Professor and Dean of
Nursing
Bethel College
1001 W. McKinley
Mishawaka, Indiana 46545
Gregory A. Bechtel, MPH, PhD
Associate Professor
Medical College of Georgia
Augusta, Georgia 30912-4250
Ruth Shearer, RN, MS, MSN
Assistant Professor of
Nursing
Bethel College
*Corresponding
Author
Creating the Image of Success for the Nurse Entrepreneur
As
decentralization and vertical integration strategies are implemented in
health-care organizations, an opportunity exists for professional nurses to be
involved in entrepreneurship (Swansberg & Swansburg, 1999). With the current and projected shortage of
professional nurses, health-care agencies often find it advantageous to contact
nurse entrepreneurs for a variety of professional services. However, for the nurse entrepreneur to take
advantage of these opportunities, an essential element of success and
professional image must be developed.
While
definitions of professionalism vary, professionals strive for excellence in
performance and demonstrate a commitment to ethical decision making. Furthermore, professionals generally consider
their work a lifelong endeavor rather than a stepping stone to another field of
employment. They place a positive value
on being a professional and perceive being termed nonprofessional as an adverse
reflection on their status, position, and motivation.
While
significant aspects of professionalism are attitude, dress, conduct, and
deportment, the attributes of professionalism ultimately reflect the values and
stereotypes of the person doing the evaluating (Ellis & Hartley,
1998). Successful professionals hold
themselves in high regard and elevate the status of their profession by the
image they crate. Effective patterns of
communication are the most essential elements for nurse
entrepreneurs in creating a positive image of professionalism and trust that
must be shared with all people.
The Value of a Professional
Image and Success
Creating
an impression of professionalism, competency, and success is important for the
nurse entrepreneur who is beginning a business. Maintaining the image of success is necessary to communicate the
viability of a private enterprise as image sells services and enables a
business to succeed. The communication
of the image of success cannot be underestimated for the nurse entrepreneur, as
a positive image is necessary if the collected ventures are to be successful
and this specialty area of advanced nursing is to expand.
Professional
image is important not only to increase feelings of competency by both real and
potential customers, but also has personal relevance to the self-image of the
nurse entrepreneur. The novice
entrepreneur may feel insecure although in the emerging and developing health
care delivery system of the 21st century, nurse entrepreneurs are
taking on increasing significance (Prati, 1998). Positive feelings of self-worth by the nurse
entrepreneur can affect the nurse’s judgment of self and actually promote
competency and enhance future capabilities that result in professional
development and advancement. Understanding self and
working to view self positively
lead to professional success and job satisfaction (Jenny, 1990). Additionally, Lachman (1998) identified 19
personal characteristics that when implemented would enhance the health and
professional growth of nurse entrepreneurs.
Creating
a professional image is also good for nurse entrepreneurs as a developing
specialty group. Nurse entrepreneurs are
increasingly taking on important role in client care and in the health delivery
system. As health care professionals
work together to provide services the nurse entrepreneur will experience a
valued and respected position as a member of the health delivery system.
Creating a Professional Image
of Success
The
complexity of developing a professional image for nurse entrepreneurs cannot be
minimized. Nurse entrepreneurs may
believe that professionalism is based on their knowledge of procedures and
skill in their area of expertise. However, while this is part of creating a professional image, image
building by the nurse entrepreneur is much more complicated and includes skills
in business management, personal grooming and dress, and communication.
Skill. A
positive image is created by the communication of competency in the role and
service that the nurse entrepreneur provides. In addition to skills in
the service provided, the nurse
entrepreneur must have the skills to manage a small business successfully. Rigorous application of self during the
educational and planning process, efforts to gain the necessary expertise to
run a business, and close work with a mentor can provide the novice nurse
entrepreneur ways to become skilled in this venture. A nurse entrepreneur unsure of business
skills may want to work an experienced entrepreneur until comfort is gained in
the role. Learning is an ongoing process
and skill with the tasks required in the specialty is one of the first and most
important aspects of demonstrating expertise and professionalism. Customers who have been pleased with service
will communicate this to other potential customers and thus enable a nurse
entrepreneur’s business to expand.
Educational
programs in nurse entrepreneurship that provide the business knowledge and
expertise necessary to enable success may not be available in all geographic
areas of the country. However, start-up
companies may receive venture capital and business management ideas from
government agencies and non-profit health-care industries. Association with the established business
community can assist nurse entrepreneurs develop their customer service base by
adding credibility to the nurse and assist in creating an image of
competency. A careful market analysis
should be the first step in the process of developing a workable business plan (Fetting
& Riege, 1998).
Personal
Grooming and Dress. Having a look of
success is necessary to be taken seriously as a professional. The look of success communicates the nurse
entrepreneur is important and should be listened to (Stolz, 1994). For example, make-up should be worn
tastefully, applied lightly, and well blended. Jewelry should also be discriminating and subtle; dangling earrings
should not be work in client care settings if the nurse entrepreneur is
providing direct patient care. While
expensive jewelry can communicate success, rings with stones can injure the
client, damage gloves or lead to contamination during procedures. Nails should be short, well manicured, and
have if polish is worn, should be of a conservative color. A professional hairstyle helps create a
professional image and if direct care is provided, hair should not be styled to
fall on the client.
First
impressions with clients are important in creating a positive image and
communicating an aura of success. Since
many clients and health agency members may be encountering a nurse entrepreneur
for the first time, a professional appearance will assist in the communicating
a professional and successful image (Mangum, Garrison, Lind, & Hinton,
1997). Many studies have noted the
importance of professional dress in communicating professionalism and
competency. For example, Newton and
Chaney (1996) found the attire of nursing faculty influenced the perception
students had of professional image. While attire preferences were significantly correlated with faculty age
and teaching level, professional image of the faculty was an important
consideration by students. Although
dated, a study by Mangum, Garrison, Lind, Thackeray, and Wyatt (1991)
identified that respondents preferred nurses who wore a dress with stethoscope and
felt this nurse was more competent than the nurse with while paints and colored
top. The less professional nurse was
least likely to be preferred as the giver of personal care. Thus, dress has been equated with competency,
professionalism, and concomitantly with success in delivery of care.
Geographic
norms should also be considered in regards to personal appearance; what is
acceptable in San Francisco may not be appropriate in rural Indiana. In some settings a more casual approach is
acceptable and diversity in appearance is expected. However, in other settings health care
professionals are expected to follow a specific dress code. Geographic norms are particularly important
if the nurse entrepreneur is male. In
some settings, a neatly trimmed beard, long hair, or moderate jewelry may be
acceptable for men while in more conservative areas of the country, clients may
take exception to a male nurse entrepreneur wearing an earring in his ear. While cultural background and heritage may
influence a nurse entrepreneur’s view of what is appropriate clothing, it is also important for the nurse
entrepreneur to consider the norms of health care providers in the geographic
setting. If a nurse entrepreneur works
in a healthcare agency where a dress code is in place, this should be carefully
regarded as adherence to dress codes has value beyond appearance and indicates
support of the agency and its position on professionalism.
Good
body hygiene and use of deodorant is essential in promoting a professional
image. Depending on the service
provided, a nurse entrepreneur may want to keep a change of clothing at the
business location to change clothing quickly if what is worn becomes soiled,
stained, or dirty. Clothes should always
be clean, neatly pressed, and tastefully coordinated. The importance of clean shoes cannot be
minimized. While some shoes which look
like tennis shoes are available in uniform shops, care should be taken to
select shoes that can be maintained for a professional appearance and function
(MacFarlane, 1990).
Surveys
show color of attire and accessories promote trust, presence, and authority
(Dowdy, 1993; Stolz, 1994). If a colored
top is worn, it should be tastefully selected and unless the nurse entrepreneur
works in a pediatric setting, the print should not appear “cute” or
childish. Clothes should not be tight
fitting and uniform pants should be crisp and clean. A nurse entrepreneur working with a transcultural pediatric setting
may wisely select a colored top with faces of children from diverse population
to communicate transcultural competency.
A
nametag that provides identification and a title should always be clearly
visible. The patient should not have to
guess the level of expertise or education of the caregiver. Being properly identified is an asset to the
nurse entrepreneur, clients, visitors, and other staff.
First
impressions last a long time and an unfavorable appearance can cause the client
to loose trust in the credibility of the staff. For some people, an appearance of sloppiness of a technician may be an indication of careless thinking or
a ship-shod approach to the job. Furthermore, a negative perception about one team member can be
generalized to entire health care team and leave the patient with a general
distrust of competency of all team members (Stolz, 1994).
Communication
Techniques. Another important
dimension to creating a positive professional image is communication and the
actions that co-exist with verbal communication (i.e, body language and voice tone). Even an articulate speaker can undo what is
spoken by nonverbal actions (Dowd, 1995). A professional posture conveys pride, confidence and ease in relating to
others in a myriad of settings. A person
with a confident stance does not slouch or have distracting nervous actions
like foot tapping, hair pulling, scratching, or biting fingernails. Eye to eye contact should be appropriate to
convey support. For the nurse
entrepreneur, questions to the client that have previously been asked raise
doubts about the nurse entrepreneur’s competency and should be avoided. Thus, information readily available on the
client’s chart or in the customer’s file can be validated but should not be
elicited if it can be obtained by a quick review of literature available. Asking a question when the answer should be
already available raises doubts about the credibility and knowledge level of
the nurse entrepreneur. There are
exceptions to this when a situation where personal data gathering is
essential. In this case, the expertise
of the nurse entrepreneur is demonstrated by respecting the client or
customer’s personal reporting of issues and obtaining the information
firsthand.
A
pleasant expression is also important and will facilitate communication and a
look of success. Good manners are a
dimension of behavior that quickly conveys professionalism. As a professional, it is important to master
the techniques of making correct introductions. Taking care to remember names of clients, customers, and colleagues so
that personal greetings and proper introductions made will make others feel
valued. A personal approach that
acknowledges remembering the other individual from a previous interaction can
increase feeling of being valued.
Among
some cultures, shaking hands when encountering an individual is considered an
indication of respect. If shaking hands
is appropriate in a particular setting with a particular patient, a firm but
not overtly controlled grasp should be used. When interacting with others, a comfortable distance, usually three feet
away when standing or two feet away when sitting should be available. When it is necessary to invade a client’s
personal space as in the delivery of personal care, a careful explanation will
decrease anxiety. Nonverbal
communication, including the use of nods and silence during conversation, will
also provide clues to others about personal comfort. When asked a question, it is important not to
allow a long period of silence in the conversation, but to indicate the
conversation is being followed and an answer is being considered. When another is speaking, a nod of the head
is an indication of active listening. An
attentive listener should provide indication that the conversation is
understood, and if necessary, an appropriate follow-up action will be
occurring. Simply listening is not
enough; both verbal and non-verbal messages must provide trust and that
appropriate action will follow.
Summary
Professional
image and the image of success is important for all members of the health care
team, particularly, nurse entrepreneurs who are establishing not only personal
image but the image of the advanced nurse specialty. Professional image of individual members not
only makes a statement about the competency of the team, the self-regard
members hold themselves in, but also the way the individual represents the
profession. Dexterity and skill in
procedures and business, appearance and dress, and communication all contribute
to the impression a client or customer will have of the services provided. As nurse entrepreneurs seek greater autonomy
over their work, they become instrumental in promoting practices that will
assist other nurses in assuming responsibility for their professional
development. Nurse entrepreneurs as
nurse specialists and advanced practices nurses should take the lead in
communicating professionalism and success while taking other nurses to new
levels of professionalism.
References
Dowd,
S. (1995). Teaching in health-related professions. Eastwind Publishing:
Dubuque, Iowa.
Dowdy,
S. (1993) the look of success. Advance,
2 (2), 24-25.
Ellis,
J., & Hartley, C. (1998). Nursing
in today’s world. Lippincott: Philadelphia.
Fettig
E. R. & Riegel, D. R. (1998). Adult daycare: An entrepreneurial opportunity
for nursing. Nursing Economics, 16 (4), 189-95.
Jenny,
J. (1990). Self-esteem: A problem for nurses. Canadian Nurse (10),
19-21.
Lachman,
V.D. (1998). Care of the self for the nurse entrepreneur. Nursing
Administration Quarterly, 22 (2), 48-59.
MacFarland,
M. (1990). the professional nurse: With or without a uniform. Canadian Journal of Nurse Administration,
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Mangum,
S., Garrison, D., Lind, C., & Hilton, H. (1997). First impressions of
the nurse and nursing care.Journal
of Care Quality, 1 (5), 39-47.
Mangum,
S., Garrison, D., Lind, C., Thackeray, R., & Wyatt, M. (1991). Perceptions
of nurses’ uniforms. Image Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 23 (2),
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Newton,
M., & Chaney, J. (1996). Professional image: Enhanced or inhibited by attire: Journal of
Professional Nursing, 12 (4), 140-4.
Prati
C. A. (1998). Nurse entrepreneurs. Michigan
Nurse, 71 (6), 3.
Stolz,
J. (1994). The dress code question.
Administrators in Radiology 5a
Swansburg,
R. & Swansburg, R. (1999). Introductory
management and leadership for nurses. Jones and Bartlett: Massachusetts.
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