Bio: A registered nurse and educator for 30 years, Sherry has found her passion in holistic nursing and coaching and the connection between mind, body and spirit.

Her journey to rediscovering joy amidst her own life and health challenges led her to holistic nursing, and as she says, “the rest is history”. When she started applying what she was learning through holistic nursing and coaching into her daily activities she experienced a profound shift in not only her health, but also in her overall perspective and approach to life. Sherry believes that anyone can learn mindful practices; and, that mindfulness coupled with subtle changes in how we perceive our world can have an unfathomable effect on our physical and mental health and well-being.

Sherry’s mission is to share her knowledge, experience and compassion with others so that they can experience more joy, peace and calm in everything that they do!

Those who choose a career in nursing are usually motivated by a strong desire to care for others, a desire that is far more powerful than a simple ‘decision’ to become a nurse. In fact, nurses everywhere have described it as a calling, something they knew they were meant to do.

Nurses make up the largest group of healthcare professionals in Canada, and worldwide and have been consistently ranked the most trusted profession! The world needs nurses! Yet, several recent studies confirm that up to 66% of new graduate nurses experience severe burnout within the first 5 years of practice (Laschinger & Frida, 2014). Graduate and seasoned nurses alike report feeling disillusioned, under-supported and under-appreciated. In fact, many find themselves questioning their tenacity; and, even more importantly, their desire to continue on their chosen career path, their calling.

While a career change might seem the logical or the only choice when one reaches this point, finding an alternate calling is not that simple. In fact, for some it is inconceivable. The question is ‘what can nurses do to change the status quo?’.

Nursing Isn’t Just Meant for the Bedside: Options and Opportunities

All nurse educators have heard it at least once—student nurses pining to give their first injection or pass their first med because then, and only then, will they finally feel like a real nurse. While it is true that most nurses work in acute-care environments, the number of settings one can choose to practice in are just as diverse as the individual nurse! Nurses are no longer limited to the confines of brick and mortar!

Thankfully, our approach to healthcare is shifting. Although there will always be a need for acute care services, our primary focus is slowly but steadily changing to one of disease prevention and health promotion. One would struggle to find a professional more suitable than a nurse to educate and support clients on that journey! When nurses collaborate with well clients—albeit as coaches, consultants or as disseminators of knowledge—positive change happens.

5 Reasons Why Nurses Make the Best Health-Care Writers

• Practice Makes Perfect! The very nature of nursing practice places nurses at the forefront of client care. Beginning with the initial assessment, nurses are privy to the reason/cause for seeking care, and are then responsible for the planning, implementation and evaluation of the care that follows. Whether in an institution, school or private practice, nurses establish trusting therapeutic relationships that provide them with insight from the client’s perspective, information that is invaluable in creating healthcare content.
• Documentation! Every nurse knows, ‘if it’s not documented, it didn’t happen!’. Documentation and charting are an integral part of nursing practice. Notes must be accurate, concise and timely. Nurses know how to get to the point and how to make a point!
• Research & Writing! Research and writing are academic requirements in nursing programs. Nurses and nurse researchers assume the responsibility of life-long learning, as well as the dissemination of knowledge based on current evidence-based research and practice. Sharing this knowledge is instrumental in improving nursing services and the overall health and wellness of individuals and communities.
• Reflective Critical Thinkers! Reflection and writing are other components of nursing education used for the development of self-awareness, critical thinking, analytical skills and the nurse’s disposition, attitude and cultural sensitivity. Development of these qualities and skills is advantageous when determining appropriate subject matter that is not only non-judgemental, but also considers multiple perspectives.
• People Listen to Nurses! Not only has nursing remained the number one trusted profession for the past 16 years (http://www.aone.org/news/nurses-again-top-gallup-poll-of-trusted-professions), nursing is a profession of caring. When nurses speak, people listen! With the evolution of social media, nurse writers are expanding horizons reaching clients and communities worldwide.

Reclaim your Calling!
Healthcare is in distress, nurses are frustrated and work-related stress is at an all-time high. Refusing to accept the status quo does not mean nurses have to give up their careers, their calling. Healthcare writing is only one option. However, it is one option that not only allows you to make a difference in peoples’ lives, but also to have more control over your own work hours, work assignments and most of all your work environment.

Connect with Healthcare Marketing Network today to find out how you can begin your career as a Healthcare Writer https://healthcaremarketingnetwork.com/

References

1. American Hospital Association. (Jan 4, 2018). Nurses again top Gallop Poll of most trusted professions: E-news update. Retrieved Feb 23, 2019 from: http://www.aone.org/news/nurses-again-top-gallup-poll-of-trusted-professions

2. Kreitzer, M.J. & Koithan, M. (2014). Integrative Nursing. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

3. Laschinger, H. K. & Frida, R. (2014). New nurses burnout and workplace wellbeing: The authentic leadership and psychological capital. ScienceDirect: Burnout Research (1), 19-28. Retrieved on Jan 23, 2019 from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213058614000059

4. Penn Nursing. (2019). American Nursing: An Introduction to the Past. Retrieved on Feb 22, 2019 from: https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/nhhc/american-nursing-an-introduction-to-the-past/