Nursing as a Strategic Differentiator: Think Anew
by Gloria Sanchez-Rico, RN, BSN, MBA, NEA-BC
Old stereotypes die hard, and nowhere is this more true than when it comes to nursing. For while nurses continue to provide exceptional bedside care and remain the single greatest contributor to a good or bad patient experience, anyone who thinks their contribution ends there should think again.
The nation’s more than 3 million nurses are significantly changing the delivery of health care through championing quality of care improvements, spearheading research innovation, and playing a leadership role within a hospital when it comes to strategic planning, bioethics, and advocating for important policy issues and patient rights.
For health care marketers, this raises some exciting new challenges—and questions. How do we leverage the changing role of nursing to differentiate ourselves in the market in ways that are meaningful to physicians, the public, and nurses themselves? How do we build a compelling case for donors to support the continued development of the nursing profession? And how can we capitalize on the unique skills and experience nurses bring to directly support our public relations and community outreach initiatives?
The answer to all three questions can be answered in two words: Think anew.