Social Media Is The Sharing Of Ideas Using Online Networks,

Communication has been permanently changed by social media. A wide conceptual definition of social media, as cited in Ressler & Glazer (2010), is “The online and mobile accessible services that enable individuals to connect, collaborate, and share with others in real time.” Social media has an obvious influence on informal communication style and represents both possibility and liability for healthcare institutions. As cited in Bernhardt, Alber, & Gold (2014), “Social media provide healthcare professionals with tools to share information, to debate health care policy and practice issues, to promote health behaviors, to engage with the public, and to educate and interact with patients, caregivers, students, and colleagues.” It also presents challenges, including risks to information accuracy, organizational reputation, and individual privacy. Social media can be a very helpful in communicating among nurses and other healthcare providers while creating professional connections, and sharing experiences, but guidelines for appropriate use by healthcare providers are essential. Whether or not certain healthcare organization decides to use social media as a communications tool - social media policy still need to be implemented. Policies help establish an organization 's rules and expectations around social media.

We Can But Dare We: A Look into the Use of Social Media in Healthcare

Social Media in Nursing and The Effect it has on Jobs, Facilities and Nursing Students

This paper examines the public perception of nurses and how social media can be both a detriment and a benefit to the career field.

Social media (digital technology) platforms are defined as any form of digital communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (such as videos). Over the last several years, the use of social media platforms such as blogs, text messaging, games, and Twitter, have had significant growth. Social media tools have become an effective way to expand reach, foster engagement and increase access to credible, evidence-based health information.

While using social media can be valuable to doctors and nurses, inappropriate use of these tools can be devastating to a health professional career. Here are some examples

With the advancement of modern technology, social media is increasingly finding use in healthcare delivery and management. Health professionals including doctors, nurses and therapists have adopted social media to communicate with their patients and for health sensitization. Social media can benefit healthcare delivery in a variety of ways including fostering professional connections, patient and community education and promoting communication with patients and families. On the other hand, use of social media in healthcare exposes patients’ data to breaches and leakages creating confidentiality issues. Misuse of patient data results in serious career penalties for negligent medical professionals. Protocols have been established to oversee the use of social medial by health practitioners. The paper seeks to explore the recognized rules that regulate the use of social media, and its risks and benefits. Health professionals should utilize benefits of social media while adhering to confidentiality, privacy, and ethical guidelines for private or professional communications with respect to patient data.

Ressier, with the University of Massachusetts- Boston College of Nursing and Health Sciences states that, “as we educate a new generation of nurses, use of social media will be an integral component in their ability to practice competently, effectively, and collaboratively with team members, patients, and families.” Times are changing and social media is the fastest growing forum out there. Nurses will need to be able to navigate these apps when the time is right.

As a health professional I must understand that the misuse of social media may have a severe detrimental effect on my career as discussed by the British journal of nursing (Farrelly, 2014). Nurses may face termination and possible criminal penalties. I also must understand that my actions may damage the reputation of the University or health care organisation I am working for. I will need to think carefully about anything I post on social media, including about my private life, as this could have an impact on any future job prospects. With my role I plan to become more professional with what I am posting on sites such as Facebook, to present a professional image to future employees. ----find another

Unvalidated sources of health information (abbreviated as USHI for the purpose of this paper) like social network sites (SNS), blogs, forums and the likes proliferate the internet. Patients, relatives of patients, or friends of patients utilize these platforms for a plethora of reasons ranging from guidance on major and minor health decisions to the desire for support from other users. Support, as used here, could be emotional, social or financial and is usually gained by patients through the sharing of their personal medical issues, asking questions or sharing of their experiences with other users [12]. The use of the Internet and USHI for guidance on health decisions is increasing [1, 13]. Existing literature identifies patient's trust in

Technology today has an easy access to direct communication. Social media is an effective way tool for nurses today, but with this resource comes great responsibility. As a nursing student I must maintain patient confidentiality and privacy at all times, as well as serving a positive representation of my institution. Nurses and nursing student are responsible for what they display on social media, and with this privilege comes consequences if not used appropriately. Social media has consequences amongst nurses such as federal legislation, privacy, laws and legal actions.

McNab, C. (2009). What social media offers to health professionals and citizens. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. Retrieved from http://Bulletin of the World Health Organization

We live in a culture that is constantly inundated with streams of information through a variety of social mediums. Patients have unlimited access to an extensive variety of resources regarding medical care through online blogs, websites and social media. In 2009, 45.5% of adults utilized online resources to gain more information regarding their health (Women’s Health USA, 2012). Considering that statistic is antiquated, one would suspect the percentage to have grown significantly over the years with the increase in access to online resources. It is imperative future advanced practice nurses have the ability to guide patients in evaluating what they read online. Can these sources provide reliable and appropriate medical advice?

Numerous tools in the social media are made available for health care providers. Blogs , virtual reality , social networking platforms, wikis and media-sharing sites are emerging that enhances professional education , organizational promotion, networking, patient education, health programs and patient care .However, corresponding potential risks to both health care workers and patients when a poor-quality information has been posted and confidential photos shared , professional images are prone to damage, patient privacy could be breach, personal and professional bounderies might be violated , and sensitive legal issues get discussed by public online . Guidelines were then made by several health care facility and professional

“Social media have invaded health care from at least three fronts: innovative startups, patient communities and medical centers” (John Sharp 2010). The Social Media arena helps the health care system for their planning strategy and their marketing. However, their use is very controversial. There is a discussion about the use of social media in the healthcare settings due to its vulnerability. Even though social media is important for the healthcare development, the security issues will remain big concerns for the healthcare system.