As a nurse, I have education, both formal and earned through time at the bedside, in rounds, in the conference room, and in the office. As a young nurse, I felt like I had to know all things, or at least act like I did. That was not all bad, I had the bravado to speak with confidence in front of the patient, until I could step away to explore if I really knew what I thought I knew. This could have been dangerous if I was confident enough to act before checking. Luckily, I was too cautious to go there. In time I gained enough knowledge and courage to be able to say, I don’t know what that means, I am not sure how to do that, I have not heard of that, can you explain that to me?

So, what does it mean to write with authority as a nurse? Well, taking the experience and growth that has come with the years, I have become comfortable with needing to ‘check that out’ or ‘look that up’ or ‘find the research on that method’. That has given me an ability to be sure that what I am writing is correct, current, and evidence based.

So, to me, writing with authority as a nurse is being able state a fact and connect it to the message the client needs delivered. Using my experience, my practice, and my awareness of when I need to confirm the facts, is what allows me to write with authority.