Self-promotion for Professional Advancement

Tips on achieving your full potential

By Joyce Routson

Soon after starting her career as an Army nurse, Kathleen Pagana, RN, PhD, knew her opportunities for moving up into her supervisor's role were limited. "She was a civilian nurse and was going to be there for the next 10 years," Pagana, an author and speaker, says.

A leadership position was where Pagana wanted to go, so she went about finding ways to do it. "I got them to move me to another unit, where I eventually became head of coronary care," she recalls.

Not an unusual tale, perhaps, but Pagana relates the story to illustrate what she tells nurse audiences nationwide: "You have to see outside and go after what you want. Sometimes you are so bogged down on the inside you can't see the outside."

By the "outside," Pagana means the potential to further your career. But often nurses, weighed down by years of cultural encumbrances, don't see their true value – or a place to fit beyond the present. They tend to be humble, rather than assertive, reactive instead of proactive.

Practicing the art of self-promotion can help the nurse – at whatever stage in her career – advance and become center stage.

But the payoff isn't limited to careers: Self-assured nurses can help further the cause of nursing and better patient care.

"It should be part of nursing education that we empower nurses," says Carol Huston, RN, MSN, MPA, DPA, FAAN,  president of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI). Huston, an educator for 28 years, says, "We can't advocate for patients if we can't be seen or heard."

Making yourself noticed

The ability to articulate your worth and your value is important today as well as in the future, experts say. "Getting your elevator speech together about what you're offering" is necessary if you're going to be able to control not only today, but your destiny, says Nancy Dickenson Hazard, RN, MSN, FAAN, a specialist in leadership development and a former CEO of STTI. "Your patients, your supervisor and your hospital need to know about how you make a difference."

Knowing what you stand for is just the first part of the process, they say. You also need to know where you are going. Pagana is fond of saying, "Position yourself today for the position you want tomorrow." Huston adds: "Set out a plan to get you from point A to point B. "You'll never go anywhere unless you're headed someplace."

Sometimes knowing how to tackle that plan is not always apparent.
Here are some tips culled from nurse experts:

* When it comes to figuring out strategies for self-promotion, Hazard is fond of saying, "The only thing that limits an individual from developing leadership potential is her own creativity." She encourages nurses to promote themselves via volunteer work at charities, their church, clubs and schools. That will get you noticed in the community.

* Open yourself up to opportunity. Pagana says this is a way to "unveil a piece of the puzzle." By being proactive – taking a writing course if you want to write, or management training if it's offered – you can be ready, or you can position yourself for an opportunity when it's offered. For instance, Pagana said she knew she wanted to write books. But, she first started writing articles in trade journals so when she was ready to pitch an agent, she had something to show him.

* Find a mentor. Huston says a mentor is a cheerleader who can help a nurse "identify things she is capable of doing that maybe she didn't think of." Pagana adds that most people are flattered to be asked to be mentors. "People love to see you succeed."

Also seek out role models – ones who are assertive and empowering. Don't hang out with "demoralized" people, Huston says. "Every nurse controls the image of nursing."

* Keep up with current events, read industry literature and take continuing education courses. It's never too early to take leadership courses, Pagana says, even if you're a nurse just starting out. "Ride on that momentum you get from being a new grad."

* Also build up whatever skills you might be weak in, Pagana suggests. "You can sabotage success by not having the right skills." For instance, if a nurse is looking to move into a management role, she needs good communication and business skills. The latter is something nurses don't necessarily learn in their training so seek out a basic business course at the community college.

By learning to be their own best friend instead of their own enemy, nurses can change their profession, and well as themselves, Hazard says. She's optimistic that the art of self-promotion is catching on and is reaping benefits.

"As a profession we are improving because nurses have become much clearer about their own purpose and value within the healthcare system. They're seeing themselves as partners with other stakeholders in improving health."