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Professional communications: publications and presentations

Nephrology Nursing Journal, Sept-Oct, 2007 by Beth T. Ulrich

We begin our nursing careers with the knowledge learned in school. Throughout our careers, we gain experience and additional knowledge. We expand our personal, internal databases. We synthesize the information and begin to make mental connections and to develop new knowledge. We become good at what we do to the degree that some of our observations and responses become almost intuitive. We move from novice to expert and towards our full potential--not all at once, but in area by area of nursing practice. We become proficient or expert in one or more aspects of nursing, sometimes while still being a novice in others.

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But what happens when we reach the expert level? Where do we go from there? Maslow (1998) has suggested that the next step is self-transcendence, in which we help others to reach their potential (see Figure 1). Other terms frequently used are "paying it forward," "passing it on," and "giving back." In nursing, such actions have the added value of improving the care of patients. By helping other nurses improve their practice, we indirectly touch each patient who they will touch, forming an ongoing chain of nursing care. Nurses not yet at the expert level can also contribute to improving practice. Practice improvements occur when nurses share their observations and their successes and failures, and when they pose questions.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

Two of the best ways to improve practice, move towards self-transcendence, and/or pay it forward are by publishing and presenting. This chapter offers information on how to do both.

In helping and sharing with others, we also better ourselves and the nursing care we provide. The interactions with other individuals provide us with feedback, and others open up to share their knowledge with us. As a result, we can upgrade our own knowledge and performance. Finally, though it should not be the prima facie reason for helping and sharing with others, to do so makes us feel good and helps us feel connected to the whole of nursing and to our profession.

Publications and Presentations

Getting Started

There are many common elements to preparing presentations and publications. Sometimes a presentation will lead to the submission of a manuscript and sometimes the publication of a manuscript will lead to a presentation. And either or both may follow the completion of a paper for school. Publications and presentations can range from very basic to very complex. If you've never written for publication, the best place to begin may be in writing case studies or short pieces for newsletters (see Table 1). If you've never done a presentation, small group presentations are a good place to start. Whether it be with written or spoken words, authors and/or presenters must strive to communicate their ideas clearly in an orderly fashion (see Table 2).

Finding Your Best Creative Environment

Developing either a publication or presentation involves writing, and writing is a very personal endeavor. Knowing the environment and the techniques that work best for you will help you succeed. Some writers like a structured environment--an office, a desk, and a computer while others write best in an easy chair with pen in hand. For some writers, developing an outline at the beginning is critical to success; for others, just letting thoughts flow works best. Understanding where and how you write best can occur only by trial and error. If one thing doesn't work, try another until you find your creative zone.

Collaboration

Collaborating with others can be beneficial in many ways, especially when individuals with complementary knowledge and expertise work together. There are a number of approaches to collaborating on publications or presentations. All require an initial discussion to determine the goals of the endeavor, the content, and what each participant will contribute.

In some collaborating groups, one author takes the lead and gets the manuscript started and other colleagues improve on the work. Another approach is for each person to assume responsibility for certain parts, with one person being responsible for integrating the parts. Regardless of the process, the publication or presentation, in its final form, must be a unified, cohesive effort.

Authorship is easy to determine when there is only one author, but when more people are involved, determining authorship can become an issue. With regard to authorship the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, developed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (2006), notes that "All persons designated as authors should qualify for authorship, and all those who qualify should be listed. Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content." Simply put, those who make sufficient contributions should be listed as authors, but those who don't, shouldn't be. An alternative to authorship for those who may contribute to the effort, but not sufficiently to be listed as authors, is to include an acknowledgment of their contributions.

Health Care Industry

Professional communications: publications and presentations

Nephrology Nursing Journal, Sept-Oct, 2007 by Beth T. Ulrich

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