I am the first to admit that some aspects of social media are a little intimidating for me. This spring, I finally registered for a personal account on Twitter, but I am embarrassed to admit that in the months since, I have sent only two Tweets and have a grand total of four followers. Joining the social media crowd means another login and password to remember (unless you synchronize your passwords), another distraction to pull you away from routine tasks, and an activity that can potentially consume hours of your time.
Once logged in and engaged (or addicted), you can expand your world exponentially. Consider just how many friends you can have on Facebook, contacts on LinkedIn, or followers on Twitter. I find it easy to join in social media for personal reasons like keeping in touch with family and friends, sharing photos, and the ability to send one message to the masses instead of multiple individual messages. Social media has become a preferred way to communicate. To connect for news in the profession and networking with colleagues, however, takes a little more effort. In addition, patient privacy and confidentiality remain concerns for those in clinical settings.
Nurses and social media
Kung and Oh conducted an anonymous online survey to provide preliminary data about the characteristics of nurses involved in social media based on the responses of participants. They recruited from professional advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) organizations and nursing colleges across the United States. Of the 410 respondents, 225 (~55%) were NPs. Most results, however, were reported for all nurses. A small percentage (6.59% overall and 6.58% of the APRNs) did not use social media at all, citing privacy concerns, no interest, mistrust, and thoughts that it was a waste of time.1
In descending order, the most common platforms nurses used were: social networking sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google), podcasts, social Q&A (Yahoo Answers and Wikianswers), blogs, Twitter, and SlideShare. The more frequently nurses searched for health information on the Internet, the more likely they were to use some form of social media. The average time on the Internet per day was 5 hours. Younger and less experienced nurses also used social media more than older and more experienced nurses. The authors acknowledged that most respondents to an online survey are already frequent Internet users, but the information is useful for future studies.
Our social media pages
If you did not already know, The Nurse Practitioner journal has active Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts. With more than 6,500 likes on Facebook and close to 6,000 followers on Twitter, the number of followers and responses increases steadily. I acknowledge and appreciate the support of our dedicated editorial staff who maintain the journal's social media connectivity with readers. Every day, followers are invited to read the latest CE articles in the journal and other pertinent information for everyday practice, as well as take advantage of discounted conferences and other educational opportunities.
One of the journal's best-kept secrets is the blog on the website at http://tnpj.com. So far this year, 13 blog entries have been posted with topics including the Zika virus, cupping therapy highlighted by Michael Phelps during the Summer Olympic games, NP advocacy for veterans care, male nurses, transitioning from an RN to an NP, and taking care of oneself.
The blog started in 2012, and its informal, conversational approach is intended to stimulate dialogue between readers. There are no right or wrong responses; it can simply be your opinion on a topic. Let your voice be heard. Click like, follow, and share on our social media pages, and be sure to continue the discussion on our blog.
Jamesetta Newland, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP, DPNAP
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF [email protected]
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