The RN2writer Show

Episode summary:

About Marijke Vroomen Durning: Marijke Vroomen Durning went into nursing right after high school, which in Quebec is at age 17. After many years of working at the bedside and as a clinical supervisor and instructor, she began writing and editing medical and health information around 1993. After dislocating her shoulder in a freak accident, Marijke gave up clinical work permanently in 2010 and focused on writing and editing ever since.

 She has written for various print and online outlets, such as Costco Connection, Forbes.com, Parade, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and more, and is currently the Director of Content for Sepsis Alliance. When asked for an elevator pitch, Marijke usually says that health writing is like the patient bedside teaching nurses are supposed to do, but never really have time for. And instead of sharing information one patient and family at a time, she's reaching thousands of people.

Host Elizabeth Hanes BSN RN built a six-figure writing business in her spare time. Today, she coaches other nurses how to become freelance writers through the RN2writer project. 

Topics discussed in this episode:

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Next steps

Launching a freelance writing career is all fun and games…until you find yourself overwhelmed with choices about “what to do next.” That was the decidedly UN-fun situation Brandy Hall RN found herself in after she launched her freelance career and started to plot a course for her business. Should she work on her LOIs? Write some articles for LinkedIn? Finish and publish her website?

It’s very easy to get ensnared in what Brandy characterized as a “cycle of paralysis.” If you find yourself there, too, this episode will not only provide you with emotional comfort but also help you figure out how to assign priorities to the many tasks required to launch your writing business or propel it forward.

Guest Brandy Hall is a Nurse Writer who established The Writing RN to provide health and wellness content to businesses in the medical, health, and wellness specialties. Brandy has over 15 years of experience as a nurse, which drives her love of helping others through educating on health information. 

As the mom of two girls, ages 13 and almost 2, a military spouse, and stepmom of two, Brandy followed her passions of being creative, writing, and caring for others as an opportunity to be more family-focused and pursued her own business. This also allowed her to do other things she enjoys like traveling, learning, reading, and fitness.

Host Elizabeth Hanes BSN RN built a six-figure writing business in her spare time. Today, she coaches other nurses how to become freelance writers through the RN2writer project.

Topics discussed in this episode

Here’s what Brandy and I chatted about:

Resources mentioned in this episode  

Brandy’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandy-hall/

The Complete Guide to Content Marketing Writing for Nurses course (free webinar): https://go.rn2writer.com/webinar-registration

Allnurses.com: https://allnurses.com

RN2writer STAT: Next-Level Coaching to Grow Your Business to Six Figures Faster: https://go.rn2writer.com/stat-sales-page-a

Next steps

Leaving the bedside can be scary, but it also can pay huge dividends in quality of life and finding your passion for nursing again. So says nurse writer Shannon Goldrick MSN RN in this great interview that covers topics like why nurses can excel at creating both patient- and clinician-facing content, what the demand for nurse writers is really like in the medical app community, and what it’s like to work from Belgium!

About Shannon Goldrick MSN RN: Shannon Goldrick is a registered nurse with a passion for global health and preventative health initiatives. Her work experience includes working in a neurosurgical intensive care unit at a level I trauma center in New York State (and more recently- the COVID-19 intensive care units). Over the last two years, Shannon has transitioned to working full time for the company MedicalVisual, a digital heart-health platform and trusted resource for cardiovascular disease and diabetes information.

Shannon received her baccalaureate degree in nursing from the University of Connecticut @ Storrs and her MSN with a specialization in nursing education at Sacred Heart University. She is an avid traveler, loves spending time in the great outdoors, and is THRILLED to have some downtime to enjoy life now that she has completed her masters degree.

Host Elizabeth Hanes BSN RN built a six-figure writing business in her spare time. Today, she coaches other nurses how to become freelance writers through the RN2writer project.

Topics discussed in this episode

Here’s what Shannon and I chatted about:

Quotable

“I was working night shift, I was in school, and I was [writing] as a side gig.” ~ Shannon Goldrick MSN RN

“You definitely should check in with a lawyer, because if you’re in a country [working as a writer] for a certain amount of time, you definitely have to pay the taxes there.” ~Shannon Goldrick MSN RN

“There are so many medical apps out there that need nurse writers. If you think about it, we’re the ones educating patients, families, other clinicians, so why not translate that knowledge into writing?” ~Shannon Goldrick MSN RN

“Someone in – let’s just say – marketing, they don’t have that experience and background to know exactly what a patient might understand versus a clinician.” ~Shannon Goldrick MSN RN

“I have learned most of this on the job. I’ve had a few great mentors that have guided me through.” ~Shannon Goldrick MSN RN

“I do find that some nurses are hesitant to use copywriting techniques – calls to action, for example – but we can’t help those patients or those professionals if we never get them to come to our content.” ~ Elizabeth Hanes BSN RN

“This type of work has made me so passionate about my career again. I’m not going to lie: I was a bit burnt out after working in the COVID units, and this allows me to go out there and tackle global health issues and disparities in a different way than what I’m used to – and on a large scale.” ~Shannon Goldrick MSN RN

“My quality of life has improved a ton by making this career change [to writing]. ~Shannon Goldrick MSN RN

Resources mentioned in this episode  

CardioVisual: https://cardiovisual.com/

CardioVisual on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cardiovisual/?hl=en

Next steps

Content expert Marna Palmer works with nurse writers frequently in her role at studioID. Learn what she seeks in a “unicorn” freelance writer.

Episode Summary

Marna Palmer is the Director of Operations at studioID, a major content marketing agency and brand studio. Every day she works with clinician writers and has some great insights into how nurses can differentiate themselves in LOIs, what studioID looks for in a nurse writer, and exactly what you should do when following up on an LOI to rise to the top of the list.

About Marna Palmer: If Marna could create her own business card it would say "Professional Cat Herder," as that has been the most consistent theme of her career; from celebrities to creatives, she finds talent, helps it grow and assists in keeping everyone organized while making money in the process. She spent the first 10 years of her career as a talent agent in Los Angeles negotiating commercial endorsements for her celebrity clients. She then went to the other side of the desk and joined a marketing startup, where she led the publishing team's B2C digital marketing efforts and thus began her work with freelance writers. Since then, she has worked with content creators of all kinds around the world; at companies in Los Angeles, Oslo, Norway and now at studioID in Washington, DC.

Host Elizabeth Hanes BSN RN built a six-figure writing business in her spare time. Today, she coaches other nurses how to become freelance writers through the RN2writer project.

Topics discussed in this episode

Here’s a sampling of what you can learn in this episode:

- The huge role that clips and a portfolio play in whether or not an agency brings you on as a writer [6:06]

- Why showcasing your subject matter expertise as a nurse can win you a role with an agency [8:20]

- How studioID built such an amazing culture by seeking input from their freelance writers [9:59]

- What is the distinction between B2C and B2B marketing? [11:01]

- What are the top three attributes of the “unicorn” freelancer? [14:58]

- How nurses can use content marketing to elevate their own brand [20:02]

- The importance of having an online presence [21:14]

- What is the real future of healthcare content marketing? Is this a bad time to jump in as a nurse writer? [24:06]

- Should aspiring content marketing writers develop their journalism skills? [26:16]

- The best way to follow up on LOIs without being annoying [27:45]

Quotable

“As someone who’s looking for freelance writers, if I go onto someone’s LinkedIn profile and I don’t see anything, I’m like, ‘Ooh.’ Or if I Google them, and I can’t find a website, I have no idea if I should take a chance on them.” – Marna Palmer, studioID

“There are so many non-writing skills that are equally or more important to editors and clients: being easygoing, being flexible, being fun to work with, meeting the deadline. Writing skill – while you need it, and you should continue to hone it – is not at the top of the list of what clients value necessarily in a nurse who writes.” – Elizabeth Hanes

“Prospective clients are not going to look at your blog to see how well you write. They’re going to look to see if you’re up on the industry trends, and do you know what’s going on in the industry, and then how are you explaining that through your prose.” – Elizabeth Hanes

“I think the content marketing industry in healthcare is just going to constantly expand. I don’t think there’s every going to be a shortage of [writing opportunities].” – Marna Palmer, studioID

“If you’re showing up in my inbox at a reasonable cadence with relevant content so that I don’t have to go [searching] on LinkedIn, you’re making my life easier.” – Marna Palmer, studioID

Resources mentioned in this episode  

studioID: https://www.studioid.com/

Industry Dive: https://www.industrydive.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com

Next steps

Letter of Introduction Critique, featuring nurse writer Sheila Burns

In this episode, novice nurse writer Sheila Burns bravely shares the Letter of Introduction (LOI) she’s been sending to potential clients. Why isn’t it generating any responses? Is it long enough? Too long? Does it miss the mark?

Get the answers along with Sheila as Beth provides her feedback to improve this LOI.

Host Elizabeth Hanes BSN RN built a six-figure writing business in her spare time. Today, she coaches other nurses how to become freelance writers through the RN2writer project.

Topics discussed in this episode

Here’s a sampling of what you can learn in this episode:

Resources mentioned in this episode  

RN2writer: https://rn2writer.com

Next steps

Episode title: Style Guides for Nurse Writers

Many nurses tell me they don’t feel they’re good enough with grammar to become a professional writer. Well, on this episode I’m revealing the nurse writer’s secret weapon that relieves you of the burden of needing to be an expert grammarian to succeed in this industry.

Episode Summary

Let’s talk about style guides: What are they? What function do they serve? Where do you get them?

In this tutorial, I’m telling you everything you need to know about how to use this tool to guide all of the grammar, punctuation, and usage decisions you’ll need to make when writing for clients. Plus, get a bonus tip at the end to make grammatically correct writing a breeze.

Host Elizabeth Hanes BSN RN built a six-figure writing business in her spare time. Today, she coaches other nurses how to become freelance writers through the RN2writer project.

Topics discussed in this episode

Here’s a sampling of what you can learn in this episode:

Quotable

“Some people seem to think that the grammar they learned in high school or college is the ‘one, true grammar’ and everything else is ‘wrong,’ but that’s just not true.” – Elizabeth Hanes

“Two sentences can be punctuated differently and still both be correct.” – Elizabeth Hanes

“You do not have to be an expert grammarian to succeed as a writer; you only have to be able to follow a style guide.” – Elizabeth Hanes

Resources mentioned in this episode  

Associated Press Stylebook: https://www.apstylebook.com/

Chicago Manual of Style: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html

Styleguard plugin: https://styleguard.com/

RN2writer: https://rn2writer.com

Next steps

Episode 1: Interview with nurse author Jennifer L.W. Fink

Episode title: RN2writer Interviews Nurse Author Jennifer L.W. Fink BSN RN

Introduction: Successful freelance nurse writer and author Jennifer L.W. Fink BSN RN of Building Boys and the ON BOYS parenting podcast shares tips and strategies from her own career to help aspiring nurse writers find success.

Podcast episode summary

Several years into her nursing career, Jennifer L.W. Fink found herself unenthused about the clinical pathways available to her. As she contemplated her future, she stumbled across a book on how to become a freelance writer – and it was authored by a nurse. That book changed the trajectory of Jennifer’s career, leading her to success as a nurse writer, author, and leading expert on parenting boys. In this episode, Jennifer shares lots of meaty tips and strategies for nurses just beginning their journey as a freelance writer.

Jennifer L.W. Fink BSN RN is a Registered Nurse-turned-writer. She’s the creator of BuildingBoys.net, co-host of the ON BOYS parenting podcast and author of The First-Time Mom’s Guide to Raising Boys. Jennifer has been published by The New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Post, FOX News, Parents, Cancer Today and Medscape. 

Host Elizabeth Hanes BSN RN built a six-figure writing business in her spare time. Today, she coaches other nurses how to become freelance writers through the RN2writer project.

Topics discussed in this episode

Here’s a sampling of what you can learn in this episode:

Quotable

“As much as people respect nurses – and we all know that nursing still ranks up there super-high for trust and honesty – people respect writers, too. People think writing is a pretty cool gig.” – Jennifer L.W. Fink BSN RN

“As things would come up in my professional life and personal life, I would try to pitch them as ideas. [This way] I could turn [these health issues] into a professional accomplishment AND a paycheck.” – Jennifer L.W. Fink BSN RN

“The truth is that writing is one of the few careers with a very low barrier to entry. You don’t need a degree in anything – nobody’s checking.” – Jennifer L.W. Fink BSN RN

“[I want your listeners to] realize that – at this moment – you are listening to two of us who have DONE this! It’s so doable! There is nothing extraordinary about me as a nurse or as a human being that made this more of a possibility for me than for any other person.” – Jennifer L.W. Fink BSN RN

Resources mentioned in this episode  

The First-Time Mom’s Guide to Raising Boys, by Jennifer L.W. Fink

ON BOYS parenting podcast

BuildingBoys.net

RN2writer.com

Next steps

The RN2writer Show helps nurses and other clinicians learn how to become freelance writers. And, NO, you don't have to be an RN! LPNs, LVNs, NPs, APRNs - all nurses welcome! (And, to be honest, we welcome non-nurse clinicians, too, such as PAs, LCSWs, MDs - anyone with a healthcare background who wants to be a writer is welcome to join us.) Here's what you can expect in each weekly episode: • Interviews with successful nurse writers to inspire you and help you see the possibilities for this career path • Interviews with experts – editors and content directors – to demystify the writing industry and share their secrets for what makes someone their “go-to” freelance writer • 10-minute coaching sessions, where Beth sits down with a nurse writer via Zoom and blasts through any obstacle that’s impeding their progress • Tutorials that walk you through common freelance tasks • Occasional glimpses into La Vida Freelance – to illustrate the fabulous lifestyle a writing career can afford you Don't forget to subscribe!