I work as a nurse in the ward of Kuopio University Hospital. In our work we use different applications such as Secapp, Medanets, Titania, Teams and WhatsApp. 

Secapp is a service that allows you to send mass messages, alert individuals and teams. It is especially suitable for critical situations and ensuring safety. Thus, the Secapp service can be used, for example, when you need workers to replace absences or major accident alarms.  

Medanets is a nursing app which facilitates the work of nursing staff. Medanets is a mobile application that can be used to transfer the vitals measured from the patient directly to a computer where they can be seen in real time. Medanets can also be used to transfer photographs of wounds to a patient information system, for example. 

Titania is a system where nursing staff can plan their own shifts. Titania also shows ready -made shift lists and hours of the working time bank. 

Teams is a software that can be used for free one-on-one video and voice calls, and group calls, sending instant messages and sharing files with other Teams users. In my work, Teams is used, for example, for meetings, for sharing files and instructions. Covid pandemia has increased the use of Teams at my workplace. 

WhatsApp is a quick communication service for smartphones. Our work community has a common WhatsApp group where we can, for example, plan meetings outside working hours.

TOOLS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

LinkedIn is a networking tool and online community service. LinkedIn is thus a professional business card and CV, a professional networking site, a job search social channel, a information retrieval channel and a search engine. I understand that LinkedIn is more popular abroad, I’ve never used it myself. It may be that as work communities become more multicultural, the use of LinkedIn may increase?  

Tiktok is a Chinese social media service where users share short videos. I haven’t published videos for the Tiktok myself, but I’ve watched them sometimes. I have found fun “memory rule songs” there that can help to make medicine knowledge and understand the effects of different drugs. Nowadays, social media is also a marketing tool and, in addition, it can be used to recruit employees. 

Instagram is a social media service for sharing images and videos that other users can comment and like. Many healthcare units have their own Instagram account to tell about the unit’s operations. I think, if successful, these videos give a positive image of units and encourage people to get there to work there. 

YouTube is a video service on the Internet where users can add their own videos, and watch and comment on other users’ videos. I haven’t used YouTube in my work, but I think it could be used in patient guidance. 

Mural is a digital workspace for visual cooperation. It gives you the opportunity to think and work visual collaboration to solve problems. I don’t do this kind of lectures or group work in my work, but if I needed them I could imagine using Mural. 

SOCIAL MEDIA FROM POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SIDE

Positive:

  • Social media can be used as a tool for nursing in professional information sharing or in the acquisition of knowledge.
  • The information passes quickly.
  • Professional channels can be used for information or professional consulting.
  • Affordable marketing.
  • Transmitting a positive image from the work community.
  • Networking with other professionals and finding useful sources of information.
  • International participation in discussion on health, well -being and quality of life.
  • Online communication facilitates contact with long distances.
  • For example, images sent by the online application can be accelerated for starting treatment.
  • Social media also reaches young people efficiently, sharing health -promoting information to them more effective.

Negative:

  • Threat to the spread of patient information, to break down data protection.
  • Nothing on the network can ever be permanently removed and can be predicted.
  • Knowledge is not always reliable, taking into account source criticism.
  • Lack of physical human contact.
  • Problems related to the use of information technology, inexperience.

SELF EVALUATION

Increasing digitalisation requires people to adapt and learn new things. There is a lot of good in the development of digitalisation – it provides a new kind of learning, sharing knowledge and affordable marketing. Of course, it also has negative aspects due, among other things, to the threat of security breakdown. As I explored different applications and platforms, I understood how much digitalisation has evolved, for example, during my career. Just a few years back, the patient’s blood pressure was written on a sticky tag and then when they were able to move them to a computer from which the doctor could see them. Today, information is immediately passed through the mobile application used. Digitalisation also allows your doctor to inspect the patient’s heart film when he or she is physically across the hospital. This facilitates the work of many people.