Why Nurses Make Exceptional Health Writers (and What That Adds to Your Brand)

Nurse writers combine clinical expertise, patient education training, and research interpretation skills to create accurate, trustworthy health content. Their healthcare experience enables them to understand medical research and communicate complex information in accessible ways.

The Crisis of Health Misinformation

Back in the last century, if you needed health information, you would go to your doctor. That began to change with the advent of the internet and has today evolved into health and wellness information coming from a variety of sources – from bloggers and writers to TikTok and YouTube. In the best cases, these sources provide science-backed health information for the masses. Dr. Mary Claire Haver, who frequently cites research papers, is one example. In the worst cases, health misinformation is spread, such as linking autism to vaccines.

The Lancet, University of Sydney, British Medical Journal, and others are reporting that medical misinformation has reached a critical level. The problem is not the number of sources the information is coming from, but that the originator is not trained in the science of health care. There are far too many influencers and health and wellness organizations that put out health content without adequate research or the use of a health care credentialed writer to back it up. If your organization, clinic, or wellness center is sharing health information, how confident are you in the accuracy of that content?

Quality vs. Cost: What Matters for Health Content

For many organizations, answering this question comes down to their values and the importance they place on how they want their health information perceived. Let me use an example of something that I find important and would want done right the first time.

Say you need someone to do electrical work on your house. Do you hire the handyman recommended by your sister’s neighbor’s friend? Or do you conduct a little research to find someone with licensure and experience to back up their qualifications? When it’s something you want done well and correctly, most people choose the more qualified candidate.

It’s always telling when organizations don’t do the same for their health content. I often see marketing teams looking for health or content writers without considering the value each candidate brings. The company may offer extremely low wages for an overabundance of work. Their business goals appear to be quick, low-cost work.

This is dangerous territory when they’re sharing health content. The core value of providing health information shouldn’t be just clicks, but the accuracy of the content. Accuracy is paramount because of the ripple effects the information will have on individuals and the wider audience. Organizations that understand the full impact of their health information make a different choice.

We’ve all seen the impact of misinformation in healthcare. From COVID to measles to psychiatric medications, the influence of misinformation is everywhere. Formerly reliable channels, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can no longer be counted on for accuracy. This makes it more important than ever that, when health information is shared, it be accurate and trustworthy. Health writers with healthcare backgrounds are making a difference, and nurse writers are stepping up.

Why Nurses Are Uniquely Qualified as Health Writers

For nearly a quarter of a century, nurses have been rated as the most trustworthy profession in the United States. This matters when you are looking for a healthcare professional to boost the trustworthiness of your health content.

Science Education and Clinical Experience

Nurses have a science-based background with education in pharmacology, anatomy, and physiology.

Patient Education Expertise

Their training includes educating patients on health topics. If you’ve ever had a doctor explain something to you only to have the nurse come in behind them to clarify what was said in plain language, then you’ve seen this in action. Nurses understand how to simplify information without losing important context. They can anticipate questions and angles others may not consider. Thanks to their experience, they know what information patients are looking for and how to deliver.

Critical Thinking and Research Analysis

Nurses are primed to think critically. They know how to read research, evaluating studies through a critical lens to identify glaring errors or gaps in the information. As writers, they apply their critical thinking to ensure accuracy. A nurse writer’s health background helps them recognize differences between wellness trends and true health breakthroughs.

Because nurses understand the science and can interpret it to support their writing, they often ask more targeted questions of SMEs. For example, a nurse who has worked in an operating room or cared for cardiology patients will have a depth of knowledge that someone without that experience will never match.

So, when you want someone to explain complex health content in a way that readers can understand, why wouldn’t you want someone who literally was trained to do just that? The easy thought is that “any writer can do clinical topics.” Sure. Again, it comes back to your organization's values.

Not every writer understands how to interpret research and health information accurately, going beyond the abstract to understand the reasoning behind the research and its results. That difference can have a powerful impact on the distortion of facts or the oversimplification of language, leading to misinformation and distrust.

Google's E-E-A-T and Healthcare Content

Search engines recognize the importance of accuracy in health information. Google shifted its algorithm to prioritize content and information that it deems trustworthy. This is especially true for health content. How do the Google web crawlers know the information is trustworthy? It looks for the proof. Proof that someone can back up the information they are putting out there – aka, credentials.

Do your health writers have the credentials to show Google they are trustworthy? Nurses and other healthcare professionals have the credentials and experience to support their expertise. Google knows this. Using credentialed writers helps ensure your organization is seen as a trusted source of health information, not just an influencer following trends.

The Real-World Impact of Credentialed Health Writing

As organizations and brands realize that AI is not the best way to create their healthcare content and are looking to bolster their creative teams again, they need to consider the values behind how they treat health content.

Health information is not only about getting clicks and branding. Real people are the end users reading the information your organization puts out into the world. Editors and marketing teams should keep this in mind when assigning writers and content reviewers, because the risks to consumer health are great.

People need to trust what they read because their life or the lives of people they love may depend on it. More than ever, this is essential when putting out health information. Editors and marketing teams should strive to provide the most up-to-date, accurate information to positively influence the health and wellness information arena.

Providing “good” health coverage requires the work of writers and reviewers with healthcare experience. Ones that can show they know how to communicate information in user-friendly ways. Writers who can reference the studies and research with evidence that backs their writing.

As a health writer and nurse practitioner with over 20 years of healthcare experience, this topic is near and dear to my heart. I’ve seen first-hand the negative impacts of health misinformation on the average consumer. It’s not pretty, and it’s hard to change someone’s mind when they think the source of their misinformation is a trusted one. Editors and marketing teams should set a high bar for finding credentialed professionals to write their health content.

I’ve set this bar for myself with my health reporting and content development by providing evidence-based, audience-forward information that editorial teams can trust. If your team is looking for a credentialed health writer to elevate your health content, contact me to discuss how we can work together.