Elsevier

Collegian

Volume 21, Issue 2, June 2014, Pages 103-109
Collegian

Nursing and Twitter: Creating an online community using hashtags

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2014.03.003Get rights and content

Summary

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.

Introduction

The use of social media is expanding in nursing, medical and health settings. This paper focuses on how Twitter was used to create an online nursing community. It outlines and discusses how a Twitter community has developed and grown over three time periods. It also highlights how an online nursing community can positively support nurses and encourage learning through shared knowledge and clinical experience via Twitter chats.

The development of online communities using social media in the field of health and social care has emerged as a driving force in healthcare. Twitter and Facebook are used, by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Department of Health UK (DH), Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Nursing and Midwifery Council UK (NMC) and other numerous local online communities such as the Evidence Based Nursing Journal Club and Nursing Times Chat. Social media is becoming a facet of our lives and a tool for connecting, uniting and supporting people. This is also true for nursing and there is a call for nurses to engage in social media (Ferguson, 2013). To achieve this, a medium for dialogue and engagement of nurses of all branches (Adult, Mental Health, Learning Disability and Children) and at all levels (Student nurses, Registered nurses, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Managers and Deans of Nursing Faculties) needs to be in place.

Section snippets

Background

In July 2012 WeNurses, a real time Twitter based discussion group for nurses, was launched. WeNurses was developed by Teresa Chinn a registered nurse (adult branch) in England as a result of her experience working as a temporary nurse (also known as agency or locum nurse) in England. In her role Teresa experienced isolation predominately because her time in any one ward was temporary and she was generally not considered to be part of the nursing team. She wanted to connect with other nurses who

Aim

This project aimed to determine if nurses could become connected via Twitter using hashtags. This paper evaluates the development, growth and positive experiences of using Twitter to create an online nursing community including benefits, barriers and enablers.

Methods

The evaluation consisted of key word searches in Twitter relevant to nursing, visits to the WeNurses website and identification of the number of people following WeNurses. The following timeframes were used January–March 2011 (Pre nursing Twitter discussion forums emerging) October–December 2012 (1 year post nursing discussion forums) and January–March 2013 (established Twitter chats). A social media monitoring tool SM2 (a platform that allows monitoring and visibility of social media) was used

Results

From July 2012 to July 2013 WeNurses amassed over 7000 followers globally (Fig. 1).

Participants engaging in weekly Twitter chats ranged from between 50 and 140 people. Visits to the WeNurses website were 500–1500 per day. In the first time frame January–March 2012 there were 0 participants. In October–December 2012 there was a minimum of 72 and a maximum of 89 with a mean of 78.6. The period January–March 2013 there was a minimum of 93 and a maximum of 140 with a mean of 109.3 (Fig. 2).

For the

A systematic nursing approach

WeNurses is a significant driving force for the Twitter nurse community and it is run on a voluntary basis using a nursing approach. In a climate where many healthcare organisations are using social media, very few successfully become the hub of the community. WeNurses applied a systematic nursing process to the social media space and has been able to nurture grow and develop the Twitter nursing community. Holland, Jenkins, Soloman, and Whitman (2008) outlined four main steps to the nursing

Discussion

Ferguson (2013, p. 745) stated that nursing has been slow to “realise the potential for application, innovation, and the need to adopt this technology”. WeNurses data challenges this assumption. It was identified through Twitter chats and website traffic evaluation that nurses are using social media to improve their knowledge and clinical practice. In terms of the popularity of tweets and people it was found that the communities who are conversing and adding value to each other via Twitter are

Conclusion

The data presented clearly shows that there has been a significant increase in nursing activity on Twitter since 2011. It also highlights that Twitter has become a space that is focussed on sharing opinions, knowledge and clinical experience. Nurses have begun not only to embrace social media, but leverage social media paving the way for employers who are slow to follow in their steps. Social media is in the public domain therefore the expertise, experiences and knowledge that nurses’ share is

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank Nova Corcoran, University of South Wales for editorial guidance.

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