Objective: To describe the processes of producing messages and interacting with the media by professional nursing associations.
Methods: Qualitative, descriptive study based on semi-structured interviews with managers of five professional nursing associations in Portugal. The data were subjected to thematic content analysis.
Results: Regulatory and union associations use public relations services and refer more strategies for interacting with journalists. Professional specialization associations interact less frequently and prefer social media for publishing their messages. Voluntary work and the reduced professionalization of the communication of specialized associations favors a nursing retraction stance towards the media.
Final considerations: Organizational and cultural factors may help to explain nursing's limited access to the media. The use of renewal, cooperation, and education strategies will help overcome some of the limitations experienced by these associations.