1. ADVANTAGES
1.1. NETWORKING AND CONNECTING WITH PROFESSIONALS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
1.1.1. ENABLES THE NURSE TO LEARN AND SHARE KNOWLEDGE.
1.1.1.1. BUILDING PROFESSIONAL CONNECTIONS AND SHARING HEALTH CARE INFORAMTION AMONG COLLEAGUES IS A MAJOR BEINFIT OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN NURSING (Randolph, 2012).
1.1.2. CAN SUPPLY NURSES WTH SUPPORT NETWORKS AND COPING MECHANISMS.
1.1.2.1. SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE "NURSE POWER" HAS BEEN SET UP TO ENCOUARGES NURSES TO SHARE THEIR WORK RELATED ISSUES AND ADOPT COPING MECHANISM THROUGH BLOGS, A FACE BOOK SITE AND AN ONLINE NEWSLETTER (Anderson, 2012).
1.2. SUPPLIES THE NURSE WITH INSTANT AND UP TO DATE INFORMATION.
1.2.1. INSURES NURSES HAVE CURRENT KNOWLEDGE ON MEDICAL AND OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION.
1.2.1.1. TWITTER IS AN INSTANT SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE AND SUPPORT FOR NURSES (Chinn, 2012).
1.2.2. ENSURES NURSING PROFESSIONALS HAVE EASY ACCESS TO CURRENT LEARNING MATERIALS TO BE CONSTANTLY ENHANCING THEIR SKILLS/EDUCATION.
1.2.2.1. NURSING PROFESSIONALS HAVE AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL AT THEIR FINGERTIPS THAT ENABLES THEM TO CONTINUALLY UPDATE THEIR COMPETENCIES (Bard, 2012).
1.3. A MEANS OF EDUCATING PATIENTS IN A ENVIRONMENT THAT IS COMFORTABLE TO THEM, THEREFORE HELPING WITH HEALTH PROMOTION.
1.3.1. PATIENTS OR FAMILY MEMBERS CAN ACCESS INFORMATION/FORUMS ON HEALTH MANAGEMENT AIDING THE NURSES ROLE IN POSITIVE HEALTH PROMOTION.
1.3.1.1. AN IMPORTANT PART OF NURSING PRACTICE WILL BE TO SUPPLY HEALTH INFORMATION VIA SOCIAL MEDIA (Anderson, 2012).
1.3.2. PATIENTS CAN JOIN SUPPORT NETWORKS WITH OTHER PEOPLE GOING THROUGH SIMILAR EXPERIENCE, ONCE AGAIN AIDING HEALTH PROMOTION.
1.3.2.1. SECONDLIFE.COM IS A SOCIAL MEDIA SITE OFFERING PEOPLE SUPPORT, EMPATHY, UNDERSTANDING AND HOPE THROUGH SHARING EXPERIENCE AND CREATING FRIENDSHIPS (Avitzur, 2008).
2. RISKS
2.1. PATIENT PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY MAY BE JEOPARDISED DUE TO A NURSES INAPPROPRIATE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
2.1.1. NURSE POSTING PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL PATIENT DETAILS ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES, SUCH AS FACE BOOK AND SO ON.
2.1.1.1. NURSES MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE POSTING OF ANYTHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES IS PUBLICLY OPEN FOR ANYONE TO VIEW AND IS LONG LASTING (Randolph, 2012).
2.1.2. ONCE SOMETHING HAS BEEN UPLOADED/SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA THERE IS NO TAKING IT BACK.
2.1.2.1. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO RETRACT SOMETHING ONCE IT HAS BEEN SHARED AND VIEWED (Springer, 2012).
2.2. REPUTATIONS OF THE NURSE, INSTITUTION AND PROFESSION IN GENERAL ARE AT RISK WHEN SOCIAL MEDIA IS ABUSED.
2.2.1. FOR THE NURSE IT CAN RESULT IN LEGAL DISPUTES AND A LOSS OF REGISTRATION.
2.2.1.1. NURSES THAT HAVE TAKEN PART IN UNETHICAL BEHAVIOUS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND THEREFORE VIOLATED POLICY HAVE BEEN DISIPLINED AND FIRED (Randolph, 2012).
2.2.2. THE INSTITUTION/PROFESSION MAY SUFFER WITH A LOSS OF COMMUNITY TRUST AND SUPPORT.
2.2.2.1. POSTINGS BY EMPLOYEES COULD POTENTIALLY BE INTERPRETED AS STATEMENTS SANCTIONED BY THE EMPLOYER, THEREFORE PROVIDING NEGATIVE PUBLICTY AND DAMAGING THE ORGANISATIONS REPUTATION (Springer, 2012).
2.3. REGULATORY VIOLATIONS CAN OCCUR THROUGH BLURRING OF BOUNDARIES AND UNCLEAR INFORMATION BEING SUPPLIED ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES.
2.3.1. INFORMATION AND ADVICE MAY BE MISINTERPRETED AND RESULT IN VIOLATIONS AND LAWSUITS.
2.3.1.1. THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROVIDE MEDICAL INFORMATION, DIAGNOSES OR TREATMENT MAY SUBJECT THE NURSING PROFESSIONAL TO MALPRACTICE LAWSUITS DUE TO VIOLATIONS OF STATE LICENSING (Springer, 2012).
2.3.2. BLURRING OF PROFESSIONAL AND THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIPS.
2.3.2.1. ESTABLISHING AN INAPPROPRIATE THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH A PATIENT BY "FRIENDING" THEM (Springer, 2012).
3. IMPACT ON STUDENT NURSES
3.1. PROVIDES EFFECTIVE WAYS OF COMMUNICATING WITH OTHER STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS.
3.1.1. THROUGH ONLINE FORUMS, BLOGS AND SO ON.
3.1.1.1. WTH STUDENTS BECOMING MORE TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED TOGETHER WITH THE GROWTH IN SOCIAL MEDIA, STUDENTS AND FACULTIES ARE ABLE TO INTERACT IN A NEW AND BENEFICIAL ENVIRONMENT (Burdick, 2012).
3.1.2. INCREASE IN FACULTY SUPPLIED ONLINE LEARNING MATERIALS AND SUPPORT.
3.1.2.1. NURSE EDUCATORS ARE TRYING NEW METHODS OF INTERGRATING SOCIAL MEDIA LEARNING IN TO THE NURSING CURRICULA (Schmitt, Sims-Giddens & Booth, 2012).
3.2. INSTANT ACCESS TO CURRENT EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL.
3.2.1. TO EXPAND KNOWLEDGE AND HELP WITH GATHERING MATERIALS FOR ASSESSMENTS AND SO ON.
3.2.1.1. STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO GAIN A GREATER KNOWLEDGE OF PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS, HEALTH POLICIES , PATIENT PRIVACY AND ETHICS AND WRITING COMPETENCIES THROUGH ACCESSING SOCIAL MEDIA (Schmitt et al., 2012).
3.3. MOUDLS OUR EDUCATION, ENSURING WE LEARN THE CODE OF CONDUCT BEHIND USING SOCIAL MEDIA AS A STUDENT NURSE AND A PROFESSIONAL NURSE.
3.3.1. IN ORDER TO OFFER APPROPRIATE CARE TO PATIENTS STUDENTS MUST GAIN A SOUND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO APPROPRIATELY APPROACH SOCIAL MEDIA.
3.3.1.1. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILTY OF THE NURSING EDUCATORS TO INSTILL IN THEIR STUDENTS WHAT SKILLS ARE IMPORTANT TO CORRECTLY NAVIGATE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA (Englund, Chappy, Jambunathan & Gohdes, 2012).