NURSE LEADERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Running head: NURSE LEADERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media in nursing practices
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
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NURSE LEADERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA1
Introduction
The transition from a student to a practitioner presents a professional growth for the
individual but also a challenging experience for a registered nurse who has graduated
recently. These registered nurses are joining a new environment and experience different
barriers (Kumaran & Carney, 2014). Some of the challenges faced during this time include
effective communication and working with the diverse healthcare professionals in a team,
and time management to provide a safe care plan for the patient. During this period of
transition, the newly graduated registered practitioner needs to follow the guiding standards
of practices for registered nurses carefully, identify challenges in the new role and plan out
strategies to overcome these barriers (Démeh & Rosengren, 2015). This paper discusses the
significance of the document on social media usage by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of
Australia, reflection on personal experience as a newly graduated registered nurse, challenges
faced in leading the team and several strategies to manage these challenges.
Significance of the Social Media document in patient safety
The term social media acquires a different meaning with changing times. In general, this term
is used for internet-based applications, which help people to exchange opinions, share ideas,
and deliver messages in real-time. These applications also allow people to communicate in
the form of images, videos, blogs, to name a few. Nursing and other healthcare professionals
also use social media to transfer necessary information to their patients to improve public
health. Hence, these professionals are required to stay updated with the latest technology to
achieve these ends (Ventola, 2014). The most commonly used social network channels by
them include WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to enhance the safety and quality
of the health care services delivered by enabling access to the correct information at the right

NURSE LEADERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA2
time. The use of social media is influencing significant changes in the practices and habits of
nursing researchers and practitioners. For instance, social media sites such as the Wikis are a
medical blog that enables patients to receive details about specific diseases or for public
health promotion (Gorea, Gorea & Gorea, 2016).
Frequently, social media may be misused, leading by the nursing profession, which can result
in serious harm to the patients. Thus, the government needs to regulate the use of social
media by these professionals. One such step taken by the government under the Australian
Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency is the issue of the document called Social Media:
How to meet your obligations under National Law. This guidance helps nurses and other
healthcare practitioners in understanding their obligations in the use of social media and
accordingly meeting the same. The required obligations to be met under this document
include maintaining confidentiality and obligations of privacy, to comply with the
professional roles as mentioned with Code of Conduct of their respective Board, maintain
professional boundaries, ensure that the information being presented is not misleading or
false and is supported by credible evidence (Ahpra.gov.au, 2020).
This document described above is also essential as it improves patient safety from dangers
such as violation of confidentiality, breaching the boundaries of the relationship of the
practitioner with the patient, defaming co-employees or colleagues and unintentionally
exposing personal details to employers and consumers. Also, as the information shared or
posted on social media can be circulated rapidly, the information must be posted carefully.
This is also one of the chief guidelines in this document.
Experience of leading a team as a new graduate nurse
The transition from a student to a registered nurse was an essential change in my life. It
brought a complete shift in my duties and roles as a professional practitioner. Within six