Nurses' Voices in Media: Strategies for Chief Nursing Officers

Nurses comprise the largest group of health professionals yet are underrepresented in health news media, depriving the public of important perspectives on health and healthcare and undermining the public's perceptions of nurses as experts. The George Washington University School of Nursing's Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement partnered with the American Organization for Nursing Leadership to invite a small group of chief nursing officers to participate in a workshop aimed at building an organization-specific strategy for sharing nurses' expertise with the public through media engagement. Participants completed a preworkshop survey, participated in two 4-hour workshops to explore the factors that contribute to nurses' invisibility as media sources, and developed a strategic plan for ensuring that their healthcare organizations are able to recognize and share their nurses' expertise with media. This article describes the initiative, its outcomes, and the implications for nurse leaders.