece of work.

The beauty of freelance writing is that you can experiment and try new types of writing until you find the exact kind that you love to do. This business can grow and flex as interests and life circumstances change.

Ready to launch your freelance writing career?

If you’re curious about freelance writing and want to learn more about starting your own freelance health writing business, check out part 2 of this series to learn all the nitty-gritty details, from creating a website to finding clients.

There are so many career options beyond the bedside. Learn more about remote nursing jobs and discover the right remote nursing career for your goals and lifestyle.

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

List of Nursing Resources on the Purdue OWL

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

As a nursing student, you will write different types of texts, such as research papers and group presentations. All of this writing has common characteristics: to be concise, evidence-based, supported by credible and appropriate research, to be professional, and to follow APA style. This section offers resources that are designed to help nursing students with these and other writing concerns.

American Psychological Association (APA)

APA Style Workshop

APA Citation Rules

APA is used in scientific and social scientific disciplines, including nursing, and standardizes research and citation formats. These links provide information for APA style, with the first link offering an overview of APA style and the second providing specific APA rules and sample APA papers.

APA Paper Sample

This sample shows you how to write and format a nursing research paper in APA.

The Rhetorical Situation

This PowerPoint presentation will help you understand the importance of the context in which you write. There are many factors that influence your writing: you, the writer; your purpose; your audience; your context; and the culture surrounding the context. For example, you will write differently for your professors than you will for your patients. Their varying education levels and different situations, or context, will cause you to use different language and present your topic differently.

Audience Analysis

This resource will help you with one important part of the rhetorical situation: analyzing your audience and tailoring your writing to fit your audience’s needs. There is also a handout available on this page with a chart to help you with your audience analysis.

Writing Scientific Abstracts

This PowerPoint presentation discusses the importance of writing abstracts and offers tools on how to write them. Abstracts allow you to present information in a clear, concise manner and are part of writing in APA style.

Conducting Primary Research

Primary research is an important component while writing as a nursing student. It allows you to support your argument, or thesis statement, with evidence; this, in turn, creates ethos, or credibility, for you as an author. This link offers many resources about primary research, including how to get started and how to conduct the various kinds of primary research.

Conducting an Interview

This PowerPoint presentation discusses the steps involved in conducting an interview as part of primary research. You may be asked to conduct an interview with clinical nurses, patients, or physicians as part of a writing assignment or research paper. Consult this PowerPoint before contacting your interviewee because it offers tips for how to contact him or her.

Database Research Tutorial from the Purdue Library

Engaging in secondary research, or research that is gathered from existing research performed and published by another author, is an essential part of writing as a nursing student. Using databases is one way to collect information, and this resource links to the Purdue Library’s tutorial on how to use databases.

Searching the World Wide Web

The Internet is a convenient and useful way to gather information; however, nursing professors expect their students to perform research that goes beyond a Google search. This PowerPoint presentation offers strategies for conducting Internet research, and it explains components of using the Internet you may not be familiar with, for example, the visible and invisible web. Use this PowerPoint presentation in conjunction with the database research tutorial for a good overview of how to conduct Internet research.

Evaluating Sources of Information

Not all sources of information are credible or reliable, and it is your job as a nursing student to be able to tell the difference. This resource offers different ways to decipher whether or not a source is credible.

Documenting Electronic Sources

When conducting secondary research, you might come across credible electronic sources that you would like to integrate into your writing. Documenting these sources properly is important because it builds your credibility as a writer, and it shows your readers, i.e., your nursing professors, that you have followed APA guidelines. This resource provides information and links to other resources that will help you properly document electronic sources.

Annotated Bibliographies

Annotated bibliographies, a summary and/or evaluation of sources, can help you organize your research. This resource explains the purpose of annotated bibliographies and provides examples. There are examples for APA, MLA, and CMS on this page; be sure to follow the APA format, as each citation style differs.

Thesis: Establishing an Argument

This page explains the importance of a thesis and how you can create an effective statement. Thesis statements are important to your writing because they control the paper’s overall purpose. These statements are especially important for you as a nursing student because writing in nursing should be logical, organized, concise, and clear; having a strong thesis will help you achieve this type of writing.

Grammar, Mechanics, and a Brief Discussion about Revision

The Grammar and Mechanics section on the OWL will help you learn how to use correct language. Using correct grammar will help your ethos, i.e., it will build your credibility, and it makes your writing appear more professional. One way to help improve your grammar is by reviewing the pages within the grammar and mechanics section and by completing the grammar and mechanics exercises. Another way to help correct grammar mistakes is by revising your writing. You can fix most of your grammar errors by reading your paper aloud before you turn it into your professor. Reading your paper aloud also offers you a chance to hear your writing, and you may find that some of the ideas you thought were clear are not as clear or organized as you hoped they would be.

Designing an Effective PowerPoint Presentation

PowerPoint presentations are a useful tool to use when delivering individual or group presentations. This PowerPoint presentation defines the basic elements of a PowerPoint slideshow and discusses how you can use these elements in effective and professional ways.

Personal Statements

Personal statements are an important part of the application process for nursing school. This section of resources offers writing samples and information that will help guide you while writing the personal statement. While using these resources and writing your statement, keep in mind the specific application for which you writing, as different nursing schools ask for different types of personal statements, i.e., the applications may ask you to respond to different types of questions.

Résumés and Cover Letters

Résumés and cover letters are important documents traditionally created toward the end of your nursing education, though it never hurts to start creating them during the start of your education. Use these resources to help you create your résumé and cover letter. You also might find it useful to consult the rhetorical situation and audience analysis resources, as these resources will help you understand the context in which and for which you will create your résumé and cover letter. Links to commonly used databases and sites: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed http://www.apastyle.org/manual/whats-new.aspx http://www.apastyle.org/ Databases available through the Purdue Library website: Academic Search Premier Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition MEDLINE CINAHL

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Professional Writing for Nurses

Nurses working in the complex health-care system require clear, concise, and accurate writing. Good writing supports strong verbal skills, promoting effective communication among health-care teams. The content below shows ways to develop good writing not only in school but also in your professional career.

Writing Topics

According to Johnson and Rulo (2019), good writers remain essential for the future of the nursing profession. Learning to write well is a skill, and like any skill, it requires practice and commitment. This skill helps you to excel in your profession by promoting efficiency of information in collaborative care, developing business plans to sustain health-care efforts, and creating programs to address the health of populations. This commitment involves using critical thinking to learn the writing process, to master rules of grammar and writing mechanics, and to take the time to write.

The writing process includes pre-writing, drafting, and revision.

• Organize articles, notes, and thoughts (provides frame or angle for paper).
• Write the objective or thesis statement at the top of the paper (everything you write should support this statement).
• Review documents, and write down the main ideas. Make sure what you use supports the statement at the top of the paper.
• Begin with the weakest point moving to the strongest.
• Compare and contrast.
• Give information chronologically, showing evolution.
• Show relationship or cause-effect, opposites, or consequence.
• Outline the process.
• Define issue and components.
• Give testimony of experts and show data.
• Keep presentation method consistent throughout the paper.

Use the following steps and examples to assist you in your writing.

1. Write cohesive paragraphs.

Review your outline and choose the ideas to cover in your content. Each idea should be the first sentence in the paragraph, and all the content should relate to the first sentence.

2. Maintain continuity and flow in your writing by connecting your thoughts.

Connect thoughts by using a word in the preceding sentence..

Correct: The program focuses on approaches that promote active living. Schools have adopted this program to encourage students to become physically active.

Incorrect: The program focuses on approaches that promote active living. Students are encouraged to become physically active.

Connect thoughts by using transitional words.

Correct:  Particles inhaled through vaporized nicotine are linked to asthma, stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. In addition, nicotine is dissolved in solvents that is linked to carinogenic activity.

Incorrect:  Particles inhaled through vaporized nicotine are linked to asthma, stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. Nicotine is dissolved in solvents that is linked to carinogenic activity.

Examples of Flow

Example of good flow.

Workplace civility is tied to employee satisfaction. Work environments infused with positivity, teamwork, empowerment, and supportive leaders result in job satisfaction and positive consumer experiences. To promote teamwork and a positive practice work environment, all entities must be actively involved including support personnel, employees, team leaders, and management. Education of all those working in an organization is vital to understand and identify workplace incivility.

Example of poor flow

Conflict is inevitable in varying degree when two or more individuals work together. Incivility in the workplace can occur in a variety of ways and is often tolerated and too frequently goes unrecognized. Methods of communication are often affected by dissatisfaction within the workplace. Education and tolerance empower employees. Work environments infused with positivity, teamwork, empowerment, and supportive leaders result in job satisfaction and positive consumer experiences. To promote teamwork and a positive practice work environment all must be actively involved including support personnel, employees, team leaders, and management. Education of all those working in an organization is vital to understand and identify workplace incivility.

Speedily release your creative ideas by forgetting sentence structures and grammar using the Race Car Driver technique.

Design content by selecting and organizing chunks of information using the architect technique.

Nail the sentence structure to ensure continuity and flow using the carpenter technique.

Examine the details of your content using the judge technique.

This is an example of a student’s paper showing the completed writing process, using the 3-prong approach, which includes the following:

• Tell your audience what you are going to tell them.
• Then tell them what you told them.  

Supervisory Support for Nurse Burnout

Introductory paragraph.

One in three nurses leaves the nursing profession within the first two years of practice (Blair, 2014). Short-staffed units, both inpatient and outpatient, experience decreased quality patient care, which results in substandard care. Standards for quality of care are at the forefront of research, and hospital organizations are not reimbursed for substandard care. To rectify the increasing number of nurses leaving facilities and the profession, hospital administrators need to focus their efforts on the retention of nurses, which increase staff satisfaction and maintain safer health-care environments (Lartey et al., 2014). Addressing nurse burnout and turnover involves examining the problem, recognizing benefits of the intended recipients, using interdisciplinary teamwork, and sharing ways to advance nursing practice through dissemination of project results.

Introduction:  Tell your readers what you are going to tell them.

Show general background statement(s) that grab your readers' attention.

Narrow topic to the thesis statements.

State the intent of the paper, so your readers know what to expect.

Statement of Problem

Lack of transformational managerial support and nurse engagement increases nurse burnout and turnover. According to Bakker and Albrecht (2018), work engagement is often defined as a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption. When these characteristics are lacking, work engagement declines, resulting in turnover. This leads to decreased nursing staff on a unit, which affects health-care costs, job satisfaction, and quality patient care (Lartey et al., 2014). In addition, excessive nursing turnover yields a loss of experience, skill, and knowledge for units, and these strengths can take time to regain (Lartey et al., 2014). Employment and improvement of nurse engagement combats the increasing number of nurses leaving the profession. To increase nurse engagement, nursing managers need to embrace a transformational support system. This master’s project will work to identify and address nurse burnout by improving nurse engagement through nurse manager professional development and training.

Ways Project Contributes to Intended Recipients

This master’s project benefits managers, nurses, and health-care organizations in the outpatient setting. Managers will likely experience accomplishment in their careers as they learn to promote connections and motivation among and with their staff members, as they address burnout and turnover with their nurses. Health-care organizations will likely experience an increase in quality of care, decreasing patient care costs and monies spent on hiring and training replacement nurses.

Rationale for Importance of Project

Nurse burnout has been a topic of nursing research since the 1980s when Maslach and Jackson (1981) identified nurse burnout as a syndrome that consists of three components, including emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a low degree of personal accomplishment. A multitude of research studies and case analyses of nurse burnout have been performed and have identified possible interventions that may combat nurse burnout and turnover. Included in these findings were increased supervisory support and engagement. However, a gap in knowledge remains on how to increase nurse retention (Garcia-Sierra et al., 2016; Gonzales, 2018; Khamisa et al., 2015; Minmin, 2015). This master’s project will fill in that gap by identifying how nurse manager education and training can improve nurse satisfaction and decrease nurse turnover.

Interdisciplinary teamwork

In the past decade, health care has experienced significant changes and has undergone a surfeit of transformations turning health-care organizations into more interdisciplinary collaborations (Bogaert et al., 2018). Such changes have led to complex processes between multiple disciplines and increases the number of stakeholders when patient care is affected (Bogaert et al., 2018). This master’s project will include nursing, medicine, health-care administration, staff education department, and human resources.

Significance to advance nursing practice

The significance of this project is to discover evidence-based practices that reduce nurse burnout and to put them into practice. The aim of this project involves implementing interventions identified throughout recent research and trial it. Increasing nurse engagement and transformational supervisory support will potentially decrease nurse burnout and increase nurse retention.

Body:  Tell them.

Nurses are leaving the nursing profession within the first few years of training completion and furthering the short-staffing present in outpatient departments throughout the United States. Lack of nurses leads to poor quality of care for patients and further increases health-care costs and nurse burnout. By initiating a nurse manager professional training program, nurse managers will be capable of providing transformational support to their nursing staff. With this support, nurses will potentially have fewer burnout symptoms and higher engagement, increasing nurse retention in outpatient hospital organizations.

Concluding Paragraph

Then tell them what you told them.

Identifying your rhetorical situation strengthens your message and helps to organize your writing.

• Message:  
• Context: 
• Reduce the number of nurses leaving the profession.
• Health-care management
• Hospital administrators need to focus their efforts on the retention of nurses, which increase staff satisfaction and maintain safer health-care environments.
• Nurses experiencing burnout in the outpatient setting of health care.

For clear and concise writing, use the active voice as much as possible. Active or passive voice depends on the verb, subject, and object relationship.

The format of the active voice includes the following order: subject, verb, and object. The format of the passive voice includes the following order: object, verb, and subject.

Example of Active Voice : Several factors link cancer and obesity. (subject, verb, and object)

Example of Passive Voice : Cancer and obesity are linked to several factors. (object, verb, subject)

Avoid beginning sentences with “there” or “it,” which helps promote the active voice. Avoid using “be” words whenever possible to promote the active voice, such as is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been, has, have, had, do, does, did, shall, should, will, would, may, might, must, can, could.

These structures include nouns with nouns, verbs with verbs, adjectives with adjectives, prepositional phrases with prepositional phrases, and so on.

1. Example: Items in a series

Correct: Huddles on the unit improve communication, increase productivity, and promote nurse satisfaction . (Verb required for parallel construction.)

Correct: Single-checking promotes accountability, adherence to medication administration procedures, and appraisal of one’s knowledge of drugs. (Noun required for parallel construction.)

Incorrect: Huddles on the unit improve communication, increase productivity, and nurse satisfaction .

Incorrect: Single-checking promotes accountability, adherence to medication administration procedures, and updating one’s knowledge of drugs.

2. Example: Vertical list

Boxes outline vertical lists

Correct: Post-Assessment Education

• Performed by the discharge nurse
• Used to assess education given throughout stay
• Completed to customize discharge education for patients

Incorrect: Post-Assessment Education

• Help in customizing discharge education for patients

3. Example: Coordinate Ideas

Coordinate ideas when using conjunctions (such as for, and, nor, but, or, yet) by ensuring they are paired in similar grammatical form. Use the same format for comparisons created by than or as.

Correct: Administrators benefit from this educational process by ensuring quality care and by decreasing readmissions.

Incorrect: Administrators benefit from this educational process by ensuring quality care and decreasing readmissions.

4. Example: Two-part connectives

Two-part connectives include either/or, neither/nor, not only/but also, both/and. After the first word, make sure to insert the second word.

Example: The palliative care team can treat the symptoms that result not only from the disease but also from treatment for the disease.

Learn when to use “that” or “which.” Use “that” for essential information to understand the main idea. Use “which” for nonessential information, meaning the information is not required to understand the main idea. A guideline to remember includes the following: “that defines, which describes.”

Example: Palliative care medicine is a subspecialty of medicine that focuses on managing symptoms of chronic and terminal illnesses.

Example: Approach of palliative care remains centered on both the patient and family, which improves quality of life for all involved.

Correct: The data estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in this population. ( Data is plural , so the verb needs to agree–estimate.)

Correct: Patient and family benefit from hospice care. ( Subject is plural (patient and family), so verb needs to agree–benefit.)

Incorrect: The data estimates the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in this population.

Incorrect: Patient and family benefits from hospice care.

Framing is also described as “finding an angle for a story” and involves ways information is organized, simplified, interpreted, and perceived. The term angle was introduced in the pre-writing process of creating an outline. The frame for your content reflects the “big picture.” How you frame your content can influence your readers’ perceptions, help them to connect with new information by what they already know, elicit questions about complex issues, and provide different types of perspectives. Some ideas for framing your writing include the following:

• Begin with the weakest point moving to strongest.
• Define the issue and components.

Write an effective introduction by grabbing the reader’s attention, stating your thesis statement, and telling your readers what to expect. (Tip: Write your beginning at the end.)

The introduction is the first paragraph of your paper (or presentation to your staff). This paragraph should get the readers' attention and convey what to expect in the remainder of the paper. The structure of the introduction reflects a funnel-shaped format: (a) show general background statement, (b) narrow the topic to the thesis statement, and (c) state the purpose/intent of the paper.

Example of an introductory paragraph: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2017a), chlamydia is the most frequently reported communicable disease. Incidence rates of chlamydia have been increasing in recent years, raising concerns with community health nurses. These rates are examined by reviewing the most recent local and national chlamydia statistics, potential barriers to accurate reporting, and health disparities related to the disease.

Creating the conclusion reflects the last statement in the 3-prong approach of “then tell them what you told them.” In the conclusion, you synthesize the thesis statement with the main ideas. Think of the conclusion as the last words to your readers. What do you want them to remember? Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion.

Use bias-free language by avoiding “demeaning attitudes” in your writing related to “age, disability, gender, participation in research, racial or ethnic identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, . . . other personal factors” ( APA, 2020, p. 131 ). (https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language/#:~:text=The%20American%20Psychological%20Association%20emphasizes,demeaning%20attitudes%20in%20their%20writing.)  

Correct: Patients receiving chemotherapy experience side effects.

Incorrect: Chemotherapy patients experience side effects.

Correct: The nurses will participate in these exercises for six weeks to expose each nurse to multiple exercises. (Deleted “in an effort.”)

Correct: The results will be compared to decide on the effectiveness of the exercises.  (Deleted “to make a determination.”)

Incorrect: The nurses will participate in these exercises for six weeks in an effort to expose each nurse to multiple exercises.

Incorrect:  The results will be compared to make a determination to decide on the effectiveness of the exercises.

Avoid using extra words in your writing, such as in light of, in order, in fact, very.

Slang or jargon includes terminology used by a specific group.

Correct: The nurse checked the results of the complete blood count (CBC).

Incorrect: The nurse checked the results of the CBC.

Colloquialisms include informal expressions.

Correct: Smith and Jones (2020) indicate the rise of obesity in children remains a problem.

Incorrect: Everyone knows that obesity is a problem in children.

Avoid contractions.

Correct: The current average length of stay does not allow for the full benefits of hospice services.

Incorrect: The current average length of stay doesn’t allow for the full benefits of hospice services.

Avoid attributing human actions to nonhuman sources.

Correct: The nurses on the unit plan to educate the patients about the treatment plan.

Incorrect: The unit plans to educate the patients about the treatment plan. (The unit is not human.)

Correct: This assessment shows the questions.

Incorrect: This assessment asks the questions. (The assessment is not human.)

Correct: The improper association of palliative care with strictly end-of-life care is a barrier to referral. This barrier highlights the need for education directed at overcoming that stigma and expanding the meaning of palliative care.

Incorrect: The improper association of palliative care with strictly end-of-life care is a barrier to referral. This highlights the need for education directed at overcoming that stigma and expanding the meaning of palliative care.

Eliminate ambiguity by telling the reader what the pronoun refers to, such as that report, these symptoms, and those patients.

1. Insert a comma between two complete sentences with a conjunction (and).

Correct: JUULs are e-cigarettes that look like USB ports, and they have a high level of nicotine.

Incorrect: JUULs are e-cigarettes that look like USB ports and they have a high level of nicotine.

2. Insert commas between elements.

Correct: Typical conditions include gastroesophageal reflux disease, gallstones, ulcerative colitis, and hepatitis.

Incorrect: Typical conditions include gastroesophageal reflux disease, gallstones, ulcerative colitis and hepatitis.

3. Insert a comma after an introductory phrase.

Correct: At each grade level, teachers plan to implement the new program.

Incorrect: At each grade level teachers plan to implement the new program.

4. Insert commas to set off nonessential clauses.

Nonessential clauses: The clause adds further information, but when the clause is removed, the meaning and structure of the sentence remain intact.

Correct: Behavior interventions, such as teaching new coping skills, were also helpful in reducing the caregiver’s level of stress.

Correct: National obesity rates for adolescents are considerably higher than Utah’s rates, which is attributed to several factors.

Correct: Specific health districts have higher rates of children with obesity, including Tooele, Weber-Morgan, Salt Lake Central, and Bear River.

Incorrect: Behavior interventions such as teaching new coping skills were also helpful in reducing the caregiver’s level of stress.

Incorrect: National obesity rates for adolescents are considerably higher than Utah’s rates which is attributed to several factors.

Incorrect: Specific health districts have higher rates of children with obesity including Tooele, Weber-Morgan, Salt Lake Central, and Bear River.

As you progress in writing, you move through different stages from roughly sketching out your ideas to ultimately attending to the final details. These stages or techniques, race car driver, architect, carpenter, and judge , support you in the writing process. Notice each technique concludes with “take a break,” and you decide on the length of the break. However, after creating your draft (race car driver technique), one suggestion is taking a break from the writing process for a day. This action allows you to see your content with a new perspective. If you feel stuck with your writing, then write the easy sections first. Remember learning to write well is a skill, and like any skill, it requires practice and commitment. This skill will help you excel in your professional career.

When you write, use your own words.

Familiarize yourself with the WSU Annie Taylor Dee SON plagiarism policy below. In addition, make sure you understand what constitutes plagiarism. See activity below.

• The WSU Annie Taylor Dee SON has a no-tolerance plagiarism policy. All student work is expected to be referenced correctly.
• Based on course/assignment details, the student may take the opportunity to read the plagiarism report and rewrite the assignment in order to lower the plagiarism percentage; or
• Based on results of the internet-based plagiarism tool, faculty or instructor may proceed with the Academic Integrity Policy on violations and sanctions.

Paraphrasing

Professional writers need to know how to paraphrase effectively. See the quoted sentence: “Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral infection in which a person develops extremely itchy blisters all over the body” (Kaneshiro, 2013, para. 1).

When paraphrasing, notice how the sentence and word structures change: Varicella remains an infectious viral illness with a blister-like rash on the body, causing severe itching (Kaneshiro, 2013).  

Activity: Evaluate each sentence for plagiarism.

• Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral infection in which a person develops extremely itchy blisters all over the body (Kaneshiro, 2013, para. 1). No quotation marks  
• Chickenpox is a contagious viral infection with extremely itchy blisters all over the body (Kaneshiro, 2013, para. 1). Too many words from the original sentence  
• “Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral infection in which a person develops extremely itchy blisters all over the body.” No reference  
• Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral infection in which a person develops extremely itchy blisters all over the body. No quotation marks and no reference  
• “Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral infection in which a person develops extremely itchy blisters all over the body” (Kaneshiro, 2013, para. 1). Correct Example

Kaneshiro, N. K. (2013). Chickenpox. Medline plus medical encyclopedia . Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001592.htm

Writing Process

As you progress in writing, you move through different stages from roughly sketching out your ideas to ultimately attending to the final details.

Racecar Driver Technique

Speedily release your creative ideas by forgetting sentence structures and grammar using the racecar driver technique.

• Insert the main points from your outline on your paper with spaces in between. (Tip: Ensure main points reflect assignment directions and rubric.)
• Give yourself a time limit for writing your draft. Get ready and go!
• Go for quantity!
• Don't stop to design, build, or judge your content
• Write quickly!
• Start on any main point.
• Keep going!
• Take a break from the writing process.

Architect Technique

• Delete irrelevant information
• Insert the main idea in the first sentence of the paragraph.
• Relate all content in the paragraph to the main idea.
• Show general background statement(s).
• Narrow the topic to the thesis statement.
• State the purpose/intent of the paper.
• Include a summary of the main points and thesis statement in the concluding paragraph.

Carpenter Technique

• Review each sentence to ensure it reflects conciseness and clarity, leads to the next sentence, and contributes to the overall paper.
• Read the paper aloud, and listen to how well the sentences flow.

Judge Technique

• Inspect spelling. Spelling should conform to the Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary per APA guidelines.
• Read aloud and listen to the grammar and tone of your paper.
• Check punctuation using the APA Manual, 7th edition.
• Check the APA format using the 7th edition.
• Ask yourself—if the audience is unfamiliar with the topic, have I demonstrated clarity and depth so that the audience will easily understand the content?

Flowers, B. S. (2014). Madman, architect, carpenter, judge: Roles and the writing process. Intellectual Entrepreneurship . Retrieved from http://www.ut-ie.com/b/b_flowers.html

See also: The Stages and Techniques of the Writing Process (https://www.weber.edu/wsuimages/ProfessionalWritingForNurses/Stages-and-Techniques-of-the-Writing-Process.pdf)

Good writing requires revisions, which includes soliciting feedback from faculty, peers, and content experts. Learning to feel comfortable with receiving and giving feedback remains essential for improving your writing. Another means of soliciting feedback is through the Writing Center (https://www.weber.edu/WritingCenter/default.html) at Weber State University, which provides online tutoring.

References and Resources

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American psychological association (7th ed.).

Johnson, J. E., & Rulo, K. (2019). Problem in the profession: How and why writing skills in nursing must be improved. Journal of Professional Nursing, 35 (2019), 57-64.

Preferred Spelling use the Merriam-Weber Dictionary (https://www.merriam-webster.com) APA page 61

Psychological terms use the APA Dictionary of Psychology (https://dictionary.apa.org)

WSU Online APA 7th Edition Training (https://elearning.weber.edu/interactives/apa/apa7Tutorial/story.html)

Grammarly-free Program (https://www.grammarly.com/)

Proofing Tools on a PC: Some of you may have a proofing tool on your computer. On a PC computer, in your Word Program, go to "File" and select "Options." The Word Options menu shows up. Next, select "Proofing." See the Writing Style box towards the bottom, select "Grammar & Style," and click OK. (If you have used this tool previously for the paper, then select "Recheck Document," select yes, and click OK at the bottom. You will see your paper on the Home page. Next, select "Review" and select "Spelling & Grammar." On the right side of the screen, the program will review your paper with your help.

Proofing Tools on a Mac: On a Mac computer, in your Word Program, go to "Preferences" and click on "Spelling and Grammar". Make sure the checkbox for checking Grammer is checked. Check your other tools in Word for writing helps.

5 Steps to Become a Full-Time Nurse Writer

If you have a passion for nursing and love to write, consider becoming a full-time nurse writer. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports growth in the writing industry at a 9% increase over the next 10 years.

Traditionally, becoming a writer required either journalism, English, or a communications degree. But in the current digital age, having expert knowledge of nursing, medicine, science, and preventative care puts you in high demand.

“If you ever got a ‘C’ on a college paper, you have enough writing skills to go pro,” says Elisabeth Hanes, founder of RN2writer.

Do you want control over your schedule? Are you thinking about working remotely ? Consider these 5 steps to becoming a full-time nurse writer.

Step 1: Study Your Favorite Publications and Blog Posts

Familiarize yourself with your favorite publication or blog’s writing style. Instead of reading for pleasure, begin studying the structure of the articles. Pay attention to details of articles, including:

• Style of writing
• Conclusions

Take notes on who they interview and what sources they use. Practice writing on nursing and healthcare topics you find interesting. Practicing your writing will build confidence and sharpen your skills.

“Many nursing skills actually translate beautifully to writing,” Hanes points out.

Nurses are also jugglers. You juggle taking care of patients, prioritizing tasks, and scheduling. These skills will only complement and improve your writing.

Articles that are engaging to readers involve knowing the art of interviewing and which questions to ask. Luckily, in nursing school, nurses are taught how to interview patients. This skill only prepares you to get the most pertinent information from an interviewee, a skill essential in journalistic writing.

“Nurses are great at interviewing patients, and they can use those same techniques as a writer to conduct great subject matter expert interviews,” Hanes says.

Popular MSN Programs

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

Step 2: Get Published

Now that you’ve practiced your writing skills and studied the layout of articles, it’s time to get published. Getting published is not as difficult as you may think. To ease into the industry, try becoming a freelance nurse writer first.

“The beauty of freelance writing for nurses is that the barrier to entry is low,” Hanes says. “You don’t need a ton of skills to do this, just patience and a general understanding of how the writing industry works.”

The tax process for on-staff nurse writers versus freelance nurse writers isn’t the same. It’s important to know the difference before starting your freelancing journey.

As an employee, your employer automatically withholds funds from your paycheck to cover your estimated tax bill for the year. As a freelance nurse writer, your clients will not withhold any money from your check; it is up to you to set aside funds to pay estimated taxes to the IRS on a quarterly basis.

Working with an accountant is the best way to know how much you need to pay quarterly as a freelance nurse writer. An accountant can also advise you on what you can and cannot deduct as a business expense and which tax benefits you can claim.

Hanes always advises nurses to seek professional legal and accounting advice when setting up their business.

Starting as a freelance writer also helps in building your writing sample portfolio. Here are several ways to get published:

• Pitch your article
• Search job sites
• Start blogging

Pitching Your Article

Pitching an idea for an article sounds scary, but it is a simple email. First, get an idea of the tone, writing style and article topics of the publication you want to write for. Who is their audience? Is it fellow nurses or patients and families?

It can help identify a topic the publication has not written on yet, and pitch that article topic to the publication. Even if the publication does not accept your article idea, your nursing expertise will help sell you the most.

“I think it’s important for nurses to understand how much support you receive from clients as a writer,” Hanes says. “They will supply you with all the information and tools you need to produce the work they want written.”

If they accept your pitch, the client will provide you with their guidelines. This includes:

• A template or examples of previous blog posts
• A style guide

Networking can be powerful. Reach out to writers on social platforms like LinkedIn or Instagram to get your foot in the door. Find out what they did to get their writing position. Then, ask if they know of any writing opportunities.

Search Job Sites

Searching job sites for “freelance nurse writing” positions will also get you leads on writing gigs. Job sites like Indeed or LinkedIn are great places to start.

Start Blogging

Blogging as a nurse writer is another way to publish your work without looking for a job. Starting your blog is less restrictive, and you do not have to follow a specific style guide. You also can direct prospective job opportunities to your blog page to showcase your writing samples.

Step 3: Consider Taking a Course

Hanes says the best way to become a full-time writer is to:

• Create a strategy for learning the business
• Start your writing career on the side
• Ramp it up into a full-time proposition over six months to a year

If you still need extra support, consider taking a writing course. Courses given by nurse writers are designed to help you break into the industry.

Step 4: Polish Your LinkedIn

Many recruiters use LinkedIn to find nurse writers. Create a professional LinkedIn page if you want to be discovered as a nurse writer. Update your profile and add your nursing experience and writing samples. Lastly, check your LinkedIn inbox often. You do not want to miss a writing opportunity.

Step 5: Apply to Writing Jobs

Applying for a job is your next step to becoming a full-time nurse writer. Nurses work in many areas in the writing industry. As a nurse writer, you might be writing or working for:

• Specific health websites
• Marketing materials for health systems
• Corporations
• Tech companies
• Patient-facing blogs
• Newsletters for insurers
• Case studies
• White papers for healthcare brands

“Content marketing writing encompasses a huge variety of types of writing, so it never gets boring,” Hanes says.

You can choose to work with one company or continue working with multiple clients as a full-time freelance nurse writer.

“You can make a lot of money as a nurse writer,” Hanes says.

In Hanes’ career, she booked multiple six-figure years. In Hanes’ highest-earning years, she made $115,000.

Remember to always negotiate your salary when applying for writing jobs. As a nurse, negotiating is a must because you have expertise in your field.

Being a nurse writer is not all roses and dandelions, especially in the beginning. It involves pitching to multiple publications and networking. But becoming a full-time nurse writer can help you pivot from the bedside and explore other avenues in nursing.

You will also be an expert in your field and build trust with your readers.

Hanes wants nurses to know that the writing industry welcomes asking questions. Do not be afraid if you do not know everything off the bat.

“Honestly, anyone who is friendly and willing to learn on the job can become a nurse writer,” Hanes says.

Meet Our Contributor

Elizabeth Hanes RN

Elizabeth Hanes RN not only is a nurse but has played one on TV . In 2014, she founded RN2writer, a business dedicated to helping nurses become freelance writers.

An award-winning health journalist and content marketing writer, Elizabeth was awarded “ best online commentary ” by the Online News Association for “Dad Has Dementia,” her 36-week chronicle of caring for her father as he declined and died of dementia. She also founded local blog “ABQ on the Cheap,” which took home the “best blogger” award from Albuquerque the Magazine .

Formerly a perioperative and cosmetic surgery nurse, Elizabeth launched a full-time freelance writing business in 2010 to bring her wealth of nursing knowledge to consumer and corporate health materials, such as articles, blog posts, white papers, case studies, video scripts, webpages and more.

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Creative Writing Awards

One of our students’ assignments during their first clinical experience is to begin a journal. Through their journal they can watch their own transformation. Through their writing we can understand contemporary nursing and midwifery through the eyes, hands, and feelings of these remarkable students and soon-to-be APRNs.

YSN’s annual Creative Writing Awards are enlivened by the inspirational presence of YSN Professor Linda Honan. Yale nursing students submit their narratives, journal entries, and other creative writing for consideration of one of three significant student awards. This annual gathering, beloved by our community, also features prominent writers and thinkers.

Poetry and prose submissions are currently being collected for the Creative Writing Awards: Centennial Edition. Check out full details here and submit your poetry or prose by 11:59 pm on March 25, 2024.

Free Writing Course for Nurses and Other Healthcare Professionals

We are excited to partner with Concordia University Wisconsin to bring you this post.

I write frequently about the importance of continuing education for nurses . Although there are many courses focused on various aspects of nursing care , there are few focused on enhancing the writing skills of healthcare providers. As nurses we are often responsible for charting complex patient procedures, plans, outcomes, and progress. We are also sometimes tasked with creating proposals, writing papers, and other activities that require professional writing skills.

For many nurses, it’s been years since we attended college and our writing could probably use some polishing. I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes the grammar and spelling fairies don’t spend enough time proofreading my writing. Some days it feels like they are asleep at the job. So I am really excited for an opportunity to improve my writing skills in a course with a healthcare focus.

Who Should Take the Course?

The course is 100% free and is ideal for healthcare professionals in any role. If you are a blogger or participate in social media, this course could be especially beneficial to help you improve your messaging, clarity, and quality of the content you produce. However, anyone who works in the healthcare setting would find benefit from this offering.

How Long Will it Take?

The course is completed online and can be completed in a single afternoon, but you can pace yourself and space out the class for as long as you need.

Benefits of Completing the Course

After completing the course you will received a digital badge, backed by Concordia University Wisconsin , which can be added to your resume, LinkedIn profile,  or blog. You will also be able to highlight your specialized healthcare writing training on your resume and at any futures interviews. This is also a great course to take if you are considering going back to school and want to sharpen your skills before doing so.

In addition, you may find the desire to further utilize your writing skills and do one of the following:

• Write a book (traditional or ebook)
• Start a nursing blog (or contribute to this one!)
• Create a web course
• Apply for a promotion
• Draft a proposal for changes to your healthcare organizations policies
• Write a monthly column for your employer’s website
• Provide more literate and thoughtful healthcare commentary on social media
• Create a Nurse Mission Statement
• How to define and attain a nursing goal in a nursing care plan

Take the Free Writing Course Now

Head over to Concordia University’s website and sign up for the free writing course for healthcare professionals . After you’ve signed up and completed the course, come back and let us know what you thought of it. Would you recommend it to others? What were your biggest takeaways? What improvements, if any, would you suggest for the course?

Happy writing!

About The Author

Brittney wilson, bsn, rn, related posts, getting into nursing informatics: hitech ehr emr certification.

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Why Nurses Should Consider Creative Writing

Jun 27, 2014 | Blog

All nurses should consider writing their own stories. Only in our own stories will nurses be creative, caring people instead of the mindless bimbos we are often portrayed as in the media. But how can you write when you still have all those negative demons placed in your brain from sixth grade creative writing assignments? Find out why you should give creative writing a try as well as some tips for how to go about it if it’s your first time. 

Writing reduces your own dependence on stereotypes.

Stereotypes guide behavior.  The phrase “You’re just a nurse” is based on all types of unconscious stereotypes. Writing can make these unconscious stereotypes conscious.

Every form of writing has a point of view. Two of them are 3 rd omniscient (also called Mr. Know-it-All) and 1 st person. Most stereotypical thinking is 3 rd person omniscient, as in this sentence:

That patient with abdominal pain looks like a drug seeker.

This is a quote from a nurse who made assumptions about this patient based solely on the diagnosis. But what if she treats the patient as a drug seeker and misses something?  She needs to question her assumptions.

Writing in the 1 st person does this.  Let’s rewrite the above sentence in the 1 st person:

I was in so much pain after the car accident, but if I miss another day of work they’ll fire me. I grabbed my stomach and stumbled into the ED.

Changes the story a little, doesn’t it?

Writing in the first person made me aware of my own stereotypical thinking. My main character was a woman of a different race who was younger and pregnant. The effort I made to understand this character’s point of view enabled me to be more understanding of the young pregnant women in my practice. 

How to write hint #1

Read this sentence assuming the “she” is your boss:

She threw her pager and stormed out of the unit.

List the reasons why she would do that. Now, change the “she” to “I”:

I threw my pager and stormed out of the unit.

List the reasons why you would do this. If the lists are different you have just shifted the point of view—a key writing skill. You might try writing a 3-sentence story from each point of view. It is a good exercise in both tolerance and writing.

You can begin to imagine a different future.

Recall a chronic patient with a really whiney voice. Did you ever think, “Why should we even bother?”  You begin to feel trapped like you are in a bad movie plot that repeats itself.

Writing fiction helps you to reimagine and can get you out of this bad movie.

If you have ever journaled, you have probably experienced the release of putting something to paper.  Creative writing is nothing more than journaling with characters and plots you create. When a story is written the author can make anything happen.  As you write creatively, the bonds that kept you thinking one way are loosened. This improves your ability to think about this patient differently. Like a good plot twist, you can imagine a different ending.

How to write hint #2

What would you think if someone told you to write a story about this repetitive patient? In a writing training class for nurses I lead we get reactions like, “I can’t write. No one will like it.” To deal with this we encourage people to write stories of about 50 words or less.

Once people have written this story, we ask people to imagine a completely different ending and write 50 words leading to that ending. The thought to create this new ending, no matter what the quality of the writing, was beneficial to all participants. Here is an example of the responses we would get:

I answered the phone and she was there.  Mrs. Smith the whiner saying, “I am in pain.  My meds ran out” I quickly told her, “We can’t renew them until the end of the month. “You never listen.” She told me.  Say something I want to hear I thought.

Here is the different ending:

I answered the phone and it was Mrs. Smith asking for her meds early.  “My meds ran out.” She intoned.  Breathe deeply I told myself. When she paused, I reminded her of her pain contract and asked if she had used her relaxation exercises?  She sighed.

Writing is one way to imagine different endings. 

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• Using Spirituality in Health Care - July 27, 2015
• Why Nurses Should Consider Creative Writing - June 27, 2014

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Creative Writing

Benefits of creative writing for nursing students.

• Desert Whales
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• if tomorrow were a place
• When You Are Old
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• You Were You Are Elegy
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• won't you celebrate with me
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• Gaza Under Siege
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• Stories Lay Forgotten
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Creative writing can be fun AND improve academic writing..... WHAT?!                                                                                                                                 But really... Creative writing motivates    “self-discovery,  self-understanding  and self-expression” (Hanauer, 2011, p. 112).

Writing poetry helps students “learn

• vocabulary,  
• grammar and  
• integrated language skills” (Ahmad, 2014, p. 131).

“Along with purposeful, specific use of language, writing poetry also offers great benefits for building literacy and language acquisition” (Kolk, 2015, para. 6).

Writing poetry can increase student nurses’

• empathy, 
• compassion (Coleman & Willis, 2015), and  
• critical thinking (Coleman & Willis, 2015; Hunter, 2002).

All of these benefits help poets “stimulate their relationship with language” (Holmes & Gregory, 1998, p. 1192).

Ahmad, J. (2014). Teaching of poetry to Saudi ESL learners: Stylistics approach. Study in English Language Teaching, 2 (1), 123-139.                                https://doi.org/10.22158/selt.v2n1p123  

Coleman, D., & Willis, D. S. (2015). Reflective writing: The student nurse’s perspective on reflective writing and poetry writing. Nurse Education               Today, 35 (2015), 906-911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2015.02.018  

Hanauer, D. I. (2011). Meaningful literacy: Writing poetry in the language classroom. Language Teaching, 45 (1), 105-115.                                                  https://doi.org/10.1017/s0261444810000522 

Holmes, V., & Gregory, D. (1998). Writing poetry: A way of knowing nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 28 (6), 1191-1194.                                              https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.1998.00848.x 

Hunter, L. P. (2002). Poetry as an aesthetic expression for nursing: A review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 40 (2), 141-148.                                                 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2002.02356.x  

Kolk, M. (2015). Use poetry to build vocabulary and comprehension at all levels of language acquisition.                                                                              http://web.tech4learning.com/use-poetry-to-build-vocabulary-and-comprehension-at-all-levels-of-language-acquisition  

• Next: 2024 #UCQpoetrycontest >>
• Last Updated: Aug 28, 2024 11:26 AM
• URL: https://lc.ucalgary.edu.qa/CreativeWriting

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Nurse Hunt: Creative Strategies Hospitals Use to Attract Nursing Talent

Jodi Helmer

September 04, 2024

In a fiercely competitive healthcare landscape, hospitals are pulling out all the stops to lure top nursing talent through their doors. From offering eye-popping sign-on bonuses to implementing flexible work schedules, today's hospitals are transforming the nurse hiring process into a high-stakes game where only the most innovative strategies win.

As the nursing shortage intensifies, the creative recruitment approach isn't just about the perks — it's becoming an essential tool in the race to build a skilled nursing workforce.

Nursing vacancies are as high as 17% — more than double pre-pandemic levels — and hospitals scrambling to fill them need to do more than raise salaries and bolster benefits packages to entice nurses.

"I am very thankful when I hear of creative ideas that nurse administrators come up with to try to get their ultimate goal, which is enough qualified nurses to take care of patients," said Linda Plank, dean of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing at Baylor University in Dallas.

Signing Bonuses, Tuition Reimbursement, and Self-Scheduling, Please

Signing bonuses were among the top perks offered to healthcare workers, with almost 18% of job openings advertising the incentive for new nurse hires; the average signing bonus for registered nurses (RNs) topped $11,000. In 2023, California-based Palomar Health made headlines when it offered eligible RNs a $100,000 signing bonus paid over a 3-year period.

"We are seeing a variety of incentives, like sign-on bonuses, that can be effective at getting the attention of potential new hires," said Deborah Trautman, PhD, RN, FAAN, president, and CEO of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. "With the growing competition for registered nurses, especially those prepared in baccalaureate programs, employers should consider what's most important to nurses entering the field."

Hospitals have also invested in benefits ranging from tuition reimbursement, student loan forgiveness, and professional development opportunities to expanded parental leave and onsite childcare. Flexible scheduling is a sought-after perk that benefits both new and experienced RNs and could also help with recruitment.

"In the past, [hospitals said], 'Our shift starts at 7 and ends at 7'," Plank said. "Now, hospitals are a little bit more flexible…and being open to flexible shifts has merit. If we're willing to look at things differently, it could get more people involved in patient care."

An American Nurses Foundation report found that nurses preferred variable and flexible shift lengths, flexible start times, and self-scheduling options over set schedules. In fact, 45% of nurses who left clinical practice would consider returning to work if hospitals switched to a self-scheduling model.

The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, introduced staggered shifts that start at nontraditional times, including 11 AM to 11 PM, flexible shift lengths, and split RN positions that allow clinical care nurses to divide their time between different departments. Last year, Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey also piloted a self-scheduling program for its nursing staff.

Hiring Outside the United States

Despite the prevalence of signing bonuses and premium perks, some hospitals still struggled to fill open positions with nurses recruited from outside the United States. Data from The Kaiser Family Foundation show that 32% of hospitals hired foreign-educated RNs in 2022 — more than double the number hired in 2010.

Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, president of the American Nurses Association (ANA), is concerned about that trend. The ANA supports the International Council of Nurses and their call for "stronger codes for ethical recruitment of nurses" because international nurse recruitment practices can negatively affect the quality of healthcare in countries that are depleted of nurses.

"Recruiting international nurses as a key strategy for building core staffing is not sustainable in the long term," Kennedy told Medscape Medical News . "We need to redirect our focus on how to retain staff through fostering healthy work environments and addressing antiquated payment models."

Reinforcing Retention

Recruiting nurses is just one element of addressing the nursing shortage. Prioritizing job satisfaction is essential to retaining nursing staff. Currently, 33% of nurses who enter the profession quit within the first 2 years.

A growing number of hospitals have implemented programs focused on increasing retention. Lifepoint Health, a national network of 60-plus acute care hospitals, launched a Nurse Residency Program in 2023. The 12-month program , which offers training and mentorship to help recent nursing school graduates, has recruited 750 new nurses and helped them transition to clinical practice.

The Nurse Residency Program has been so successful that the hospital system plans to introduce a 2-year fellowship program this fall that supports the professional development of nurses who want to specialize in areas like acute care, obstetrics, or the intensive care unit.

"We are more focused than ever on increasing partnerships and alignment with our local nursing programs, expanding clinical education opportunities for nursing students, owning and driving a nursing culture, and creating an environment where employees want to work," said Michelle Watson, MSN, RN, CENP, chief nurse executive and senior vice president of clinical operations at Lifepoint Health.

Watson also credits their facilities' chief nursing officers as being "highly engaged and visible leaders" who spend time with RNs to learn about their career aspirations and help them understand how the organization can support their desires for ongoing professional development.

The 2022 Nurse Staffing Task Force, a collaborative initiative by the ANA and other prominent national nursing and healthcare organizations, has developed and widely disseminated a set of recommendations for hospitals focusing on investing in nurse staffing, safe and supportive work environments, and competitive wages.

In addition, the Reimagining Nursing Initiative , started by the American Nurses Foundation, is striving to help nurses feel valued and compensated by creating pilot programs that can help modernize nurses' reimbursement structure so that they can direct bill.

In the end, attracting and retaining top nursing talent is about more than filling positions — it's about building a healthcare system where nurses thrive. "In the United States and abroad, we owe it to nurses and the communities they serve to have sustainable and appropriate solutions to staffing and work environment challenges," said Kennedy.

Jodi Helmer is a freelance journalist who writes about health and wellness for Fortune, AARP, WebMD, Fitbit, and GE HealthCare.

Send comments and news tips to [email protected] .

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