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In this installment of Med Op-Ed: Why nurse scientists could play a key role in public health messaging, how to make sense of noisy blood pressure (BP) readings, and calculating how much time physicians spend on mandatory training modules.
The Untapped Power of Nurse-Led Health Communication
Nurse scientists may be especially effective public health messengers but are seldom seen in that role, according to Paule Joseph, PhD, MBA, CRNP, with Rockefeller University in New York City, and colleagues writing in The New England Journal of Medicine. Nurses enjoy credibility across political and social divides, which positions them to reach people who may be skeptical of traditional public health institutions, the authors note.
The Context
- Nurses have maintained exceptional public trust, with 76% of Americans rating them as having high or very high levels of honesty and ethical standards in 2025 compared with 54% for physicians, and this trust varies little according to political affiliation.
- Yet nurse scientists are not often seen in national health discussions. One study found they were cited as sources in only 2% of health-related news stories.
- An effort by nurses to encourage vaccine uptake during the COVID pandemic found social media messages framed as encouragement or an invitation (“If you’re hesitant, talk to a nurse”) were received more favorably than directives (“Get your vaccine today”).
In Their Own Words
“Integrating nurse scientists into national health communication strategies is not merely a matter of professional visibility. It is a pragmatic and necessary response to the growing challenge of restoring trust in health information.”
Read it: Nurse Scientists as Trusted Voices in Health Communication
Only One Third of BP Reduction May Be From Medication
New research shows the majority of BP reduction observed in hypertension trials may stem not from medications themselves but from regression to the mean and the Hawthorne effect — people’s tendency to change their behavior when they know they are being observed. This phenomenon has implications for clinicians, who must account for substantial noise in office BP measurements when making treatment decisions and setting expectations, according to Benjamin D. Gallagher, MD, from Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, writing in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
The Context
- Patients who believe they are being observed might be more adherent to previously recommended medication regimens, as well as nonpharmacologic interventions.
- A secondary analysis of the BP Home trial revealed that regression to the mean, the Hawthorne effect, and starting new medication each contributed approximately 4 mm Hg to the reduction in systolic pressure.
- Other research has found the amount of visit-to-visit variability in BP readings means four visits could be necessary to be 80% certain that changing an antihypertensive medication has decreased systolic pressure by 10 mm Hg.
In Their Own Words
For lower-risk patients, “the best strategy may be to start an appropriately potent antihypertensive medication, stand back, and have faith that the patient is benefitting, even if the BP measurements are noisy.”
Millions of Physician Hours Lost to Compliance Modules
Mandatory annual training modules — about topics such as privacy, cybersecurity, workplace conduct, and safety — consume approximately 4 million physician hours annually in the US, representing roughly $800 million in lost productive time and thousands of deferred patient encounters, Michael Gottlieb, MD, from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, estimates in JAMA.
The Context
- Although the training topics may be important, modules typically consist of static slide decks or recorded lectures with dense text and generic scenarios.
- Beyond direct time costs, mandatory modules contribute to physician burnout by adding to the administrative burden.
- To improve the system, institutions might tailor content to specialty and role and replace text-heavy slide decks with interactive case scenarios that provide continuing medical education credit, Gottlieb suggests.
In Their Own Words
“The annual ritual of clicking through slides, answering perfunctory quiz questions, and electronically attesting to completion sends a subtle message that documentation is valued more than thoughtful learning.”
Read it: Mandatory Training Modules in Health Care — Time to Reassess
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
