Nurse Writer Job Overview: How to Become a Nurse Writer

A nurse writer is a medical writer who uses their experience as a nursing professional to write healthcare-related articles. Nurse writers are usually freelance writers, so they may do medical writing for different outlets, including medical journals, professional blogs, healthcare magazines, academic papers, and grant committees. They may also serve as consultants for TV shows or movies about the nursing profession.

Here is a general breakdown of a nurse writer’s role and responsibilities:

• Consultations: Many successful nurse writers go on to consult, serving as trusted sources for others—including screenwriters and novelists—who don’t have medical experience but are incorporating the medical field into their writing.
• Interviews subjects: Some nurse writers incorporate interview material in their work. They spend time with subjects (or reaching out online) and discuss various topics in the medical field. If you’re new to the field, learn how to interview someone.
• Manages clients: Since most nurse writers are freelancers, they often spend time developing relationships with various clients—especially publishers and writing outlets—to maintain a steady stream of work.
• Pitch articles: Most nurse writing jobs are freelance positions, meaning a writer doesn’t have steady, ongoing employment with any publication. Instead, they may have to pitch ideas or submit articles to different journals in the hopes of publication. This process often involves reaching out to publishers or acquisitions editors and describing why their writing would be a good fit. In other cases, nurse writers may receive assignments or prompts for articles. Learn how to pitch an article.
• Writes content: The primary activity of a nurse writer is the writing itself. They may incorporate research, interviews, and personal experiences in their writing and revise it several times as they approach submission or publication. Many healthcare publications adhere to specific style guides, like AP (Associated Press) or APA (American Pyschological Association) style, and nurse writers may have to format their work differently to meet the publisher’s requirements.

You can take many paths to become a nurse writer. Here is a general overview of the skills, education, and experience you may need to jumpstart your career:

1. 1. Obtain a nursing degree. To be a nurse writer, you first need experience as a registered nurse. The first step in becoming a nurse is to earn a degree in a nursing program. You can earn several different nursing degrees—the most common is a bachelor’s degree (a bachelor’s in science of nursing, or BSN). However, some degrees require less school time, like an associate’s degree, and some require more, like a master’s of science in nursing (MSN). Some schools offer various specializations, including family nurse practitioner (FNP), acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP), women’s health nurse practitioner (WHNP). You may also consider becoming a licensed practical nurse (LPN or LVN) or certified nursing assistant (CNA), which usually requires accreditation rather than a full-fledged degree.
2. 2. Earn your nursing license. After earning your nursing degree, you have to get licensed in your area. In the United States, the licensing exam is the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
3. 3. Gain nursing experience. Once you’ve received your nursing license, you’ll need to gain several years of experience as a registered nurse. There are many different avenues for nursing depending on your interests and specialization, including hospitals, clinics, mental health, pediatrics, oncology, and home care.
4. 4. Spend time writing. As you work as a new nurse, spend time developing your writing skills and communication skills, especially thinking about your subject matter and the potential audiences for your writing. For instance, writing academic papers directed to other medical professionals will be different from writing blog posts for a website directed to the general public. Look around for writers groups to meet fellow writers and get valuable feedback. You may consider beginning as a part-time freelance nurse writer or content writer while still working as an RN, to allow your writing career time to get established.
5. 5. Develop your client network. In your time in a nursing role, you’ll have the opportunity to meet other healthcare professionals and work with providers that might run their own healthcare publications. Consider what contacts you may be able to turn into a client and stay in touch—the more robust your client network, the more likely you can maintain close to full-time freelance writing. Consider going to meetups, networking events, or other networking opportunities to build your network and meet new potential clients.
6. 6. Begin reaching out to publications. Once you’re ready to begin working as a nurse writer, research a few publications and check out their submission guidelines. Some publishers may accept submissions of pre-written articles, while others may only accept pitches or consider solicited work. Reach out to a publication or two to kick off your writing career.

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