At any given moment, nurses can connect to important conversations, mobilize change in our profession and health care, and influence decision-makers. This is where the power of social media – namely, Twitter – plays an important role. The September/October 2015 RNJ issue featured a story about how nurses are using social media, but Twitter has evolved a lot since then and it’s time for a closer look.

Although a 280-character tweet may not seem like enough space to educate or shift perspectives, a collection of hundreds or thousands of tweets about the same topic can be powerful and influential.

Using evidence, RNAO and its members advocate and drive change where it’s needed using a variety of tools. These include: meeting with elected officials, issuing media releases and Action Alerts, and advancing evidence-based care. Speaking with reporters and using a variety of social media tools are central to mobilize change, as these serve as bridges between health professionals and the public. Twitter is a key social media tool embraced by governments and journalists alike, hence health professionals must learn to use it purposefully and responsibly.

By effectively and thoughtfully using Twitter, RNAO’s more than 50,400 RNs, NPs and nursing students power the profession and broader health system. When banded together, nurses are a powerful force to be reckoned with.

Why Twitter?

At its core, Twitter is a globally used social media platform that allows individuals and organizations to share short messages (called “tweets”) of text, or a mix of text and multimedia components, such as photos, videos, external links, GIFs and polls. It is a fast-paced medium, with thousands of new tweets being shared and replacing older ones on users’ timelines in a matter of minutes.

It is a public, real-time communication platform that allows people to share their thoughts with a broad audience. Members of the general public can connect through Twitter with decision-makers and thought leaders, or with those who hold truth to power such as journalists and advocacy groups like RNAO.

Twitter has become a news source for many users, given the real-time updates from credible media outlets and reporters. And, nurses can use Twitter to share their knowledge and help transform nursing practice and the health system. Nurses’ messages reach a global audience to provide insight on what evidence-based practice means. By visiting Twitter, you can treat yourself to dozens of daily tweets issued by Best Practice Spotlight Organizations® (BPSO®) from all over the world.

Twitter also allows nurses and RNAO to influence evidence-based policies and to share what it’s like on the front lines so decisions made about nursing and health care can be well-informed. More and more, nurses also share what inspires them to be an RN, NP or RPN, motivating retention and recruitment into the profession.

Unfortunately, Twitter is also being used to share misinformation (unknowingly spreading wrong information) or disinformation (purposefully spreading misinformation). This means that users must be diligent in determining whether the information they find on this platform is factual, which can often be determined by the credibility of the tweet’s author or source.

Using Twitter effectively and thoughtfully can help our profession influence offline discussions and advance the role and objectives of nurses.

Background: RNAO on Twitter