Nurses and Social Media

Many of you know that I'm the expert nurse blogger over at LPNtoBSNonline. Over the last few weeks, I've been posting about social media as it relates to nurses. Here are links to those posts, all of which are relatively short and sweet.


The first post in the series, Tune In To Social Media for Nurses, is a brief overview of the importance of various major social media platforms that nurses can utilize, including Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and Google+.

Post number two focuses on Linked In and its usefulness for nurses. I'm a true believer in the power of Linked In and find it amazingly helpful in terms of networking and connecting with other nurses. Linked In groups are an especially robust feature worth exploring.

The third post in the series zeroes in on Twitter, comparing it to "an enormous cocktail party where there are more people than you’ll ever have time to meet", adding that "it's still fun to be at the party, and there are a great many people and organizations with whom you certainly want to make contact while you’re there".

Post number four set its sights on Facebook, the often-maligned but high-traffic platform that has many useful aspects worthy of appreciation, despite its limitations and many annoyances.

The final post in the series examines Google+, a social media platform for which I personally have increasing affection. I shared that "Personally, I find Google+ extremely useful in terms of searching for the hot topics in nursing, and I greatly enjoy my interactions with other nurses on this robust platform."

Further exploration of social media could include Pinterest, YouTube, Reddit and other lesser-known platforms, but the "big four" for me still remain Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and Google+.

If you have opinions, comments, ideas, suggestions or criticisms about social media (whether in connection to nursing or not), I would love to hear them, so please feel free to leave a comment below, or in the related Google+ post.

Social media is powerful, and while it can suck you dry and leave you wondering where the last three hours of your life went, I feel that the good far outweighs the bad if you know how to use it wisely.

I look forward to comments and reactions, and I'll see some of you on my Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and Google+ accounts sooner or later!