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From the Editor
This is the current 2011 issue of NI News - the free ezine from the site Nursing Informatics.com.
This publication offers articles, news, product and systems analyses, tech resources and dialogue on current nursing informatics issues, discoveries and theory. We provide a bird's eye, comprehensive view of informatics in practice, education, research and leadership.
If you would like to receive a regular copy by email, please GO HERE to subscribe.
June Kaminski
Read the OJNI -
The Online Journal of
Nursing Informatics
Go to the OJNI
As Chief Senior Editor, I invite you to submit papers related to informatics for OJNI publication.
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Go to the CNIA!
As Director of Communications, I also invite you to join the Canadian Nursing Informatics Association at cnia.ca
As Editor in Chief, I invite papers related to informatics for the Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics publication.
Go to the CJNI
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LinkedIn – Like a Virtual Rolodex and More!
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S
ocial media platforms have become important assets in the 21st century for businesses, organizations, schools, groups, families, and individuals. It is astounding to see the myriad of social media platforms that exist today, especially when one considers that the public's use of the Internet only became common just over a decade ago. From Facebook to Twitter to Youtube to Slideshare and now Google's new platform, Buzz, plus many many more, social media user rates are growing expotentially.
Recent estimates are that there are close to a billion social media users around the world. LinkedIn alone averages close to 1 million more users added every month and currently has 135 million users. The reasons why people use sites like Facebook vary, but most seem to do so to keep in touch with personal networks like family, school chums, neighbors, and friends. Twitter offers an easy way to keep in touch using one liners (140 characters are allowed per message, to be exact), and is a great way to share links, announcements or short messages.
Youtube allows one to share videos, Slideshare is a place to share PowerPoints, Word, pdfs, and other documents. LinkedIn however is a much different platform – the main premise of the site is to connect professionals and promote networking. It is probably the most valuable social media platform for any nurse informatician, researcher, educator, administrator, and practitioner. It is literally like a virtual rolodex with a lot more to offer than mere contact managment capabilities.
LinkedIn offers three key processes to 'get the most from your professional network' (the site's main slogan). The site's owners categorize these critical and interactive processes as:
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a) Re-connecting – the site offers an interesting profile area that you can literally spend hours developing, with several showcasing features. The networking feature allows you to search for people from your past and present, to find people who you would like to meet, and link with people in your industry.
b) Powering your career – a unique aspect of Linked In is that it supports job searches, head hunting, and finding potential new opportunities for building your career. The profile area is set up to resemble a resume or curriculum vitae, and actually allows you to automatically complete many of the content areas by uploading your resume/CV directly into the site. It also allows people to write recommendations for you, which helps to attract potential employers and/or clients.
c) Getting answers – the networking ability of this site is amazing – I have personally been able to network with many of the finest experts in nursing informatics through Linked In. There are many industry experts from all fields in the network, and most are happy to answer any questions you might have.
The Groups feature also allows you to join a wide assortment of expert groups so you can keep in touch with what is happening in your field. Some examples of groups related to nursing informatics are the ANIA-Caring Group, the AMIA Nursing Informatics Working Group, and the Nurses and Computers, Technology and Gadgets Professionals of Healthcare World group.
LinkedIn is truly linked in – it even allows you to connect and showcase your Twitter tweets, Facebook notes, Slideshare presentations, YouTube videos, and Wordpress blog entries right in your profile. Other features include your bookshelf, where you can share your favorite books via Amazon links, and create a Huddle workspace where you can collaborate with other Linked In professionals. This is definitely one of the finest social media platforms in existence that serves the professional community. Isn't it time you were Linked In?
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