Using Social Media Platforms to Engage Nurses in the

Development of a New Nursing Association

your voice is our strength

Sean Cranbury, Monkeytree Creative Julie Fraser, RN, BSN, MN, ARNBC Andrea Burton, Monkeytree Creative

The Need for an Association

Challenges?

• No way of contacting all BC Nurses

• Limited funds – have to be savvy!

• B.C. is geographically dispersed

• Generations X and Y make up approximately 35% of the nursing profession in Canada

Could the ARNBC be born digital?

Yes, we can!

• Build on social media etiquette (Shaffer 2010)

• Recognize common issues for nurses

• Learn from CNA Webinar Series: Pause before you post! Exploring the Ethics of Social Media, by Netwon and Guitard (March 2012)

• Reference CRNBC Standard for Social Media

Response

• ARNBC recognized the need to adopt and engage in a broad social media platform in order to reach as many nurses across the province as possible.

• Developed a broad social media strategy:

Methodology1) Developed a SM strategy

2) Set up Social Media Platforms

3) Sought ‘submissions’ for blog (ongoing)

4) Actively tagged, boosted, bragged, promoted

5) Engaged in conversations on Twitter, Facebook, etc.

6) Continuously seek content, adapt, rework

7) Engage the community (ie, #HCSMCA)

www.arnbc.ca/blog

Our Learnings

• The nurses who are using our social media platforms are LOVING them. How do we get more nurses involved?

• How do we use social media at work? ARNBC is helping address some of the tensions that exist in intergenerational practice

• Many ‘young’ nurses in B.C. have never had an Association to turn to – they expect a certain amount of digital savvyness

• The social media community is self-policing

• The blog is the glue that holds it all together

The Importance of Feedback• Success isn’t just data points, it’s also real feedback

from real nurses

• Blog comments, emails, voicemail, conversation on the convention floor

• Direct feedback during the consultations

• Media recognition

• Support and praise from social media leaders

Next Steps

1) Develop standards and processes where necessary

2) Formalize internal requirements/wishes for posting

3) Expand the network

4) Integrate social media and traditional media

5) Adapt to ‘whatever is next’

We Track and Adapt

Measuring Our Success• Numbers of ‘signups’ continue to grow, and grow

• Analytics

• Rich and numerous comments on a wide range of blogposts

• Eagerness to ‘contribute’ to the blog by nurses across the province

• Responses to our social media platforms from government, experts in the field, other healthcare social media groups

• Sponsorship and support for #HCSMCA

• ARNBC was born digital, will grow up digital and will continue to adapt to changes in the digital world

Our Social Media Goal

To encourage the participation of nurses and honour the uniqueness and importance of their voices, their opinions, and their responses to the experience of being a nurse and evolving the professional voice of nursing in British Columbia yesterday, today and tomorrow.