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Nurse Educator

Nurse Educator
Vol. 37, No. 6, pp. 242-247
Copyright * 2012 Wolters Kluwer Health |
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Ethical Reasoning and Online Social Media


Heather Englund, MSN, RN & Sharon Chappy, PhD, RN, CNOR & Jaya Jambunathan, PhD, RN
Erick Gohdes, BSN, RN
Undergraduate nursing students are frequent users of social media sites; however, the ethical or professional implications
surrounding the use of online social networking sites are ambiguous and understudied. Faculty guidance is needed
if students are to gain the necessary skills and values to appropriately use social media while maintaining professional
accountability. The authors discuss the outcomes of a study that assessed their students sensitivity to posting
clinical information on social media sites.

he popularity of online social networking has exploded in recent years, creating an environment of
unparalleled interconnectedness among college
students across the globe. Recent data indicate that more
than two-thirds of adults between the ages of 18 and 32
years frequent social media Web sites.1 Individuals engaged in online social networking have opportunities to
chat informally with others and share photographs,
videos, and other sensitive information. Unfortunately, such
connectivity has resulted in some unforeseen consequences.
Seamless navigation to millions of online sites, coupled
with a general lack of knowledge about the Internet, gives
users a false sense of security and privacy. This poses a
significant problem in that online postings are subject to a
certain level of evidentiary disclosure and, once posted
on the Internet, become part of a permanent record that
cannot be expunged.2
The ease with which personal information can be circulated for public scrutiny also poses serious challenges to
privacy and professionalism.3 This is especially true for
healthcare students and providers where professional boundaries are imperative to establishing and maintaining a therapeutic relationship with patients.4 Research indicates that
nursing students tend to use online social networking forums to cope with emotional and ethical stressors inherent
to the profession. These Web communities become support groups and enable students to find meaning in difficult

situations and assist in coping with the rigors of nursing


school.2
The unfettered nature of the Internet holds the potential
for unintended self-disclosure and possible violations of patient privacy and confidentiality laws. The HIPAA of 1996
details federal regulations designed to protect patients rights
to privacy and disclosure of personal health information
(PHI). As electronic social media advances and gains continued popularity among healthcare workers, guidelines for
protecting PHI need to be reassessed and tailored to meet
the needs of an increasingly electronic and technologic
environment.5
The American Nurses Association (ANA) published a
code of ethics in 2001 to be used as a guide for carrying
out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with
both the quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations
of the profession. According to the ANA:

Author Affiliations: Instructional Academic Staff (Ms Englund),


Professor and Graduate Program Director (Dr Chappy), and Professor
and Director of Research and Evaluation (Dr Jambunathan), College
of Nursing, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh; Staff Nurse, US Navy
(Mr Gohdes).
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Correspondence: Ms Englund, College of Nursing, University of
Wisconsin Oshkosh, 800 Algoma Blvd, Oshkosh, WI 54901
(englundh@uwosh.edu).
Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct
URL citations appear in the printed text and are provided in the
HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journals Web site
(www.nurseeducatoronline.com).
DOI: 10.1097/NNE.0b013e31826f2c04

Nursing Students and Social Networking

242

Volume 37 & Number 6 & November/December 2012

The patients well-being could be jeopardized and the


fundamental trust between patient and nurse be
destroyed by unnecessary access to data or by the
inappropriate disclosure of identifiable patient information. The rights, well-being, and safety of the
individual patient should be the primary factors in
arriving at any professional judgment concerning the
disposition of confidential information received from or
about the patient, whether oral, written, or electronic.6(p6)

Undergraduate nursing students may be unaware of ethical


or professional implications surrounding the use of online
social networking sites. Many students consider professionalism an important aspect of their everyday work; however,
only a small proportion reported feeling adequately prepared in professionalism and ethics.7 It stands to reason that
undergraduate nursing students, with their fledgling sense of
professionalism, may not yet understand that content posted
on social media Web sites is readily accessible and is a direct
reflection of their professionalism.
Nurse Educator

Copyright @ 2012 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.

Students in healthcare fields have a legal and ethical


responsibility to maintain patient confidentiality. Breaching
confidentiality erodes the publics trust and impairs ones
ability to treat patients effectively. Unfortunately, researchers
have consistently found that undergraduate students post
information on social media Web sites that is deemed unprofessional or in direct violation of the HIPAA guidelines.
Unprofessional posts include personal photographs depicting excessive drinking or various states of undress, information about clinical experiences, or affiliation with professionally
unacceptable social groups.1,8-11
The use of social networking is not a phenomenon
unique to nursing students. A recent survey conducted by
the College of Nurses of Ontario found that 60% of RNs
reported using social networking sites; only 2% of those
respondents indicated that they use these sites for workrelated purposes only. A reported 28% of survey participants
reported they knew someone who had experienced negative professional consequences from using social networking sites. Finally, 2% responded positively when asked if
they observed other nurses using social networking sites in
ways that caused them to question their professionalism.12
Researchers13 investigated the content of weblogs written by a number of healthcare professionals including physicians, medical students, RNs, and nursing students. They
found that 16.6% of the blogs described interactions with
patients and included a significant amount of information
identifying the author. About 17.7% of these blogs described
patients in a negative light, with 30% comprising negative
comments about the healthcare profession. The authors did
not provide information regarding infractions per subgroup,
so it is unclear if there were any differences between those in
nursing or medicine, or between students and their more
seasoned counterparts.
The literature shows that social media use by both
students and nursing professionals is pervasive. Unfortu-

nately, as online activity increases, boundaries between


public and private lives have become increasingly blurred.
This lack of clarity presents opportunities for ethical and
professional violations when using social media.

Impetus for Research


The increasing use of social media sites by nursing students
has opened a Pandoras box of issues related to ethicality
and nursing professionalism in a cyber world. Over the past
several years, faculty in our college of nursing (CON) noticed an increase in the prevalence of unprofessional posts
made by our students on social media Web sites. These students were formally reprimanded for their behaviors. Unfortunately, a common theme gleaned from the process was
that students were unaware that their online behaviors were
also representative of their nursing professionalism. We were
also aware of national attention paid to practicing nurses and
unprofessionalism on social media sites. Spurred by this knowledge, we decided to assess our students awareness of ethical
issues related to posting clinical information on social media
Web sites.

Methods
Measures
This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board
for the Protection of Human Participants at the University of
Wisconsin Oshkosh (UWOSH). We developed a 21-item
survey (Table 1) consisting of statements based on the 9
provisions of the ANA Code of Ethics (Table 2).14 The casual
terminology used in the instrument was representative of
language and colloquialisms used by our target population
(undergraduate nursing students). Our goal was to take the
ANA provisions and reflect the underlying intent of each
provision in a statement that could easily be found posted on
a social media site by an undergraduate nursing student. For

Table 1. Survey Statements


1. I was so busy at work today. I felt like I was running around with my head cut off.
2. My patient was the cutest little 70-year-old lady. And I found out she lives in my neighborhood. AwesomeI a new friend.
3. I am so hungover right now. When I go to clinical this afternoon, its going to be awful.
4. So far, my clinical sucksI when will I start doing the fun stuff?
5. We were really short-staffed today. I never even got to lunch.
6. The new staffing policy here is awfulI who thought it was OK to have each nurse have 6 patients? Looks like our CNAs will have to do a lot more!
7. Friday afternoonI so glad the weekend is here. Time to get drunk. I need a vacation from responsibility.
8. I had the worst patient today. In for a GI bleed, and he was very cranky. Can you say demanding?
9. I love clinical. All these residents of Seabring Nursing Home are AWESOME! Thanks to Ethel for the cookies she brought us today!
10. First day off orientation, and I feel completely overwhelmed! I seriously dont know what Im doing yet. I feel sorry if you were my patient todayI but
I will get better.
11. I felt bored at work todayI it was really slow.
12. I had a tough day; one patient didnt speak any English, and it was hard to do my patient teaching.
13. Whats up everyone? Im on a break at clinical and had some time to post. Anybody out there have a minute to catch up?
14. I almost broke my back today lifting an obese person.
15. The new staffing policy here is greatI our patients are getting such great care!
16. Unique day at workI I took care of a prisoner for the first time. I was scared at first, but she was very nice.
17. These medical assistance patients think they deserve the best care possibleI makes me mad sometimes.
18. It sure makes a difference in your care depending on what kind of insurance you have. We NEED healthcare reform, people!
19. Im going to make sure that I have a living will. I just dont understand why the patient I cared for today wants everything done to hang on.
20. I realized I need to learn something every day. I love being a nurse.
21. My supervisor was bugging me today to join ANA. Why would I need to do that?

Nurse Educator

Volume 37 & Number 6 & November/December 2012

Copyright @ 2012 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.

243

Table 2. Congruence of Survey Items With ANA


Code of Ethics (2001) Provisions
ANA Provisiona
1. The nurse, in all professional
relationshipsI
2. The nurses primary commitment is
to the patientI
3. The nurse promotes, advocates for,
and strives to protectI
4. The nurse is responsible and
accountable for individualI
5. The nurse owes the same duties to
self as to othersI
6. The nurse participates in
establishing, maintainingI
7. The nurse participated in the
advancement of the professionI
8. The nurse collaborates with other
health professionalsI
9. The profession of nursing, as
represented by associationsI

Survey Statement
Representative
12, 14, 16
8, 11
2, 9
5, 6, 13
4, 7, 10, 20
1, 5, 15
18, 21
17, 18, 19
3, 21

Link to ANA Code of Ethics Provisions: http://www.nursingworld


.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses/
2110Provisions.html.

example, statement 9, I love clinical. All these residents of


Seabring Nursing Home are AWESOME! Thanks to Ethel
for the cookies she brought us today, clearly violates the
third ANA provision: The nurse promotes, advocates for,
and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the
patient.14(p55)
A pilot study with 10 students determined face validity
of the instrument, as well as to ascertain readability and
clarity of questions. Benchmarks for the survey items were
established from mean scores of the survey administered to
faculty and teaching staff, results of which will be reported
elsewhere.
Undergraduate students were asked to rate the degree
to which each statement violated ethical standards of nursing practice. Students responses to each statement were
measured using a 5-point Likert scale. The higher the mean
score, the more strongly students deemed the content inappropriate to post. All items, with the exception of question
20, were designed to have some degree of ethical or confidentiality violation. Question 20 was deemed positive and
appropriate to post and was reverse coded in scoring. The
survey also included demographic questions (gender, age,
previous college degree, experience as a certified nursing
assistant, etc). Our intent was that survey results could guide
undergraduate program actions when communicating expectations for ethical behavior related to posting sensitive
clinical information on social media sites.

Sample
To determine the sample size for the study, we conducted a
power analysis using the Raosoft Sample Size Calculator
(available at http://www.raosoft.com/samplesize.html) online.
For a 5% margin of error, 95% confidence interval, and an
244

Volume 37 & Number 6 & November/December 2012

independent t test, we needed a minimum sample of 108


students. Our sample was obtained using second-semester
sophomore (sophomore 2) and second-semester senior (senior
2) students as they represent the first and last semesters of the
undergraduate nursing program. These 2 specific student
populations were chosen under the premise that, as students
transition through the undergraduate nursing program (from
first-semester sophomore 2 students to fifth-semester senior
2 students), their ethical reasoning skills will quantifiably
improve.
The researchers approached both sophomore 2 and
senior 2 students during their respective classroom sessions,
and each cohort was invited to participate in the study. A
verbal explanation of the study and written information
sheets were provided to the students. It was reinforced that
participation was voluntary and that completion of the
survey implied consent to participate. We used Qualtrics
Online Survey Software (Qualtrics Lab Inc, Provo, Utah) for
administration, and students used their personal laptops to
access and complete the survey. Paper copies of the survey
were provided to students who either did not have a laptop
or who were unable to access the Internet. Students were
encouraged to complete the surveys in class; however, they
were given the option of completing the survey any time
within the 24 hours that the survey was open.

Data Analysis
Data were analyzed using the SPSS PASW Statistics 18 software. Mean scores for sophomore 2 and senior 2 students on
each item were calculated and compared using the t test to
determine differences in ethical reasoning pertaining to
posting clinical content on social media sites.

Results
A total of 69 of 79 sophomore 2 students (87% response rate)
and 56 of 69 senior 2 students (81% response rate) participated in the survey. Not all participants answered every
question. Levene test indicated that equal variances were
assumed for all items except item 9. Internal consistency of
items for all student surveys revealed a Cronbach ! of .884
(Cronbach ! for the sophomore 2 students was .858; for
senior 2 students, it was .907), indicating that the tool had
high reliability.

Demographic Data
Demographic data (percentages rounded) were collected and
indicated that having a social media account was comparable
and pervasive in both groups (sophomores, 99%; seniors,
96%). The mean ages were typical for traditional undergraduate
nursing students (sophomores, 22.4 years; seniors, 24.4years).
The sample was predominantly women (sophomores, 87%;
seniors, 86%). Ninety-seven percent of the sophomores and 86%
of the senior students had certified nursing assistant preparation with 2.5 to 3.13 years of applicable work experience.
The majority of both groups (sophomores, 90%; seniors,
88.5%) indicated that they did not hold a previous college
degree. Finally, 71% of the sophomores and 70 of the seniors
were aware that the UWOSH CON had a social networking
policy.
Nurse Educator

Copyright @ 2012 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.

Data Related to the 21 Statements


Table 3 displays a sample of all data for 5 statistically
significant items: 2, 10, 12, 13, and 16. To view means, SDs,
frequency, percentage, and significance of student responses to all 21 statements, see Document, Supplemental
Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/NE/A76.
Results of the t tests showed several items had statistically significant differences (P G .05) between the 2 groups
regarding the appropriateness of posting clinical content to
online social media sites. In response to item 2 (sophomore
2 mean, 4.20; senior 2 mean, 4.64) and item 9 (sophomore
2 mean, 4.26; senior 2 mean, 4.62), the senior 2 respondents
had greater sense that content with patients identifying
information should not be posted. Responses to a self-

deprecating post (item 10) yielded similar results, with senior 2 students having a greater sense that such a statement
should not be posted (sophomore 2 mean, 3.48; senior
2 mean, 4.02). Item 13 referred to trying to connect with
others online while on a break during clinical; the sophomore 2 mean was 2.86, and the senior 2 mean was 3.43,
indicating that both student groups were unsure if the item
should be posted or not.
Item 15, which refers to organizational policy and
positive staffing patterns, yielded significant results with
sophomore 2 students mean indicating this being OK to
post and senior 2 students mean indicating neutrality
and uncertainty toward posting. This was in contrast to a
similar item about negative staffing (item 6) in which both

Table 3. Range, Frequency, and Percentage of Sophomore 2 and Senior 2 Student Responses

Sample Items, All With


Significance e.05
2. My patient was the cutest little
70-year-old lady. And I found out
she lives in my neighborhood.
AwesomeI a new friend.

Sophomore
2 Mean (SD)
(n = 79, n = 69)
4.20 (1.04)

10. First day off orientation and I feel


completely overwhelmed! I seriously
dont know what Im doing yet. I feel
sorry if you were my patient todayI
but I will get better.

3.48 (1.15)

12. I had a tough day; one patient didnt


speak any English, and it was hard to
do my patient teaching.

3.56 (1.14)

13. Whats up everyone? Im on a break at


clinical and had some time to post.
Anybody out there have a minute to
catch up?

2.86 (1.36)

16. Unique day at workI I took care of a


prisoner for the first time. I was scared
at first, but she was very nice.

3.86 (1.16)

Frequency and %
Senior
Frequency and No.
of Students
Significance (2-Tailed)a
2 Mean (SD)
of Students
Choosing Each
(n = 69,
Choosing Each
Comparing Sophomore
Response
n = 56)
Response
2 and Senior Students
Range 1-5
1 = 2 (2.9)
2 = 7 (10.3)
3 = 3 (4.4)
4 = 23 (33.8)
5 = 33 (48.5)
Missing: 1
Range 1-5
1 = 5 (7.4)
2 = 9 (13.2)
3 = 14 (20.6)
4 = 29 (42.6)
5 = 11 (16.2)
Missing: 1
Range 1-5
1 = 3 (4.4)
2 = 12 (17.6)
3 = 13 (19.1)
4 = 26 (38.2)
5 = 14 (20.6)
Missing: 1
Range 1-5
1 = 13 (19.1)
2 = 19 (27.9)
3 = 11 (16.2)
4 = 15 (22.1)
5 = 10 (14.7)
Missing: 1
Range 1-5
1 = 2 (3)
2 = 8 (11.9)
3 = 14 (20.9)
4 = 17 (25.4)
5 = 26 (38.8)
Missing: 2

4.64 (0.79)

Range 1-5
1 = 2 (3.6)
2 = 1 (1.8)
3 = 1 (1.8)
4 = 10 (17.9)
5 = 42 (75)

.017a

4.02 (1.18)

Range 1-5
1 = 3 (5.4)
2 = 4 (7.1)
3 = 7 (12.5)
4 = 17 (30.4)
5 = 25 (44.6)

.010a

4.36 (0.88)

Range 1-5
1 = 2 (3.6)
2 = 1 (1.8)
3 = 5 (8.9)
4 = 17 (30.4)
5 = 31 (55.4)

.000a

3.43 (1.45)

Range 1-5
1 = 7 (12.5)
2 = 10 (17.9)
3 = 6 (10.7)
4 = 14 (25)
5 = 19 (33.9)

.012a

4.42 (1.01)

Range 1-5
1 = 1 (1.8)
2 = 3 (5.5)
3 = 5 (9.1)
4 = 9 (16.4)
5 = 37 (67.3)
Missing: 1

.005a

Scale: 1 = OK to post, does not violate ethical standards of nursing practice; 2 = may be OK to post, probably does not violate
ethical standards of nursing practice; 3 = neutral, I am not sure if it violates ethical standards of nursing practice; 4 = probably should
not be posted, may violate ethical standards of nursing practice; and 5 = not OK to post, strongly violates ethical standards of nursing
practice.
a
Two-tailed.

Nurse Educator

Volume 37 & Number 6 & November/December 2012

Copyright @ 2012 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.

245

groups indicated the content was not OK to post. Two


items showed significance at the .01 level. Items 12 and 16
indicated that the seniors had a much greater sense that
content that might identify patients (referencing diversity
or incarceration), even though worded vaguely, should not
be posted.

Discussion
Study results indicate that participation in popular online
social media forums such as Facebook and Twitter was
pervasive among our sample of undergraduate nursing
students, consistent with findings of other research studies.1,8-11,13 Kind et al15 and Chretien et al8 reported that less
than half of accredited medical schools they surveyed had
guidelines or policies that explicitly mentioned social media.
Although the CON has a policy in place, unfortunately,
results of this study indicated that 27.5% of the sophomore
2 students and 30.4% of the senior 2 students were either
unaware or unsure if the CON had such a policy. Clearly,
more effective methods are needed to ensure that students
are aware of the CONs social media policy.
The ANA16 recently identified 6 essential principles that
all RNs should adhere to when participating in online social
media. According to the ANA, nurses and nursing students
must be aware of their legal and ethical role in maintaining
patient confidentiality. In general, our study results indicated
that the 2 student cohorts were in agreement about posting
or not posting 14 of 21 (67%) statements in our survey (Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/NE/A76).
There were significant differences in responses to 7 of
21 (33%) of the survey items. The senior students indicated
more neutrality than sophomores to item 15, demonstrating
they were not sure if it was OK to post information about a
new staffing policy that was a favorable reflection on the
organization. For 4 items that were significantly different
(items 2, 9, 12, and 16), the seniors had a better understanding that those statements should not be posted, likely
because of their personal, academic, and professional
maturity. Higher mean age, more years of nursing assistant
experience, and more years of nursing clinical and theory
courses might give them more exposure to ethical dilemmas
and rules and regulations associated with confidentiality and
HIPAA guidelines.
Items framed in positive or complimentary ways toward
patients may have confused the younger, less experienced
students. Item 2 related to a patients age and neighborhood,
noting the patient could be a new friend. Item 9 included a
patients first name and the fictitious name of the nursing
home in which the patient resided. Item 13 shed a positive
light on the experience of caring for a prisoner. The senior 2
students may have better understood that sharing such
content violated confidentiality rules or HIPAA standards.
Younger students may not realize the ramifications that
could arise from disclosing staffing patterns at facilities in
which they are employed. Whereas both groups appropriately reported that item 6, which addressed a staffing pattern
that could negatively affect patient care, should not be
posted, the sophomore 2 students did not similarly realize
that even reporting a positive staffing pattern (item 15) may
be inappropriate. Posting such information could indicate to
246

Volume 37 & Number 6 & November/December 2012

the public that care might not have been optimal before the
new staffing pattern was implemented and could reflect
negatively on the organization.17 Item 12 identifies that the
patient did not speak English. Again, the younger students
may not realize that such information could lead to that
patient being identified, which is a clear violation of confidentiality guidelines.6
The senior 2 students leaned toward neutrality when
responding to item 13, connecting with friends on a social
media site during a clinical break. There was a significant
difference between the 2 groups, with the sophomore 2
group leaning toward this item probably being OK to post.
This neutrality on the part of the seniors indicates that
perhaps policies need to be developed to guide students
and nurses about what is, or is not, acceptable during a
scheduled break. This may vary according to institutional
policy. Clarifying organizational expectations is important to
ensure that employees and students alike have clear ideas of
appropriate or inappropriate online behavior.
Lagu et al13 found that 17.7% of weblogs written by
health professionals contained information that described
patients in a negative light and 30% reflected the healthcare
profession negatively. In the current study, survey items 8,
14, 16, 17, 18, and 19 showed patients in a somewhat negative light, and items 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 10 depicted negative
aspects associated with the nursing profession. Of these,
only items 10 and 16 showed significant differences in the
responses between the sophomores and seniors. Item 10
indicates being overwhelmed at work and feeling sorry if
you were my patient today. The seniors were more likely
not to post the content, whereas the sophomores leaned
toward being unsure whether this violated any ethical guidelines. Item 16 mentioned being scared of caring for a prisoner.
Certainly, it would not be appropriate to publicly note any
member of a social group for whom one cared.
A surprising finding of this study was the uncertainty or
neutrality reported by both groups when responding to
statements 5, 11, and 15. The ANA6 espouses that all nurses
must be made aware of their legal and ethical role in
maintaining patient confidentiality, yet the results indicate
that students may not understand what that role is when
using social media. It is clear that ethical reasoning within
the realm of online social media remains an equivocal
phenomenon that requires further empirical investigation.

Limitations and Recommendations for


Future Research
This study had several limitations. First, data were collected
at a single institution and at a single point in time. Second,
the survey was researcher developed and used for the first
time in this study. Even though internal consistency for the
instrument was high, it is important to use this survey again
and validate reliability of the instrument. We encourage
others to use/test the instrument in their research endeavors
and only ask that they acknowledge us and that the results
be made available to us. Recommendations for future research include replicating this study at other schools of
nursing and examining nursing schools social media policies and students knowledge of such policies.
Nurse Educator

Copyright @ 2012 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.

Conclusion
Maintaining patients privacy and keeping all matters confidential are important fundamental obligations for nurses.
According to the ANA,14 The nurses primary commitment
is to the patient, and nurses are ethically required to practice
with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity and
worth of every individual.14(2011, p4) Although online social
networking sites provide students with a sense of connectivity, socialization, and emotional support, the Internet can
represent a unique and very real threat to nursing professionalism. Nurse educators are charged with instilling the
skills and ethical values necessary to successfully navigate a
digital world.

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Resources for the Healthy Nurse


The overall health and well-being of nurses, nursing students, and nursing faculty is currently receiving attention from
nursing groups, including the American Nurses Association (ANA). At the June, 2012 ANA convention in National Harbor,
Maryland, an entire day was dedicated to strategies and suggestions to assist nurses in achieving wellness. Motivational
speakers addressed issues related to diet, sleep, change, physical activity, and environmental concerns. One way to obtain
information related to this timely topic is to access BestNursingDegree.com (http://www.bestnursingdegree.com/). The
Web site provides a link to an approximately 5-minute interview with Suzy Harrington, DNP, RN, MCHES, who is
the director of the ANA Center for Health, Safety, and Wellness.
The Web site also provides a New Nurse Survival Guide with information related to nursing education, finding a job
in nursing, and health-related suggestions for practicing nurses. The education link suggests strategies for NCLEX
preparation and discusses nursing as a second career. The Job Hunt resource lists interview tips and suggestions for
developing a resume. On the Job addresses malpractice insurance, hospital politics, and avoiding burnout. This
section also provides a blog for new nurses to share experiences and suggestions related to physical and emotional health.
The Web site is simple to navigate and provides useful information for students, faculty, and practicing nurses. The resource
could also be used by faculty as a reference for those seeking information about nursing education or to
assist new graduates develop the materials needed for job interviews.
Source: BestNursingDegree.com. Want to Learn More About Nursing? Start here. Available at http://www.bestnursingdegree.com/.
Accessed on June 21, 2012.
Submitted by: Robin E. Pattillo, PhD, RN, CNL, News Editor at NENewsEditor@gmail.com.
DOI: 10.1097/NNE.0b013e31826f284f

Nurse Educator

Volume 37 & Number 6 & November/December 2012

Copyright @ 2012 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.

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