The social media: Prospects and challenges for the 21st century nurses
Nursing is a profession that involves transferring of information to the patients and improving public health. Therefore, a nurse should have the latest and updated information at hand for personal and professional needs to improve the delivery of healthcare services. The purpose of this manuscript is to review selected documents on social media used by nurses and discuss the prospects and challenges related to its use. At any time, a nurse can easily review information rather than shuffling pages of the book at the bedside of the patient (that may be outdated in a few years); the internet seems better option in which any information available can be updated by any nursing educationist or researcher. Social media, a big tool of communication, is increasingly becoming popular with nursing professionals but there is a need to understand that it has to be used cautiously otherwise it may bring a bad name to the nursing profession. However, social media have enabled healthcare providers including nurses to reach their patients in a virtual environment, revolutionizing the way patient care is being provided. Through websites like NurseTogether.com and personal blogs, millions of people are able to recognize nursing practice is beyond serving of bed pan to patients. Social media definitely provide nurses with advantages in communicating in today’s world. However, nurses need to be aware of the etiquette guiding its usage. This paper therefore covers definition of social media, examples, trends, etiquette, and challenges of social media use, barriers and relevance.