Social Media Usage Among Nurses: Perceptions and Practices.

Objective: This study aims to examine the existing perceptions and social media practices of nurses in a large academic medical center.

Background: Limited data are available about the perceptions and social media practices among healthcare providers. An understanding of the social networking landscape within the nursing profession is necessary to inform policy and develop effective guidelines.

Methods: This was a single-center prospective observational study involving nurses at a large academic medical center. Nurses completed an anonymous questionnaire regarding their personal use and perceptions of social media in the context of clinical medicine.

Results: A total of 397 nurses participated in the study survey. Overall, 87% of participants reported using a general social media account currently. Increasing age was associated with decreasing frequency of social media use.

Conclusion: Social media usage is common among nurses. Social media perceptions and practices among nurses vary considerably. Well-informed policy and targeted education are needed to guide social media use among healthcare workers.