Possible influence of social media on shaping the image of nurses on the Internet

Abstract

POSSIBLE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON SHAPING THE IMAGE OF NURSES ON THE INTERNET

Introduction. Nowadays, a professional image is an important element of the identity of individual professions. Its formation is a difficult process, dependent on many factors, including the use of new communication channels, such as social media, which in recent years have become a space for expressing social opinion, including those concerning individual professions.

Aim. The analysis of the possibilities of using social media in shaping the image of nurses on the Internet.

Material and methods. The study was carried out using the comparative method. The subject of the research were websites (fanpages) related to the professional environment of nurses on the social networking site Facebook.com, chosen deliberately according to the adopted criteria.

Findings. During the research, differences in the strategy of administering the analyzed websites were identified, depending mainly on the subject matter and purpose of publishing the content. The topicality, visual attractiveness and cohesion were characterized by a high level. The posts appearing on individual websites were written in the language of the recipients, with different publication frequency. The websites created a long-term group of recipients and tried to influence the image of nursing in Poland in a positive way.

Conclusions. Content published on social media can affect both the positive and negative image of the nurse in the public opinion. Among the factors that do not affect the image of nurses can be indicated, among others, offensive language of comments and displaying negative traits of nurses. Positive reception guarantees current knowledge in the field of nursing and emphasizing professional competences.