Step 7: Convincing the right people

When it comes to presenting your case, as well as thinking about what you are saying, you need to consider who you are saying to and how you are saying it.

Key decision makers are likely to be the:

• Lead Nurse or nursing management
• Lead gastroenterologist
• Lead Operations Manager

When you have identified the decisions makers, it’s a good idea to involve them in the planning process rather than going in cold. This could also give greater insight into the political priorities and pressure points at work, and how to turn them to your advantage.

Mind your language 

The way you present your case is as important as who you present it to, if not more so. Nursing can suffer from an image problem, in which it is often viewed as an “extra”. Although phrases such as “advice and support” might describe important parts of your role, they don’t necessarily do justice to the highly skilled job of specialist nursing. A good place to start is your “elevator pitch”. If you had 20 seconds to get someone interested in your case, what would you say? From there, structuring your argument under simple headings will help keep the message clear.

Questions to ask yourself now:

• How can I summarise my case in 50 words or less?
• How am I going to structure my argument?
• Who are the key decision makers? (Acute Trusts/CCGs/Pharma?)
• How does my language support or undermine my position?

Further Reading

• Apollo Nursing Resource: Phrases to avoid