Socially visible midwives.

Social media are playing a bigger and bigger part in our personal lives and what's more they are now infiltrating our professional lives, too. Moving from just 'being on' social media to using social media effectively as a midwife, is a huge challenge that many midwives are facing. To be effective and to really utilise social media to their full potential, midwives need to consider role-modelling, leading, social capital, digital footprint, visibility and continuing professional development. If all of these aspects are considered and midwives take a more considered approach to social media, they can really start to benefit from engaging in these online spaces.

Introducing Twitter as an assessed component of the undergraduate nursing curriculum: case study.

AIMS: To ask: (i) is it feasible to include Twitter as an assessed element of the first-year nursing curriculum; (ii) how should it be introduced and assessed; and (iii) do students think it worthwhile and learn anything from its use? BACKGROUND: Nursing students need to use social media professionally, avoiding pitfalls but using learning opportunities. DESIGN: This case study (2014-2015) comprised: (i) pilot introduction of Digital Professionalism (including Twitter) with second- and third-year students; (ii) introduction and assessment with a first cohort of 450 first-year students. Based on feedback, methods were revised for; (iii) a second cohort of 97. METHODS: Students received a face-to-face lecture, two webinars, used chat rooms and were asked to create course Twitter accounts and were assessed on their use. RESULTS: Few second and third year students started optional Twitter use whereas nearly all first years used it. Most students (70·1% first, 88·0% second cohort) thought inclusion of Twitter was worthwhile. Changes from first to second cohort included better peer-peer support, more contextualization and more emphasis on nursing communities. More second cohort students learned from Twitter (44·4% vs. 70·8%) and used Twitter recently (43·3% vs. 81·6%). Students gained wider perspectives on nursing, better understanding of social media, 'being student nurses' and topics like health promotion. Students mostly followed not only online nursing communities but also patient organizations. CONCLUSION: Including Twitter as an assessed element for first-year nursing students was feasible, students think it worthwhile and other nursing schools should consider introducing it in the broader context of Digital Professionalism.

Developing nursing leadership in social media.

AIM: A discussion on how nurse leaders are using social media and developing digital leadership in online communities. BACKGROUND: Social media is relatively new and how it is used by nurse leaders and nurses in a digital space is under explored. DESIGN: Discussion paper. DATA SOURCES: Searches used CINAHL, the Royal College of Nursing webpages, Wordpress (for blogs) and Twitter from 2000-2015. Search terms used were Nursing leadership + Nursing social media. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Understanding the development and value of nursing leadership in social media is important for nurses in formal and informal (online) leadership positions. Nurses in formal leadership roles in organizations such as the National Health Service are beginning to leverage social media. Social media has the potential to become a tool for modern nurse leadership, as it is a space where can you listen on a micro level to each individual. In addition to listening, leadership can be achieved on a much larger scale through the use of social media monitoring tools and exploration of data and crowd sourcing. Through the use of data and social media listening tools nursing leaders can seek understanding and insight into a variety of issues. Social media also places nurse leaders in a visible and accessible position as role models. CONCLUSION: Social media and formal nursing leadership do not have to be against each other, but they can work in harmony as both formal and online leadership possess skills that are transferable. If used wisely social media has the potential to become a tool for modern nurse leadership.

Nursing and Twitter: creating an online community using hashtags.

Social media is becoming a facet of our lives and a tool for connecting, uniting and supporting people. Its use is growing in nursing, medical and health settings. This article describes the process, development and growth of an online community to connect nurses via Twitter using hashtags. Data was analysed to identify the benefits, barriers and enablers for the creation of an online nursing community. Methods consisted of key word searches in Twitter relevant to nursing, visits to the WeNurses website and tracking the number of followers on the website. A social media monitoring tool (SM2) was used to monitor visibility to establish baseline data and identify trends. WeNurses was launched in July 2012 and has over 7000 followers. Visits to the website are between 500 and 1500 each day. The use of a systematic nursing approach including the key principles of both nursing and social media (honesty, transparency, listening and reacting) helped to create and develop an online nursing community. It was found that WeNurses provides a platform for nurses to discuss issues in nursing, or complain about reforms. Nurses are free to question on how they can improve skills and contemplate their understanding of changes in the health service. Enablers included a committed group who openly discussed their thoughts, opinions and practices, a shared identity, an understanding each other's perspective and ownership by members. Using a nursing framework in a digital space added a unique dimension that resonated with members and provided a structured approach to the project. Nurses have begun to not only embrace social media but also use it for their own development. Health employers also need to encourage use of social media to help develop expertise, experience and knowledge in nurses and nursing practice. Social media can provide a social and professional space for nurses, and has potential to influence the health and wellness of different population groups involved in both giving and receiving nursing care.

How nurses can use social media professionally.

Nurses can use social networking sites for professional development. This article provides advice on using social media professionally and ensuring this usean complies with the code of conduct.