By Jane Erwin
Illustration by Malcolm Garris/PhotoDisc
January 11, 1999

Nurses know they are experts in all areas of health science—patient care, public health, policy, and research. But has this message reached the public?

Probably not, say nursing experts.

To address this issue, nursing leaders and healthcare journalists from across the country recently met to discuss media coverage of healthcare issues—and how nursing can receive more media attention. The one-day conference in Washington, called "Cutting Through the Clutter: Increasing Media Coverage of Nurses and Nursing Research," was sponsored by Sigma Theta Tau, the National Institute of Nursing Research, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE).

Getting quoted

Nurses are quoted less often in the media than physicians and even psychologists, said Carol J. Boyd, PhD, RN, associate professor of nursing and women’s studies at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. "It’s not because reporters don’t want to use nurses or think nurses aren’t knowledgeable, but it’s more a matter of everybody’s image of nurses and their relative ranking in the public’s mind," Boyd said.

"If a reporter is going to ask about a health concern, he or she will usually ask a physician," Boyd said. "But nurses certainly are well trained and qualified to discuss health promotion, prevention, wellness, or illness."

Pamela Lewis, news service manager for the University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, responsible for its School of Nursing, agreed. "Historically, doctors always have been seen as the authority. Some people still see nurses as support staff and not as experts who can make a diagnosis or who do research."

Fortunately, that perception is changing as nurses realize how important the media is to their profession and to public health, and take steps to reach out to reporters.

"Nurses have long operated on the belief it is a struggle to get attention, but we have found when healthcare reporters understand what nursing research is, they are interested in covering it," said Susan Greenbaum, associate director of media relations for the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.

Conveying the message

"Nurses have to make themselves available," Boyd said. "It’s a question of visibility and gender socialization. Most nurses are women, and we have to be socialized to be willing to put ourselves in the spotlight."

Nursing has a rich message to convey, said Marjorie Beyers, PhD, RN, FAAN, executive director of the AONE. She suggested several ways for healthcare professionals to get into the media spotlight:

• Become active in a professional association—reporters tend to call associations for sources.
• Learn what it takes to get your message across; participate in media training.
• Make the first move or first call—reporters are willing to listen and get to know you.
• Be sure you’re up-to-date on healthcare issues in the news. You’ll be prepared to respond to a question if the media should call.

"Creating an aura of expertise doesn’t happen overnight," Greenbaum said, but there are things healthcare professionals can do to help. For example, the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, as well as many other universities and hospitals, regularly distributes an experts list, identifying people with their credentials and describing the kinds of topics they can speak on.

Pick up the phone

One of the best opportunities for nurses to express themselves is through opinion pieces and letters to the editor, which allow the writer to control the message. Greenbaum suggested regularly reading these kinds of newspaper pieces to learn how to write one.

"We also have found the public is thirsty for healthcare knowledge and relies heavily on newspapers and television news," she said. "It’s simple to pick up the phone and call a reporter and suggest a story. If you see an interesting story that has something to do with what you do, let a reporter know. They have a lot of space and time to fill."

Lewis advised studying media outlets and targeting them in a broad perspective. "When you see a health story, let the reporter know a nurse practitioner could address this issue or that nurses are trained in [that] area. Let reporters know your institution is the only one locally with a certain type of program." The next time they need a medical source, they just might call on a nurse.

In addition to contacting reporters, hospital-based nurses can take story ideas to the hospital’s marketing or public relations staff. Story ideas can include innovative programs, community outreach programs, new care techniques, and awards.

It also helps to be persistent. "Every day I have a suggestion that’s shot down," Greenbaum said. "It doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea, and it doesn’t keep me from presenting that idea elsewhere or keep me from going back to that reporter with another idea the next week."

The effort to get media attention is paying off, Boyd believes. "I think we’ve already got public attention," she said. "Reporters are starting to come to us and that’s when it can be tough to stay abreast of issues and to respond in a timely fashion. But it’s better than not being asked to play."

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