From Theory to Practice: Understanding and Applying Concepts of Social Media

Social media is a part of an evolution in technology, and it is important for nurses to learn the digital skillsets required to utilize the tools that social media offers. Signing up for new accounts is not about catching the latest trend, it is about capturing the potential to increase collaboration on research projects, improving communication among nurses, and building new communities of practice. Understanding the concepts of social media and integration of tools into curriculum is important, however without the awareness of how skills being used can translate into future employment and work related activities is crucial for nursing students, staff, educators and administrators. Using a wiki does once for an assignment is not enough, nurses need to understand the purpose and function of the tools in order to recognize when they have the opportunity to use appropriate resources. This presentation will focus on the basics of getting started using different tools of social media– from signing up for web services and building your online profile to beginning to integrate tools and identify opportunities for using new tools.