Social Media in Nursing

It is very amazing to see technological advancements in Nursing nowadays. The innovation of wireless technology and the internet are widely used today in the health care setting. It changes the landscape in medical as well as nursing practice. Social networking sites such as Facebook, blogs and Twitter are increasingly utilized to connect more people electronically anywhere around the world and used such technological advancements to disseminate health promoting initiatives. Online health care socialization is initiated to improve people's health. There are websites that help form active groups that promote social discussions and further enhance health knowledge. Like for instance web MD that provides important health information to promote health and prevent disease occurrence. Social media serve as powerful tools  for online communication. One surgeon in my workplace uses text messages to give medical recommendations or follow up patient progress. Facebook and blogs are used to communicate patients concerns to their friends and relatives just as one patient of mine told me that he uses these as tool to exchange input in their health conditions. The patient claimed that it is a way of getting social and emotional support that patients need most.

It is good to hear positive contributions in social media in relation to our Nursing profession. But as patient advocate, stressing the importance of protecting health information and keeping patient privacy is vital. I want to emphasize that social networking also presents privacy and liability issues especially, for health care providers who are using social media in medical and nursing professions, to be extra careful not to violate any Privacy Rule. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is regulating Protected Health Information. Always make sure no Privacy Rule is violated.

Social media has great potential in improving the level of our health care today and in the future. It help brings our nursing profession to a next dimension. Let us all use it effectively and safely.