10 tips for using Twitter in nursing

I recently attended the 2014 AWHONN Convention and was overwhelmed with joy by the conference’s use of technology. In addition to increased use of technology in the general and breakout sessions, I noticed a large increase in the use of social media—specifically, Twitter. As an avid user of Twitter, I posted more tweets, using the conference hashtag, than any other member of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. Many of my tweets were retweeted and marked as favorites by members of AWHONN, members of other nursing and government health groups, and journals. By the end of the conference, several nursing colleagues asked me to help them set up Twitter accounts, because they wanted to tweet as well.

I am not shy about my love for Twitter. I encourage all of my students and coworkers—really any nurse I know—to utilize this social media platform for professional advancement. I first created a Twitter profile in the months preceding entrance into my PhD program, because I wanted to increase my professional presence on the Internet and social media websites. In addition to setting up a Twitter account, I became more active on LinkedIn and created a professional page on Facebook. Since then, however, I have focused my attention primarily on Twitter, because I have found it the most appropriate social media platform for professional development.

Although many use social media to stay connected with family and friends, my use of Twitter is all about connecting with other women’s-health professionals, nurses, and researchers. (I use other social media sites to connect with family and friends.) Because my research focuses on high-risk sexual behaviors, I follow many national health organizations that tweet information related to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. As I scroll down my Twitter timeline, I am constantly considering new information to add to the literature review and methodology chapters of my dissertation.

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I also use Twitter for interacting socially with other PhD students and health care professionals. I have made several cyberfriends on Twitter, and I have met some of them at nursing and research conferences. Others, I may never meet in person. We encourage one another in our research efforts, celebrate accomplishments, check in with each other if long periods of time pass, and hold one another accountable for goals we want to achieve. I also check #PHinisheD and #dissertationdefense to gain inspiration and to congratulate newly minted doctors of philosophy.

Since more of you are using Twitter, I want to share a few tips to make your social media experience more beneficial to your professional growth.

Tip #1: Remember that you represent nursing. Whether or not you identify yourself as a nurse, you represent nursing and every other registered nurse. I like to remind my students that being a nurse is like being a member of a sorority. Once you are accepted into our ranks, you represent us at all times, so be careful what you post. Your pictures, statements, and interactions with others—whether or not your account is public—can shine a magnificent light on the profession or act as an unfortunate damper. I promise not to make you look bad. Please give me the same respect.

Tip #2: Interact with others using an interdisciplinary approach. While it’s nice to follow nurses on Twitter, follow other health care professionals as well. Our physician, public health, research, and health educator colleagues are gems. The information they post may not always apply directly to your role as a nurse, but it may be useful, nonetheless. Some of the most intriguing and inspiring tweets I have seen come from non-nursing colleagues.

Tip #3: Interact with health care consumers. Besides interactions that occur between health care professionals, interaction with patients or other health care consumers is also important. Just as health care providers follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (@CDCgov) and researchers follow the National Institutes of Health (@NIH), consumers also follow these and other organizations. Instead of wording your tweets only for other nurses, also interact with the general public. There are hundreds—if not thousands—of support hashtags used by health care consumers. They use these hashtags to connect with one another, but they also appreciate information from health care providers. Tweeting information to consumers helps ensure that the public receives accurate information from licensed professionals and is not simply passing around old wives’ tales or anecdotal information.

Tip #4: Make use of popular hashtags. Using hashtags will not only enrich your Twitter experience, it will enrich the experience of others as well. Twitter creates a list of tweets using the same hashtags and separates tweets into two categories: popular tweets and all tweets. This allows Twitter users to see what others are saying about content at hand. Some of the hashtags I often use include #thePhDlife, #nursesrock, #nursingstudents, and #womenshealth. I encourage you to follow hashtags of importance to your practice or area of research. I also use hashtags to categorize my tweets. I am the only person on Twitter who uses #thePhDlife. Sometimes, when I need a little inspiration or want to revisit my PhD journey, I go down the list of tweets filed under #thePhDlife. You may want to create your own special hashtag so you can do the same.

Hashtags are also helpful when attending nursing conferences or other large meetings. For instance, I tweeted heavily during the AWHONN conference using #AWHONN14, and, by observing others using the same hashtag, met several people I would otherwise not have connected with. It also allowed many people to get to know me. As I walked the halls of the convention center, I often heard “Hi, Tiffany!” from nurses I had never met before or “I’m really enjoying your tweets” from others. Tweeting at conferences is easier and more meaningful than taking notes. I can always refer back to my tweets to remind myself of important information shared at the conference. Besides taking notes for my own benefit, I get the chance to share what I am learning with the world—in real time!

Tip #5: Mark favorite tweets for future reference. Marking a tweet as a favorite (by activating the little heart at the bottom of a tweet) adds it to your favorites list, a list automatically generated by Twitter. I go back to my favorites every few months and review the list. It’s always nice to be reminded of important tweets posted in prior months or years. It’s like taking a trip down memory lane.

Tip #6: Participate in Twitter chats. Twitter chats are an exceptional way to interact with others on Twitter. Some Twitter handles are dedicated specifically to weekly or other regularly scheduled chats. Others will schedule and hold chats related to specific content. These chats—heavily advertised—are well attended, even though only a few actually participate. Twitter chats allow users to participate in real-time conversations with government agencies, health care organizations, and other health care entities. If your facility or educational institution has its own Twitter handle, consider holding a Twitter chat for patients, students, or other consumers. To initiate a chat, just let people know the hashtag you will be using, set a date and time, and make sure someone is available to moderate the session and respond to tweets using your hashtag. (Consider using two people to handle these work-intensive tasks.)

Tip #7: Find opportunities to mentor novice nurses and nursing students. I have used Twitter on many occasions to communicate with nursing students. Sometimes, I tweet tips to help them navigate the troubling waters of nursing schools. Occasionally, I interact with students and new grads after they reach out to me. Less frequently, I read a tweet, using a specific hashtag, or see a tweet on my timeline that inspires me to reach out to the author of the tweet. I have yet to have a negative experience in my dealings with nursing students or novice nurses on Twitter. They are always gracious and appreciate any wisdom I have to share. I encourage other, more seasoned nurses to also reach out to newer nurses. You have a wealth of knowledge from which we can all learn. Don’t be shy about sharing your experiences and wisdom.

Tip #8: Stay up to date on current practice. By following certain government health agencies, I am alerted to the newest research, practice guidelines, and population data. Whenever a new report is published, there is a tweet about it. Usually, the authoring organization tweets, and many other organizations retweet the information, or tweet similar information of their own. Twitter was established to serve as a newsfeed, and many people still use it for this purpose. Breaking news—health-related or otherwise—hits Twitter before local news stations or public radio. Folks often wonder how I stay up to date on women’s health issues. My answer is Twitter.

Tip #9: Create lists of your favorite tweeps. In addition to the favorites list generated by Twitter, you can create your own lists. My lists include: Women’s Health, mHealth, Nursing Info, Healthcare Legislation, Nursing Publications, Schools of Nursing, Teen Pregnancy, Nursing Orgs, and Healthcare Info. As I follow various Twitter handles, I place them in the appropriate groups. If I want to know what’s going on in which nursing schools, for instance, I open my “Schools of Nursing” list. This prevents scrolling down a timeline on which I could potentially see tweets from everyone I follow (more than 850 different Twitter handles). If you are going to use Twitter for professional reasons, I strongly encourage you to create lists. It saves times and helps with organization.

Tip #10: Engage in the Twitterverse often. Every now and then, I will come across a tweep I haven’t seen on my timeline in ages. To truly get the most out of Twitter, you have to access the site often, because information is posted constantly. If you wait days or weeks between logging on to the site, you will miss important content. Don’t feel that you have to tweet constantly, however. Some people—we call them lurkers—tweet very infrequently, and there is nothing wrong with that. Just remember, when you aren’t tweeting, you’re depriving others of your knowledge. Even if you have nothing to say personally, you can retweet interesting tweets you come across. You can also tweet online articles, pictures, and websites.

I hope to continue seeing a growing presence of nurses on Twitter and other social media platforms. Engaging with nurses across the country and around the world is something we couldn’t easily do 20 years ago. Today, we can learn from nurses and other health care professionals on every continent. Social media is here to stay. It’s time to embrace it. My Twitter handle is @TMontgomeryRN. I hope to “see” you around the Twitterverse!

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. Comments are moderated. Those that promote products or services will not be posted.