The Nurse as Author: Is Publishing for You?

Abstract

Why don’t more nurses write? It would seem that plenty of material exists on the topic of nurses and nursing care. A recent survey of Amazon using the search term ‘‘nurses’’ yielded 48 531 results ranging from novels to textbooks and including items such as socks with electrocardiogram tracings. At the top of the search list was a book described as ‘‘investigative journalism,’’ offering intimate details of hazing, sex, painkiller addiction, and bullying in the everyday lives of hospital nurses. While this book was not written by a nurse, there were several books present in the search that were authored by nurses, including textbooks, fiction, nonfiction, and others. For nurses who are employed as faculty members in academic settings, there is often an expectation of publication that accompanies the position, yet the practice of writing is certainly not limited to nurse researchers and faculty. Writing and publishing can be a viable career choice for nurses, and there are strategies that may assist nurses in overcoming the hurdle of experiencing their first publication. For Marijke Vroomen Durning, a nurse-author/editor based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, writing was an early interest, so much so that ‘‘Iif I was given a choice I would choose essay exams instead of multiple-choice items every time’’ (oral communication, M.V. Durning, January 21, 2016). Durning managed to successfully combine her years of expertise in nursing with a lifelong passion for writing into a successful career in the publishing industry. Beginning as a registered nurse in the 1980s, in her first work experience on the postpartum floor, and retiring from the palliative care field, she has literally cared for patients from birth to death and attributes her success in publishing to the rich experiences gained from her career as a nurse. Throughout her nursing career, Durningwas a freelance writer from time to time. Eventually, as her expertise began to establish her reputation in the publishing field, she was offered a position managing a team of writers, as editor for The Doctor’s Guide to the Internet, an online news website for physicians. Durning went on to author chapters in several books, one of which was translated into Spanish, and to publish articles in lay health magazines and magazines for the nursing profession, such as Nursing2013. At present, she works with a roster of clients for whom she provides weband print-basedwriting services, social outreach and content, and manages email correspondences on healthcare sites. Durning credits her experiences with patients as key to informing her interest and assisting her in developing a niche in the writing industry. She believes that her success as awriter was due to her nursing background. Despite her deep interest in writing and publishing, achieving initial successes in the writing industry was not easy. Writing can be lonely work, a feeling that has been voiced by other nurse authors. According to Tina Shalof, author ofANurse’s Story, ‘‘You sit alone. You’re writing, writing, writing. You don’t even know if you’re going to get published’’. Yet there are stories that nurses can tell, and contributions that nurses can make, apart from the usual methods of patient care, that foster persistence in nurse writers. ‘‘There is such a need for people who know about health towrite about itVif they feel they canwrite, and they like it, take writing classes and see what it is they like to do. Do they like to write for patients? Would they prefer to write on a higher level for their peers or other healthcare professionals? Find amentor, someonewhosewriting you admire and reach out to them,’’ states Durning. Her desire to write for patients led to her interest in self-publishing a book for patients, Just the Right Dose: Your Smart Guide to Prescription Drugs and How to Take Them Safely, which was reviewed by Rob Campbell, RPh. Durning states that her book was born of the frustration in performing endless medication reconciliations with patients and from bearing witness to the multiple errors Author Affiliation: College ofNursing, Universityof Alabama, Huntsville. The author reports no conflicts of interest. Correspondence: SusanAlexander,DNP,ANP-BC,ADM-BC,301Sparkman Dr, Huntsville, AL 35899 (susan.alexander@uah.edu). DOI: 10.1097/NUR.0000000000000206