With summer stretching ahead, I hope many nurses will take some well-deserved time off—rejuvenating bodies and spirits, processing emotions that were put aside, and reflecting on the long and difficult past year. But time off is also good for doing those “other things”—items that have drifted to the bottom of a to-do list. Perhaps writing is one of them.

As I noted in a 2014 editorial, there are various perspectives on how one should approach writing, and I list some from editors and scholars. I also offer what works for me:

First, spend some time thinking about what you want to say before you start writing. Know what you want to tell readers—the purpose of your paper—so that you can say it clearly.

Next, sit down and start writing. Write anything you want to say about the topic; you can go back and organize later. (Contrary to what many of us were taught, you don’t have to outline first. Some writers write this way, but many don’t.)

Third, leave the work alone for a while. Take a walk or do something else.

And fourth, go back and start shaping and polishing your piece, paying attention to organization and transitions. Aim for a logical flow of ideas. Weed out the jargon, too.

AJN has a collection of writing resources for nurses—we’ve made them free to access through September 1. You’ll also find some great resources at Nurse […]