acmhn international mental health conference poster
TRANSCRIPT
MH4OT, MH4RN & MH4SW: UTILISING SOCIAL MEDIA TO EMBRACE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Zara Mills Dip H/E RGN, Dip H/E & RMN Brock Cook Ba OccThy
Up until recently, the majority of education and information conveyed to clinicians and undergraduate health care providers has traditionally been through books, journal articles and face to face interactions. Whilst these methods continue to be utilised, the use of social media continues to develop and offer a wide range of opportunities to all parties in health care from tertiary educational settings, health care professionals in clinical settings, to managerial persons.
Nursing overall, is an aging profession and mental health nursing is no exception to this. With text books and journal articles still a prominent learning feature in mental health nursing, should we not open ourselves to other methods, we are at risk of being left behind.
•Education - An innovative resource for teaching and delivering information to colleagues, clinicians etc.
•Networking - Opportunity to information share with professionals who may share similar interests, clinical support amongst clinicians etc.
•Entice a younger generation to join mental health nursing - Utilising communication methods familiar with the younger generation with the over arching goal of enticing young nurses to join mental health nursing and encouraging a sustained workforce
•Strengthen international links - A fast and effective way to communicate and liaise with international counterparts regardless of their location
•Opportunities to Rural and Remote which may otherwise not be possible
Outside of health care, the use of social media is evolving into a sophisticated resource. With this is mind, there is the threat should health care providers not seize the opportunity, we may be ‘left behind’.
We are in a fortunate position. The opportunities, resources and innovative ideas social media offers us is a welcome chance to expand our knowledge and skills with clinicians near and far. Should we be naive enough to overlook this, a whole array of options will move without us.
Social media as a teaching method and educational resource is a relatively new phenomena still. However, the opportunities social media offers in education, are far beyond what we initially considered:
www.facebook.com/groups/MH4OT www.facebook.com/groups/MH4RN www.facebook.com/groups/MH4SW