Self-Promotion: It is not Just About you.

Abstract

Johnson et al. (2023) recently published a call to increase the number of school nurses, school nurse educators, and school nursing researchers who are recognized as Fellows in the National Academy of School Nursing. The National Academy of School Nursing is underpopulated with fellows compared to other nursing specialties that recognize their high-achieving clinicians, leaders, and scholars (Bergren, 2022; Johnson et al., 2023). The article has garnered a lot of attention and instigated a push to accelerate the number of deserving colleagues to be inducted as fellows in 2024. I heard from one leader who was energized by this challenge and was motivated to nominate a deserving school nurse in her state. However, when she approached the candidate, the school nurse told her that self-promotion was very far down on her priority list. It is a misconception that being nominated for awards, recognized for contributions, and inducted into the Academy of School Nursing is only about the nominee, that candidate. Being inducted, and being lauded is also about signaling to people who have the power to make structural and significant changes at the state and national level that a candidate’s peers have identified them as someone to be listened to. A robust roster of school nursing fellows speaks loudly about how we value the specialty and announces to stakeholders that fellows are leaders in the school nursing domain. Having a well-populated academy of fellows with broad representation across the country signals to powerful influencers, other health professionals, and other nurses that highly skilled knowledgeable nurses choose school nursing, choose to conduct exemplary groundbreaking research in this setting, and choose to invest their energy advocating for children, families, and communities. Nominating those who have excelled also communicates to novices whom to emulate. Nominating the best among us signals to all nurses that school nursing is not just a job, it is a career. Being a Fellow of the National Academy of School Nurses (FNASN) has propelled my power to promote other school nurses. Being an FNASN enhances my credibility when I write letters of recommendation for new hires, for potential awardees, to admit someone to a graduate program, to recommend that they be awarded a grant, a podium presentation, a scholarship, or yes, a fellowship. Having the credential tells selection committees, admissions officers, and grant-makers that my peers determined that my opinion matters. Being inducted as a Fellow is not just about you. It is about the profession, about our power, and a demonstration that we are leaders of our domain. It can be more difficult for women than it is for men to highlight their achievements and accept recognition (Davidhizer & Lonser, 2004; Lindeman et al., 2019; Reynolds, 2022). I encourage you to push the notion aside that self-promotion is selfish and unbecoming. If you are approached to be nominated as a Fellow in the National Academy of School Nurses, do not give up the opportunity to amplify your voice.