Message from the President

Christine Alichne, PhD, RN

Social Media and Nursing

Whether something brings joy or pain; when people share and engage in communities, they form bonds and relationships with others who acknowledge their situation. Liana Evans (2009) Social media, a major artery on the super information highway of the 21st century, makes global connections beyond our imagination. Nursing has always offered a special professional bond between a patient(s) and nurse. Does social media really connect you to humanity? (Taylor, 2008). At first glance, social media connects one to thousands of known and unknown individuals. Pagana (2011, p. 202) defines social media as a term used to describe any kind of consumer-generated media or content that can be uploaded to the Internet and easily located and shared. Formats include, but are not limited to, blogs, wilds, podcasts, YouTiibe, video clips and photo sharing. For professionals, social networking sites can be powerful tools to communicate health information to a mass audience (Prinz, 2011). As the profession of nursing begins to use social media to deliver nursing care and health education, the quality versus quantity of himnan connection need to be explored. Quality addresses elements of building a professional relationship through interaction. It is the connection with humanity that niurses treasure of getting to know one's patients and families (Taylor, 2008). Quantity in social media deals with the benefits of the modern, highly-connected world (Taylor, 2008). With that viewpoint, social media can be extremely beneficial to nurses in disseminating, with one click on the keyboard, an enormous amount of appropriate, reliable and free health information to either a targeted audience or the world population (Pagana, 2011). With that backdrop, can the profession of nursing find a balance between the uses of social media to deliver certsdn aspects of nursing care and the need to maintain a therapeutic relationship with the individuals, families and communities we serve? Certainly, nurses can agree in the usage of social media for health promotion and prevention activities. But what about other interventions we provide? If social media is viewed as an appropriate vehicle to provide nursing care, are there any implications for professional nurses to consider? The answer is YES. The articles
Advancing. Protecting. Improving.

in this volume review and highlight many potential uses of social media in nursing while simultaneously providing cautionary notes for consideration related to ethical, legal, social (professional boundaries) and moral obligations. The Broad Implications of Social Media
Social Media and Professional Nursing: Friend or Foe?

relates several of the ANA's Principles of Social Networking and implications for nursing practice. In addition. Strengthening Your Social Networking Skills provides clear guidance to how nurses can utilize this communication medium to their advantage, especially with professional networking sites (Linkedln) and dissemination of accurate health information to the pviblic (FaceBook, Blogs, etc.). In addition to these articles, the ANA has developed an excellent Social Networking Principles Toolkit, which can be accessed on your mobile device or at www.nursingworld. org/socialnetworkingtoolkit. Social Media and Political Advocacy Social media was an effective tool in the 2008 presidential election and continues to be heavily used in the 2012 primaries. It's impact on the electoral process over the past four years has been both positive and negative. PSNA invites nurses to foUow our legislative activities on Twitter (@PSNA_GOVA), the PSNA-PAC page (nurseinsider.org/pac) and on PSNA's Government Affairs site. Developing a strong grassroots support system via social media is a valuable tool in supporting PSNA's initiatives and those legislators who champion our profession. Recently, the ANA launched a site for such activities on the national level. Other nursing organizations, such as the American Colleges of Nursing (AACN), have been using social media for years to discuss issues affecting nursing education. Social Media and Public Health The implications of social media and public health are enormous. Imagine a pandemic occurrence of an evolving virus or a massive environmental health issue. Instantaneous information dissemination to a global audience would be imperative and social media would be the primary mechanism for delivery. Environmental Public Health Tracking Program describes a public health network and it's initiatives. This update gives credence to the use of social media on a larger scale for the health, safety
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as a La Salle employee. During this time, my family was going through a difficult situation and Sharon, while still professional, demonstrated a caring attitude and provided needed insight. After a recent hospitalization, I received a visit from Sharon and, once again demonstrated true compassion and the meaning of community. I feel blessed that she is a part of my life. (A. Gonzales, personal communication, February 13,2012). Starr is an inspiration to others as she continues to advocate for and improve healthcare for underserved and uninsured populations. Starr is a true role model to her students and the broader community. She is a visionary whose dedication to reduce health disparities prevails as her legacy continues. References
A'ydelotte. M.K., Barger, S.E., Branstetter, E., Fehring, R.J., Lindgren, K., Lundeen, S., et al. (1987). The nursing center: Concepts and design. American Nurses' Association.

warning, suspension of license, stipulations for practice, etc. In addition, the document discussed federal and state violations which could merit civil and criminal sanctions. Seven illustrative case scenarios are presented 'with a discussion relevant to a breach of professional duty. The rationales for disciplinary sanctions against the professional nurse license also are described. I encourage all of our members to download this White Paper and refer to it for common myths and misunderstandings of social media. Conclusion . Social media can be a means to an end in our professional practice, if used 'wisely and in the context of pro- ' fessional boimdaries, ethical behaviors and legal parameters. To do otherwise, may cost the professional nurse one's license to practice. I invite the reader to refle'ct on'' these words throughout the volume and to ask one question at the end: How can social media be used in my^ractice to promote public well-being and health practices, without compromising professional practices and the public's trust. From my viewpoint of the nursing world and beyond untu the next time!

Message from the President / continued from page 3

and 'welfare of the public. The connection 'with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) facilitates the efficiency and effectiveness of tracking data, information dissemination, research investigations and public health alerts. As the world becomes smaller due to mass migration of populations, global travel and social media, this network would be a necessity for containing future environmental disasters and maintaining our scarce natural resources for the next generation. Social Media and Legal Implications And finally, social media related to nursing practice has many legal implications: unprofessional and unethical conduct; moral turpitude; mismanagement of patient records; revealing a privileged communication; and breach of confidentiality (NCSBN, 2011). A valuable source for legal implications is the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) White Paper: A Nurse's Cuide to the Use of Social Media (www.ncsbn.org). In 2010, a survey was sent to all Boards of Nursing with a strong majority of those Boards responding to a survey (33 out of 46 respondents) indicating the receipt of "complaints of nurses who 'violated patient privacy by posting personal information (photos or information about the patient) on social media networking sites" (NCSBN, 2011, p. 2). Likewise, the majority of the Boards indicated disciplinary action being adjudicated against the nurse such as disciplinary
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References
American Nurses Association (2011, September). Principles for social networking and the nurse. Silver Springs, MD: Author. Evans, L. (2009, October 25). How to earn respect in social media. Retrieved from www.searchenginewatch.com National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2011, Au'gust).i nurse's guide to the use of social media [White Paper]. Chicago: Author. Pagana, K. D. (2011). The nurse's communication advantage: How business-sawy communication can advance your nursing career. Indianapolis, IN: Sigma Theta Tau International. Prinz, A. (2011). Professional social networking for nurses. American Nurse Today, 6(7), 30-32. Taylor, D. (2008). Does social media really connect you to humanity? Forum, 88(4), 18-21.

Advancing. Protecting. Improving.

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