Social media: Why use social media?

Social media comprises different types of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn and many others - each come with their own unique purpose and associated benefits. On this site we have focussed on Twitter as its easy to use and particularly strong for building professional networks and keeping up to date with health care news.

Although there are some issues in using Twitter that it is important to be mindful of, regular use of Twitter can bring many positive benefits to your working life and  career including

• Connecting with others who share common interests both within the organization and outside
• Growing your professional network and building learning communities
• Sharing and learning from best practice 
• Keeping up to date with the latest developments in healthcare  - NHS news, research and journal articles, conferences, blogs etc. Often Twitter is one of the first places items are announced.
• Joining in with professional and educational discussions such as journal clubs or tweet chats
• Sharing good news stories with others e.g. if you have successfully completed a course
• Receiving targeted news based on your own professional interests 

WeCommunities maintains a list of useful articles that outline the some of the evidence behind the benefits of using social media by healthcare professionals.

The full text of some articles listed may be available with an NHSOpenAthens account (see below for more information)

What is an Athens account? A username and password that gives you access to a range of online databases and full text resources

Why have one? Access online resources 24/7 from work, home, or on mobile devices

What can I access with it? View our full list of online resources

I have a question about my account Contact the library