Communicating health promotion in nursing

he depressing comment from a user in a recent BJN article, 'What makes a good nurse?' (Rush and Cook, 2006 p384) reflects that nurses may not measure up as credible health promoters: 'Mywifewasdyingofcancerandifyou� wentoutinthecorridorsyoucouldseethe� nursessatoutsidesmokingtheirheadsoff� -� peopledyingofcancer,� itdoesn'tmake� senseyouknow.'� It is clear that advocates of health promotion need to demonstrate credibility with users. They should be knowledgeable, legitimate and trustworthy (Catford, 2006). The medial focus on childhood obesity and other health issues means that the public expects the health professional to be a role model for wellbeing. Recently, health promotion was the focus in BJN articles in which the message was unequivocal in emphasizing that health promotion should be part of the nursing agenda. Such emphasis puts the onus on health carers as agents of health promotion to be aware of the rudiments of what constitutes health and healthy living. In our endeavour to push the health promotion agenda forward, we may dress it up in jargons. In doing so, we may sometimes unwittingly reify it to sound more complex and elusive than it is. Canons of health promotion provide well articulated theories and models of health promotion, but we need practical actions to demonstrate that it is an integral part of the role of every nurse and every health professional. Health promotion is best addressed from