SMART Way An Introduction to Writing for Nurses, The

Alberta RN, Jan/Feb 2000 by Carey, Anne

The SMART Way An Introduction to Writing for Nurses by Glennis Zilm (Harcourt Brace Canada)

In today's health care environment, nurses are expected to possess many skills beyond excellent nursing skills. Effective writing skills rank as one of those necessary functions nurses must possess. Letters, resumes, reports, memos, articles, essays - the list goes on and on. Here is a book that provides guidance for all kinds of written communication.

The SMART Way talks about the essential parts of written communication, identifying one element for each letter in SMART (Source, Message, Audience, Route, and Tone), Zilm explains how to avoid common mistakes in writing, and demystifies- the writing process. The author helps writers to say what they mean to say, rather than having their message lost in a maze of inappropriate language, poor grammar, and long run-on sentences. The book provides several useful exercises and plenty of wellwritten examples.

This is an excellent, easy-to-read reference book with a wealth of information for the reader. Zilm teaches everything from writing a proper business letter to crafting a resume. She also explains how to use the American Psychologists Association (APA) style format required by most nursing institutions in preparing reports and essays.

I wish The SMART Way had been available when I was in nursing school as it covers all aspects of writing in a user-friendly form at. I recommend it to nursing students, nurses taking courses, and any nurse who struggles with writing.