The clinical nurse specialist and the media

The media continually presents messages to the public concerning health care issues and nursing. Unfortunately, much of this information is presented by lay writers who interpret health care research/issues for the public from the medical model and who are naive about the profession of nursing. The clinical nurse specialist (CNS) is a highly skilled clinician who is knowledgeable about health care issues and can assume a leadership role in providing accurate and timely information to the public. The CNS can develop a visible role as a health care educator via the media. This paper will examine the role of the CNS in relation to the media and will present recommendations for dealing with various types of media.