Like me, you've probably read or heard that public speaking is the #1 fear reported by people in the US, a fear reported even more than that of death.  Today I did the obligatory Google search to find out the source of this statistic.  Apparently it was first published in a 1973 London Sunday Times article citing the results of a survey of 3000 Americans, and has been verified by countless other studies and surveys in the years since.  The original Times study found that 41% of respondents listed "speaking in public" as their biggest fear, with death tallying only 19%.

That's a crazy statistic, but I guess it makes sense.  Death can be so abstract, but getting up in front of a room and talking is a tangible, relatable experience.

Within the Nursing community, there's really not much discussion about Public Speaking.  Since the typical RN is not charged with giving major presentations or new business pitches, it is assumed that skill development in this area needs little to no attention.  But like anybody who struggles with this fear knows, the lack of a 'major presentation' is not the point:  any speaking engagement in front of a group of people is nerve-wracking and basically, um, sucks.

Actually, Nursing requires a lot of public speaking.  Consider, for example:
- giving report during staff meetings,
- discussing a patient's condition with her family,
- acting as SuperUser for a new technology or software on the Unit and being required to teach peers.

While Nurses may not find themselves behind a podium like a public relations manager, a politician, an actor or a broadcaster, they must be in constant interaction with different groups of people, and public speaking - even if at the small group level - is expected.

SYMPTOMS
Do I need to waste time writing about symptoms?  You know the symptoms:  sweating, high blood pressure, butterflies, visions and thoughts of horror.  The symptoms are so severe for some people that they become pros at finding ways to avoid the speaking engagement all together ("I'm sick, sorry!" "I have a sore throat and can't talk", "My car got a flat tire on the way in to the office"). 

WHAT CAUSES THE FEAR?
Lots of theories here.  Some experts in the field point to - as usual - childhood.  Children who are meant to feel like their opinions and ideas are meaningless grow up afraid to express themselves publicly.  Others point to bad experiences in the past.  Still others say certain people are naturally anxious and more prone to being afraid of such experiences. 

Whatever.  For my money, I think it comes down to people placing unrealistic expectations on themselves and on the importance of what they're talking about.  Human nature type stuff - everybody wants to do their best and come across as brilliant and important.  Many people get so wrapped up assuming they have to be perfect - no stuttering, no ums or ahs, no referring to notes - that they generate fear of failure and ridicule.  Those who avoid speaking in public all together may feel they have to speak with the eloquence of Barak Obama, the vision of Martin Luther King Jr., or the passion of Adolf Hitler (seriously, have you ever heard him give a speech?)

HOW A NURSE CAN COPE
There are SOOOOO many articles on the web and books at the bookstore covering this topic that you could spend years going through them.  Here's two I like:  How to Conquer Public Speaking Fear,  Conquering Your Fear of Public Speaking.  In these and other articles, the advice and tips boil down to a few key points

• Figure out who your audience is, and try to anticipate what information will be valuable to them
• Have two or three key points of relevant information to tell your audience
• You are allowed to stutter, stumble, lose your place, forget what you wanted to say and use humor.
• Don't strive to mirror anybody else's style - be yourself!  Those who are successful are themselves when they speak in public.
• Get out there and DO IT.  Like riding a bike, you started with training wheels, fell a bunch, but eventually learned to do it and now it's second nature.  The same applies to public speaking.  Don't be afraid to fail a dozen times - you'll be better off for it.  And you won't scrape your knee.

Above all, remember that ultimately your audience wants you to do well.  Nobody is secretly judging you and tallying up how many times you jumble your words.  Nobody is going to point and laugh if you lose your place.  The articles above go into depth about the extent to which people can skew their impression of their audience's motivations.

I don't really buy into all that "pretend your audience is naked" crap.  Who wants to do that?  Most of the people in your audience probably look like mutants - do yourself a favor, keep their clothes on.  I like to refer back to that London Times statistic that claims 41% of people cite public speaking as their #1 fear.  If that's the case, just about 1/2 of my audience will commend me just for getting up and doing it!  Even if I'm a total idiot and mess everything up!

So pop around the internet - you'll find plenty of advice articles besides what's above.  YouTube has some nice free videos - here's one:

And finally, get the support of others.....online Nursing communities usually have a thread or two of Nurses sharing public speaking stories and tips.  Talk to some people in the same situation as you and help each other out.  To start you off, one such thread can be found here at allnurses.com. 

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