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NURSING SCIENCE
Elevator Pitch

By Carliss Ramos, DNP, RN, EBP-C, CPHQ

Elevator-Pitch.jpg
Research has found that face-to-face communication is more effective than emails (Bohns, 2017) because it allows for nonverbal cues to be conveyed. Nurses are advocates for patients and the profession and are an integral part of interdisciplinary collaboration. As advocates, it is essential to communicate professionally. You must be prepared to communicate face-to-face as opportunities to advocate can present themselves at any time.
An elevator pitch is one example of this type of communication. It is a brief, 60-second speech that allows quick and effective communication to engage, persuade and communicate professionally (Yonkaitis, 2021). It aims to link two people and must be impactful and deliberate. Elevator pitches were often used to sell yourself to a potential boss, but nurses use them to advocate for a cause. The key to a successful elevator pitch is preparation.
According to the American Nurse Journal (2021), a successful elevator pitch should have four sections: introduction, problem, solution, and ask.
  • Introduction (10 seconds): Start with who you are and where you are from.
  • Problem (15 seconds): Describe the problem in three main points: who is impacted by it, and the impact of the problem.
  • Solution (25 seconds): This section should be the longest. Share the possible solution and how that solution may solve the problem.
  • Ask (10 seconds): Ask what you need to move the solution forward and leave time to request a follow-up meeting.

Elevator Pitch Example:
10 seconds
Introduction
Good morning. As you know, I am active in our unit's shared governance quality committee.
15 seconds
Problem
During our last meeting, we noticed that our unit's timeliness for antibiotic administration could use some work. We talked about some of the barriers that are causing this.
25 seconds
Solution
From this discussion, it was quickly identified that there are about four categories that the unit can change.
10 seconds
Ask
Can I find time on your calendar to discuss this further?
References:
Bohns, V. (2017, April 11). A face-to-face Request Is 34 Times More Successful than an Email. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2017/04/a-face-to-face-request-is-34-times-more-successful-than-an-email Morgan, W. R., & Wright, E. S. (2021). Ten simple rules for hitting a home run with your elevator pitch. PLOS Computational Biology, 17(3), e1008756. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008756 Tip sheet: preparing elevator pitches. (2022, December 19). Health Quality & Safety Commission. https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/resources/resource-library/tip-sheet-preparing-elevator-pitches/ Vicent Beltrán‐Palanques. (2023). Teaching elevator pitch presentations through a multimodal lens: Insights from ESP students’ experiences. TESOL Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.769 Yonkaitis, C. F. (2021). The elevator pitch: A 60-second advocacy tool for nurses: Be prepared when opportunity presents itself. American Nurse Journal, 16(1), 54–56.