NR 506 Week 6 TD

Given the power of the media, discuss how you would use an opinion editorial, a personal interview, websites, texting, Facebook, Twitter, and/or blogs to influence public opinion relative to your policy priority. What issues about media and electronic social networking do you need to consider? Why? The use of social media has increased significantly over the last ten years. According to Leroy, Harber, and Revere (2016), since Twitter started six years ago, approximately fifteen percent of the population worldwide subscribes to it. Did you ever think you would see Twitter being used as a communication sounding board for a presidential election? I certainly did not. So the thought of using it as a way to get health information to the public does not sound so crazy. When used correctly, social media is an important tool that medical professionals can use to disperse important information to the public and professional organizations can advertise products and make their viewpoints known. Nurses are upheld to a higher standard, we are expected and should apply our knowledge to helping the community. This means nurses must also change with and adapt to the times, which encompasses educating the community via social media networks. Personally, even though technically I am considered a millennial, I am not super fond of social media. I understand that it can be an effective tool but it can also be detrimental, which is probably why I usually just avoid it. Medical professionals must be extra careful not to cross the fine line between positive effects and negative effects. A big issue for medical professionals is that we must remain professional and uphold patient confidentiality laws. Honestly, I know very little about Twitter. That being said, it seems to me as a good platform to promote my policy priority of smoking cessation. I feel that using Twitter would be the best way to reach my target population. Aside from teenagers, I would target the general public and the healthcare community as well. In doing so, this would expose my policy to an even larger target audience, which can help increase awareness of the issue and hopefully better the odds my policy being approved. ........................................CONTINUED...................................