Never Far From My Mind

By Marijke Vroomen Durning RN

This blog is an important part of my work identity. I post about interesting health topics and news about nursing issues – and yet sometimes I let it sit untouched for a few months at a time. And I feel guilty when that happens.

Sometimes I wonder why I allow that to happen. It’s not that I don’t think about the blog because I do. Many mornings when I sit at my computer to start my work day (which can be as early as 4:30 a.m., as today), I have the best of intentions to post that day, but it doesn’t happen.

What is the point of a blog like this? When I began it over eight years ago, it was to bring attention to my work, my ability to write about health issues in a friendly and engaging way. It was to build a brand, in a way. And it worked. I developed a great following of readers and I get many on-offs, people who find this blog because they are looking for a specific issue. Clients have also found me through the blog and I’ve sent potential clients here so they can see my unedited writing style.

A lot has happened since I posted my first piece in 2007. My husband and I sold our big house in the suburbs and we moved back into the city proper. I fell (on moving day!) and dislocated my shoulder, which put me out of commission working clinically. Up until then, I’d still been working part-time for a while as a clinical resource nurse. My full-time freelance career took off, and I’m doing what I love.

I have two “anchor clients,” non-profit organizations for whom I write site content, among other things. And I have many clients who use my services to write for online or print journals, online content, newsletters, and more. Oh, and don’t forget my book, Just the Right Dose! That was a major accomplishment and I’m proud of it.

A side part of my success is I get many emails from nurses who want to get into writing. I love helping them if I can. I don’t mind responding by email, giving them a quick run down of how I got to where I am today, along with some advice. I do have a pet peeve though. Would you believe that the majority of those who write to me to ask for information or advice don’t even bother to acknowledge that I responded? Nothing. It’s not everyone. I’ve gotten some delightful thank you notes back. Sadly though, they are in the minority. A very small minority.

Some of my fellow writers have gotten pretty upset about that lack of courtesy and no longer offer advice when asked. They charge a consulting fee. I understand their point of view; I don’t agree with it, but I understand it. Anyway, that was a little sidetrack rant. 😉

So, what was the point of this post? A sort of welcome back to myself, I think. It’s time to get back on the blogging track. When I see that certain blog posts are read regularly, despite how long ago they were written, and when I get email from people telling me that they learned something important because of one of my posts, I know that this blog is important. It has good information. So here we go again, after another short hiatus, we’re back!

Marijke Vroomen Durning RN has written articles, promotional material, and continuing medical education (CME) for health care professionals, as well as patient information sheets and articles for the general public. She has also co-authored several books. Her blog was chosen as one of the Top 10 Canadian Health and Fitness Blogs by SheKnows Canada and one of the Top 50 Nursing Blogs for 2015. She is the author of Just the Right Dose: Your Smart Guide to Prescription Drugs & How to Take Them Safely. To learn more about the book, please visit JustTheRightDose.com. You can also go directly to Amazon or Kobo to purchase it. Please also visit http://medhealthwriter.blogspot.ca/ and http://medhealthwriter.com/.