The American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) partnered with The George Washington University Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement (CHPME) to conduct a pilot program targeted to chief nurses. The program's intent was to build capacity among chief nurses so they could develop a health system-wide strategic communication strategy reflecting and articulating the nurse expertise and contributions that lead to improvements in clinical care. The program addressed strategic communications competencies identified in the AONL Nurse Leader Competencies Model.
The vision of the AONL, "nursing leadership-one voice advancing health for all," is carried out through its mission to "transform healthcare through expert and influential nursing leadership." Despite the integral role of nurses in the nation's health systems and nursing's repeated recognition as the most trusted profession, the media and public often fail to perceive nurses as vital, influential leaders. One key strategy for nursing leaders to advance health and transform healthcare delivery is enhancing the presence of nurse leaders and experts in the media and news outlets. As healthcare experts, they can strengthen public discourse and shape public opinion. The COVID-19 experience highlighted that although nurses are well-respected leaders of interprofessional teams within their organizations and many served as incident commanders, the media did not fully and accurately represent these leadership contributions. The lack of representation in the media was identified in the 2018 Woodhull Study Revisited.1 Nurses remain largely invisible in health news stories, despite their relevance to almost any health issue.
Productive Partnership
The AONL recognizes that transforming healthcare relies on leveraging and scaling impact through strategic partnerships and innovation. Amplifying the voice of nursing requires a collaborative effort. To enhance the visibility of nursing within the policy environment, AONL partnered with CHPME to conduct a pilot program targeted to chief nurses. The program's intent was to build capacity among chief nurses so they could develop a health system-wide communication strategy reflecting and articulating the nurse expertise and contributions that lead to improvements in clinical care. The partnership was a clear fit for both the CHPME and AONL, aligning with strategic goals for both organizations. The CHPME sought to enable chief nurses to develop a strategic plan and implementation strategy advancing nursing's engagement in their healthcare organizations' internal and external media communications. These plans and strategies have the ultimate goal of improving population health and transforming healthcare delivery. The partnership supported two of AONL's strategic objectives: to advance nursing leadership by creating and delivering innovative leadership development opportunities for all levels of nurse leaders, and to advance and promote value-informed healthcare by articulating nursing's role in improving efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare.2
The alignment of the CHPME and AONL strategic objectives offered a strong partnership opportunity for both organizations. In 1994, renowned Harvard Business School professor and innovation expert Rosabeth Moss Kanter3 introduced the idea of collaborative advantage. Kanter's research identified several fundamental aspects of business alliances, including that they must yield benefits for the partners, opening new doors and options for the future. In addition, they must create new value for the partners as a collaboration, with partners valuing each other's skills. This was the hope for this partnership, because the program leveraged the skills and resources of each organization.
Pilot Program
The initiative was designed and delivered by Diana Mason, PhD, RN, and Barbara Glickstein, MS, MPH, RN, who were co-investigators on the Woodhull Study Revisited Research Team. Mason and Glickstein served as senior faculty, providing coaching and mentorship to the pilot program participants. Twenty chief nurse executives from multiple geographic regions were invited to participate in the pilot program. The pilot aimed to strengthen and implement communication and media engagement strategies that would increase the number of healthcare system nurses invited to contribute as media sources. Engaging with the media is a nurse executive core competency; however, it is a challenge for many. Although many chief nursing officers have exposure to media training, few have had formal training and coaching support to develop a health system-wide media strategic plan, and as a default, physician colleagues are generally the healthcare sources put forward by healthcare systems.
This innovative program focused on the importance of engaging the executive leaders and partnering with the media liaisons. Participants were guided in developing a media strategy amplifying the voice of the nurse as an expert media consultant in the areas of health and healthcare delivery. The program addressed strategic communications competencies identified in the AONL Nurse Leader Competencies Model.4 Supporting nurse leaders in sharing their voice, "one voice advancing health for all," must include leveraging media sources and intentionally engaging the media. Nurses need to be seen as clinical experts sharing important health and wellness information based on the science and evidence of nursing practice. After this successful pilot, AONL and the CHPME intend to continue the partnership, offering this program to chief nursing officers to develop their capacity to strategically engage the media. This, in turn, will strengthen the nursing discipline's media presence and ensure that the uniquely valuable perspectives of nurse leaders, nurse clinical experts, and nurse researchers are heard in our communities.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the program faculty, Diana Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Barbara Glickstein, MS, MPH, RN, FAAN, for their vision to have the voice of nurses elevated in the media. Their expertise in media engagement provided invaluable insight into this important work.
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