Reap the benefits of writing for publication

AORN Journal,  March, 2006  by Cynthia Saver

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Can you operate a laparoscopic insufflator? Can you set up an electrosurgical unit? Do you know how to prep a patient's skin for surgery? If you answered yes--and if you work in the OR, you should have--you also can write for publication. You may think writing an article will be too hard or take too much time. You may think articles should be written by educators, managers, or advance practice nurses--in other words, anyone but you. You are not alone with these thoughts. Most nurses are not comfortable with their writing skills, but writing is just that, a skill. You do not need to become the next Ernest Hemingway or F. Scott Fitzgerald, you simply need to become competent in the skill of writing, just as you became competent in nursing skills.

This article is the first in a series that will take you through the writing process, including how to find a topic, research it, write effectively, identify and target a journal for your submission, revise the article based on input from peer reviewers, and more. The goal is to take the mystery out of the writing and publishing process and make it accessible to you.

REASONS TO WRITE

A profession must constantly build on its knowledge base. Public speaking is one way to disseminate knowledge, but the audience is limited to those who can attend the presentation. A health care professional can reach a wider audience by publishing articles in professional journals. Articles can help your colleagues gain new ideas and sharpen their current skills. An article can even change how others think. For example, when AIDS first became a prominent health concern, health care providers knew little about its transmission. It was up to nurses and other professionals to write articles that dispelled the myths of the disease (eg, that it could be spread through casual contact).

Share information. The information a nurse writer provides others can help make his or her colleagues' working lives easier. You count on others to share their knowledge; have you considered that they also may be counting on you? Nurses in all roles can be authors. Whether you are a manager, staff nurse, educator, executive, or specialist, you have ideas and experiences that others can benefit from. A staff nurse can identify and develop solutions for the patient care problems he or she encounters in everyday practice. An executive might share ways to develop a strategic vision that everyone can live by. Articles on both topics are needed, but the best author for each would not necessarily be the same person.

Improve patient care. The most important reason you should write, however, is to improve patient care. The AORN Journal's author guidelines state that the publication aims "to provide ... practical and theoretical information that ultimately will result in better patient care." (1)

Think about preparing to circulate for a new procedure in your OR. Would you feel more comfortable with your ability to contribute to a positive outcome if you could read an article about the procedure beforehand? Perhaps you have completed a quality improvement or research study that found a way to improve care. You owe it to patients everywhere to spread the word beyond your institution by writing an article for a professional journal. By publishing, more nurses will know what to do, or not to do, to achieve better patient outcomes.

Promote yourself. Writing also can enhance your career. Many clinical ladders grant points for publishing articles, allowing you to increase your job level and salary. Many faculty members must publish to meet tenure requirements, but it also allows them to establish their reputation in the profession. No matter where you practice, having a published article on your resume sets you apart from other candidates for a job, scholarship, or a committee appointment.

Enhance knowledge. Writing also helps you to enhance your own knowledge. Like teaching, writing forces you to clearly understand a subject so that you can communicate it to others.

GETTING STARTED

The hardest part of writing an article is getting started. You must first overcome barriers, including negative attitudes about writing and lack of time.

Do not think of writing as a chore or duty, but as an opportunity to learn and even a source of pleasure. Think back to when you first became a perioperative nurse. You had to concentrate on every task, from attaching the electrosurgical unit dispersive pads to setting up a room for repair of a ruptured aortic aneurysm. As you gained experience, the tasks came more naturally You felt comfortable, and you began to enjoy your work. It is the same with writing. Your first awkwardness will subside as you write more. Although you may always have some trepidation when you start a new project, you will have the confidence to take it in stride.

Finding time to write is another issue because time is a precious commodity. We are all busy, rushing from work to home, to a child's soccer games, to meetings, and we feel we cannot find another minute in the day. Fortunately, this barrier is easier to breach than you might think. Here are some tactics.