According to Mantoya & Kimball (2012), "The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines marketing as "the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives" (Montoya & Kimball, 2012 p.187).
Advance practice nurses (APNs) can expand opportunities through utilization of the 4 Ps of marketing which include produce, price, place, and promotion. (Hamric, Hanson, Tracy, O'Grady, 2014, p. 540). According to Hamric (2014), "to market themselves successfully, it is essential that APNs integrate clinical expertise, leadership, collaboration, other APN competencies, and business skills" (Hamric et al., 2014, p. 538).
The product is the object or service being marketed for sale (Hamric, 2012 p. 540) APNs do not have an object to market, but can promote marketing of the skilled nursing knowledge gained through continued education and clinical expertise. According to Mantoya & Kimball (2012) "the promotion of a strong and highly capable nursing image is an important strategy in marketing of health care services" (Mantoya & Kimball, 2012 p.187)
Price is the amount of money that is charged for a service or product (Hamric et. al, 2014, p. 540). According to Hamric et al. (2014) APNs are cost-effective in providing preventive health care to chronically ill patients. This allows the number of readmissions to decrease among hospitals (Hamric et al., 2014, p. 540). I feel the APNs can save medical institutions money as their salaries are less than physicians. In an economy that emphasizes on cost containment, this gives APNS an advantage.
Place refers to the environment and operations needed to make the object or service available to the market (Hamric et al., 2014, p.540). APNs work in a variety of settings including hospitals, out-patient clinics, physicians' offices, etc. I feel the place APNs render care is of utmost importance.
There are multiple areas under the category "place "that can influence a patient's decision about committing to an APN service. This includes the location of the office, parking space, waiting times, and friendliness of the office staff. APNs should be aware of their surroundings, ensuring it provides a positive aspect to the services provided.
Promotion is the ability to advertise a service or object and increase its awareness to the public. Marketing has multiple strategies including reciprocation, commitment, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. (Hamric et al., 2014, p. 540) The APNs can market their services through a detailed resume or curriculum vitae. The goal of the resume or curriculum vitae is to clearly state personal achievements and clinical expertise (Hamric et al., 2014, p. 541). This allows possible employers or patients to understand one's competencies' and aid them in their decision-making process.
I feel the most important role in marketing for an APN is the ability to identify their ideal target population. According to Hamric et. al (2014) identifying an ideal client and creating a message that correlates with the client will increase the probability of the client receiving, hearing, and acting on the APN's message (Hamric et al, 2014, p. 544). By identifying a target population, the APN can identify marketing strategies that will appeal and attract the target population (Hamric et al., 2014, p. 545).
References
Hamric, A.,Hanson, C., Tracy, M., & O'Grady, E. (2014). Advanced Practice Nursing: An Integrative Approach. (5thed.). St. Louis: Sanders