HPNA’s  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  &  Palliative  Nurses
A project encouraging collaboration, leadership, connection and life-long learning.
HPNA.org
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  1      Â
Â
“The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.� - Ralph Nader, 1976
Table  of  Contents Why  utilize  social  media  as  a  hospice  and  palliative  nurse?......................................3 Sally  Welsh,  MSN,  RN,  NEA-BC,  CEO.......................................................................4 Chad  Reilly,  Director  of  Membership.......................................................................5 About  This  Project  .................................................................................................6 With  time  limitations,  which  social  media  platforms  should  I  pay  attention  to?........7 LinkedIn  Overview  ..............................................................................................8-9 Twitter  Overview.............................................................................................10-12 Tumblr  &  Blogging  Overview............................................................................13-16 Facebook  Overview  .........................................................................................17-19 Google+  Overview...........................................................................................20-21 Priorities  &  Social  Media  Workflows  .....................................................................22  Bio  Exercise..........................................................................................................23 Getting  Started  with  LinkedIn..........................................................................24-31 Getting  Started  with  Twitter............................................................................32-42
Acknowledgements This  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  was  produced  as  the  Palliative  Nursing  Leadership  Institute  project  of  Sally  Welsh,  MSN,  RN,  NEA-BC,  CEO.  Funded  by  the  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  Association  and  the  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  Foundation,  the  guide  was  completed  in  collaboration  with  Chad  Reilly,  HPNA’s  Director  of  Membership  and  RenĂŠe  Berry,  a  hospice  and  palliative  care  advocate  and  Digital  Media  Consultant  at  BeMoRe.  Â
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  2      Â
Â
Why  utilize  social  media  as  a  hospice  and  palliative  nurse? • Stay  in  touch  with  current  professional  connections  and  strengthen  those  relationships
• Create  new  professional  relationships • Be  accessible  to  new  nursing  leaders • Learn  from  the  expertise  of  contacts  in  different  disciplines,  maintain  a  professional  connection
• Breakdown  healthcare  silos • Encourage  interdisciplinary  trust  and  collaboration • Stay  up  to  date  on  the  latest  research  and  articles  being  discussed  in  hospice  and  palliative  care
• Inspire  nurses  to  enter  the  field  of  palliative  nursing • Explore  opportunities  for  personal  reflection  for  self  care  and  preventing  burnout
• Support  other  nurses  that  may  experience  burnout,  grief  or  other  challenges
• Help  the  public  understand  palliative  care
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  3      Â
Â
@WelshRN Â
“
I Invite you to join me on social media platforms. Together we can raise awareness of the value and impact of the care we provide to individuals, their families, communities and the health care system.
�
-  Sally  Welsh,  MSN,  RN,  NEA-BC,  Chief  Executive  Officer
The pursuit of life-long learning  combined  with  a  sense           of  curiosity  and  a  dose  of  inspiration  led  me  to  become  more  involved  with  social  media.  In  July  of  2012  I  attended  my  first  Board  Meeting  as  the  new  Chief  Executive  Officer  of  the  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  Association.  At  this  meeting  we  agreed  a  major  focus  for  my  new  role  would  be  to  continue  to  enhance  the  presence  of  hospice  and  palliative  nurses  and  the  organization.  The  following  week  I  attended  a  session  at  the  Palliative  Nursing  Leadership  Institute  about  social  media  for  professional  development.  I  was  so  excited  about  the  possibilities  that  I  decided  my  Leadership  Institute  project  would  be  “Utilizing  Social  Media  to  Create  an  Identity  and  Enhance  the  Presence  of  a  Nursing  Leader  and  Professional  Nursing  Organization.�  My  journey  into  Twitter  began  shortly  thereafter.  It’s  now  been  over  six  months  and  I  have  found  a  lot  of  value  in  LinkedIn  and  Twitter  (and  they’re  not  taking  up  all  my  time!).  I  have  utilized  the  social  media  platforms  to  connect  with  other  professionals  and  to  promote  issues  relevant  to  palliative  nursing  and  other  relevant  health  care  issues.  I  find  myself  getting  excited  about  achieving  milestones  like  when  I  first  reached  100  followers  on  Twitter.  These  small  but  incremental  milestones  are  especially  exciting  as  I  reflect  on  the  opportunity  to  increase  awareness  about  palliative  care  advocacy  and  the  issues  impacting  palliative  nursing. HPNA  has  developed  a  presence  online  and  we  are  releasing  this  Social  Media  Guide  as  a  resource  to  our  members  to  learn  with  us  as  we  embrace  these  social  platforms  to  encourage  collaboration,  leadership,  connection,  and  life-long  learning.   I  look  forward  to  hearing  from  you  along  your  social  media  journey  as  an  engaged  HPNA  community  member.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  4      Â
Â
Chad Reilly
Director of Membership
Dear HPNA Members and Advocates, My  name  is  Chad  Reilly,  Director  of  Membership,  and  I  would  like  to  welcome  you  to  HPNA’s  Social  Media  Guide.    While  working  within  HPNA’s  Membership  Department  over  the  past  five  years,  I  have  personally  witnessed  the  rapid  expansion  of  social  media’s  impact  within  our  organization  and  the  entire  healthcare  community.   Building  HPNA’s  presence  on  social  media  channels,  such  as  Twitter,  Facebook,  and  YouTube,  quickly  turned  a  professional  task  into  a  personal  passion  for  me.   Simply  put,  I  believe  in  the  importance  social  media!       Today,  HPNA  has  multiple  social  media  channels  and  thousands  of  ‘followers’  around  the  world.   In  fact,  trending  topics,  information  sharing,  and  thoughtprovoking  conversations  based  around  palliative  care  are  taking  place  right  now  within  social  media!   The  amount  of  quality  information  and  resources  shared  in  social  media  is  simply  remarkable.   Personally,  I  have  learned  from  and  connected  with  palliative  care  leaders  from  around  the  world,  which  would  not  have  been  possible  without  social  media.   I  hope  the  following  guide  will  encourage  you  to  begin  your  own  personal  journey  within  social  media.   If  you  have  any  questions  about  getting  starting  in  social  media,  please  feel  free  to  contact  me  in  the  National  Office.  I  am  very  passionate  about  this  topic  and  would  be  happy  to  share  helpful  information  with  you.  Have  fun  and  hope  to  see  you  in  social  media  soon! Â
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  5      Â
Â
About This Project Inspired  initially  from  a  presentation  titled,  “Finding  Your  Social  Rhythm,�  the  goal  of  HPNA’s  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  is  to  encourage  collaboration,  leadership,  connection,  and  life-long  learning.  Throughout  the  guide  there  are  references  to  “social  rhythm�  which  refers  to  an  understanding  that  learning  about  social  media  is  a  process.  In  fact,  it’s  a  different  process  for  each  person  and  even  different  for  each  platform.  Finding  a  way  to  build  Twitter  into  your  daily  routine  is  straightforward  for  some  and  very  challenging  for  others.  LinkedIn  may  be  one  person’s  favorite  platform  while  another  finds  it  slightly  confusing.  The  point  is,  we  would  like  this  guide  to  serve  as  a  resource  for  hospice  and  palliative  nurses,  allowing   patience  with  each  person’s  own  learning  process.  We  hope  this  guide  also  provides  clarity  on  maintaining  professional  boundaries  so  nurses  can  engage  on  social  media  platforms  while  making  informed  decisions  about  a  public  and  private  self  (and  yep,  there’s  room  for  both). Remember,  finding  your  public  online  voice  and  social  rhythm  is  a  little  bit  like  public  speaking.  Your  sense  of  what  to  say  and  what  not  to  say  will  strengthen  and  become  more  natural  over  time.
Finding your rhythm is a commitment to learning, an understanding that everything won’t make sense all at once, and that consistency and producing content come with practice.
What  about  achieving  goals?  Another  consideration  is  that  it’s  difficult  to  jump  right  to  results  with  out  a  basic  understanding  (and  practice)  of  social  media  platforms.  Outlining  professional  goals  is  helpful  in  keeping  on  track  and  encouraging  consistency,  but  like  most  things  in  professional  development,  immediate  magic  isn’t  usually  the  way  things  work.  Staying  focused  on  goals  is  key  and  again,  so  is  patience. Â
So, commit to steady learning, be patient with yourself, and find your social rhythm.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  6      Â
Â
Yes
you can engage in social media platforms. & No, it does not have to take up a lot more of your time.
With  time  limitations, which  social  media  platforms  should  I  pay  attention  to? One  of  the  first  things  in  getting  started  with  social  media  is  understanding  which  platforms  serve  which  function.  We  will  not  be  looking  at  every  social  media  platform,  but  rather  the  ones  that  we  feel  are  most  relevant  at  this  time  to  hospice  and  palliative  nurses.  The  guide  includes  more  details  about  getting  started  on  LinkedIn  and  Twitter,  since  at  this  time  these  platforms  offer  the  greatest  professional  value  for  hospice  and  palliative  nurses. There  will  also  be  a  description  of  these  social  media  platforms  that  will  help  nurses  decipher  which  are  appropriate  for  professional  content  and  connections.  This  guide  reviews  a  snapshot  of  potential  social  media  workflows.  These  are  quick  looks  at  the  time  commitment  for  engaging  on  particular  social  media  platforms  so  you  can  make  sure  digital  platforms  don’t  take  more  time  than  you’re  willing  to  commit. A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  7      Â
Â
 LinkedIn What is it? A  professional  network  for  maintaining  professional  contacts.
Clarifying Myths: Often  people  think  LinkedIn  Professional  is  just  for  people  who  are  looking  for  a  job.  Job  finding  is  only  one  of  many  ways  to  utilize  LinkedIn. Â
Public vs. Private Having  your  LinkedIn  profile  set  for  public  view  simply  means  people  may  come  across  your  profile  based  on  your  skills,  projects  you’re  working  on,  or  because  of  a  shared  area  of  study.  Only  people  you  approve  will  become  a  part  of  your  network  of  connections.  If  you  have  concerns  about  the  visibility  of  your  LinkedIn  profile  being  public  you  can  adjust  the  settings  so  only  your  connections  can  see  your  listed  information.  However  allowing  public  access  to  your  professional  profile  will  increase  visibility.
Professional Personal vs. Professional
It  is  ok  to  connect  with  both  your  professional  network  and  your  personal  connections  on  LinkedIn.  You  never  know  when  a  personal  connection  may  also  be  connected  to  someone  who  is  professionally  relevant  to  you.  The  type  of  information  you  share  on  your  profile  should  be  centered  around  professionally  relevant  content.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  8      Â
Â
Tips for Boundaries Only  connect  with  people  you  know.  Sometimes  people  may  want  to  connect  with  you  because  you  have  an  interesting  job,  but  it’s  best  to  maintain  this  platform  for  authentic  connections.
Uses for hospice and palliative nurses:
 Â
Staying  in  contact  with  colleagues  across  the  country  helps  contribute  to  continuous  learning.  LinkedIn  is  a  great  resource  for  staying  in  touch  with  mentors.  Also,  connecting  to  people  outside  of  hospice  and  palliative  care  can  be  a  great  way  to  build  interdisciplinary  trust.  If  you  connect  with  an  oncology  nurse,  the  two  of  you  may  start  seeing  each  other  as  resources  for  topic-specific  information  and  articles.  Utilize  groups,  company  pages,  and  the  LinkedIn  share  button  to  engage  with  interesting  content. Â
Quick  Remember:  LinkedIn - Your Digital Office Space: LinkedIn  is  for  connecting  with  people  you  have  had  meetings  with  in  the  past  or  may  invite  to  your  office  in  the  future  for  a  professional  discussion.
Make  a  list  of  current  career  goals.  These  do  not  have  to  be  relevant  to  LinkedIn  right  now.  Just  try  to  focus  on  different  things  you  would  like  to  accomplish. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  9      Â
Â
 Twitter What is it? A  micro-blogging  platform  that  allows  for  simple  ways  to  connect  with  people  who  share  your  interests,  read  and  access  information  from  leaders.  One  of  the  key  components  of  Twitter  is  a  hashtag,  any  combination  of  letters  after  the  #  symbol  will  create  a  link  to  anyone  discussing  that  topic.  #Palliative  in  a  Tweet  creates  a  link  to  anyone  in  the  world  talking  about  palliative  care  on  Twitter.
Clarifying Myths: Sometimes  Twitter  is  associated  with  sharing  thoughts  that  are  140  characters  in  length.  While  the  tweet  (or  message)  itself  is  limited  to  140  characters,  this  is  often  used  like  a  headline  to  an  article  with  a  link  to  that  article.
Public vs. Private Twitter  is  a  very  public  platform.  There  is  an  option  for  private  tweets  but  deciding  to  have  tweets  private  actually  makes  the  platform  lose  much  of  its  value  and  benefit.
Tips for Boundaries Tip  for  boundaries:  granted  this  doesn’t  happen  often,  it’s  important  to  remember  that  if  anyone  ever  makes  you  feel  uncomfortable,  for  any  reason,  you  have  the  option  to  block  them.  Twitter  is  a  public  platform.  A  lot  of  people  can  happen  upon  your  tweets.  Don’t  feel  obligated  to  engage  with  everyone.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  10      Â
Â
How do you balance professional content and connections with personal interests? Finding  this  balance  will  be  different  for  everyone.  If  you  are  sharing  and  discussing  professional  content  more  often,  you  are  more  likely  to  attract  followers  who  view  you  as  a  reliable  resource.  Try  to  think  of  it  in  percentages  —―  about  90%  professional  with  10%  personal,  while  carefully  considering  what  you  will  share  of  your  personal  interests. Â
Connections Because  Twitter  is  a  very  public  platform  you  will  have  a  large  variety  in  the  type  of  followers  that  you  build.  Some  will  be  random.  Some  may  be  people  you  look  up  to.  Some  will  be  colleagues.  Some  will  be  spammy  (and  it’s  ok  to  ignore  those). Â
Is  Connecting  on  Twitter  Different  than  Connecting  on  LinkedIn? This  is  an  important  distinction  between  Twitter  and  LinkedIn.  It’s  ok  to  have  variety  and  people  you  don’t  know  following  you  on  Twitter. Twitter  is  more  about  people  following  and  learning  from  each  other  regardless  of  whether  they  knew  each  other  before.  You  may  not  always  know  why  a  particular  person  may  be  interested  in  following  you. Â
There  is  more  control  over  who  you  connect  with  on  LinkedIn  where  people  choose  who  to  connect  with  based  on  who  they  know.
Example: a technology blogger starts following you, a hospice nurse.  You  don’t  typically  send  messages  about  technology,  but  unknown  to  you  this  blogger’s  mother  recently  received  hospice  care  and  is  following  you  because  he’s  now  more  interested  in  issues  in  the  field  and  wants  to  follow  you  as  a  resource  for  hospice  and  palliative  care  content.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  11      Â
Â
Content you read and follow on Twitter: With  Twitter,  it’s  important  to  remember  what  you  read  on  this  platform  will  be  as  professional  as  the  people  and  organizations  you  choose  to  follow.  If  you’re  following  a  large  number  of  personal  interests,  like  TV  show  celebrities,  it  will  be  more  challenging  for  you  to  amplify  professionally  relevant  content.  It  is  good  to  show  some  of  your  personal  self  on  this  platform. Â
Uses for hospice and palliative nurses: This  is  a  simple  way  to  read  the  latest  articles  around  the  country  that  have  to  do  with  palliative  care.  By  helping  amplify  these  messages  you  help  increase  awareness  about  palliative  care.  There  is  also  a  very  active  palliative  care  community  on  twitter  where  people  are  building  relationships  because  of  their  shared  interest  in  hospice  and  palliative  care.  This  is  also  a  great  opportunity  to  read  articles  from  leaders  you  may  not  know  personally.  A  nursing  leader  that  shares  what  she’s  reading  each  day  on  this  platform  will  then  be  available  to  young  nursing  leaders  trying  to  figure  out  which  articles  are  relevant  and  important  reads  for  the  field.  When  leaders  participate-even  in  the  simple  act  of  sharing  what  you’re  reading-becomes  a  learning  opportunity  for  others  interested  in  the  topic  as  well  as  a  relationship  building  opportunity.  Â
Quick  Remember:  Twitter, Your Digital Conference Room:  Twitter  is  similar  to  observing  and  meeting  people  at  a  conference.  Hashtags  are  similar  to  organizing  around  a  special  interest  group  at  that  conference.  You  may  just  listen  to  a  presentation  from  some  people  at  the  conference,  you  remember  their  work  and  take  notes  on  their  slides  and  talking  points  but  you  may  not  always  build  a  personal  relationship  with  the  presenter.  This  is  similar  to  a  follow  relationship  on  twitter.  You  follow  someone  to  see  what  their  reading  and  learn  more  about  their  work,  you  may  help  amplify  their  work  or  simply  observe  it.  You  may  also  use  the  fact  that  you’re  following  their  work  to  bridge  a  relationship  with  this  leader.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  12      Â
Â
Tumblr  Â
What is it? A  blogging  platform  and  simple  publishing  tool  that  also  has  a  shared  interests  component  with  hashtags.  Tumblr  also  has  better  archiving  of  content  than  some  of  the  other  listed  platforms.
Clarifying Myths: Myth:  blogging  is  an  outdated  medium.  Blogs  are  thriving  and  are  one  of  the  most  effective  ways  to  amplify  important  stories  and  experiences.  Blogs  provide  many  opportunities  for  hospice  and  palliative  care  nurses  to  reflect  on  their  experiences,  support  each  other  in  the  complexities  of  the  work  of  palliative  nursing,  comment  on  articles  in  the  press,  clarify  myths  and  misperceptions,  explain  the  importance  of  public  policy  issues  in  palliative  care  and  end-of-life  care  and  amplify  stories  to  help  the  public  understand  ways  to  access  services.
Public vs. Private First  it’s  important  to  remember  that  if  you’d  like  to  have  a  professional  audience  for  your  blog,  professionally  relevant  content  will  be  the  most  effective  way  to  engage  that  audience.  Another  tip  is  to  keep  a  private  journal  on  paper  or  on  your  computer  (not  on  a  platform).  This  will  allow  you  to  write  reflections  and  notes  on  your  experiences  without  worrying  too  much  about  exactly  how  you  communicate  your   experience.  This  private  journal  can  be  an  excellent  resource  for  planning  content  on  your  public  blog.  Planning  content  will  help  guide  the  development  of  your  public  voice.  It  is  important  to  remember  that  comfort  in  public  communications  is  different  for  everyone,  like  many  other  skills,  it  comes  naturally  for  some  and  takes  consistent  practice  for  others.  Not  finding  a  niche  with  your  public  voice  immediately  is  natural  so  it’s  important  to  be  patient  with  yourself  and  commit  to  finding  little  ways  to  practice  improving  and  developing. A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  13      Â
Â
Personal vs. Professional Having  a  balance  between  personal  and  professional  posts  is  good  in  blogging.  Similar  to  Twitter,  it  will  be  different  for  each  person  and  again,  more  professional  content  is  likely  to  engage  more  professional  readers.  Thoughtful,  respectful  commentary  is  key.  Disagreeing  and  having  various  opinions  are  important  components  of  great  writing,  though  for  a  professional  public  presence,  try  to  think  if  the  content  you’re  writing  was  printed  and  read  during  a  meeting  at  work.  Would  it  be  awkward  to  have  colleagues  listen  to  your  post  on  a  political  opinion?  Chances  are,  if  the  post  is  written  in  a  respectful  and  thoughtful  tone,  it  should  past  the  ‘what  if  this  was  read  aloud  at  work’  test.
Tips for Boundaries: The  primary  boundary  tip  for  blogging  goes  for  all  social  media  platforms  but  when  it  comes  to  reflecting  on  stories,  it’s  an  especially  important  reminder...  HIPAA.  The  Health  Insurance  Portability  and  Accountability  Act  is  often  cited  in  healthcare  as  a  reason  not  to  participate  in  social  media.  It  is  crucial  to  be  mindful  of  HIPAA  though  it  does  not  need  to  be  a  reason  not  to  engage  on  social  platforms. Â
One  thing  to  remember  is  that  there  are  many  issues  in  hospice  and  palliative  care  beyond  patient  stories:  •leadership  development  in  palliative  care •moments  of  learning,  appreciating  mentors •clarifying  common  misconceptions •public  health  implications  of  palliative  care
•caregiver  health •interdisciplinary  collaboration  •preventing  compassion  fatigue
•supporting  colleagues  and  inspiring  young  nurses  to  enter  the  field •reflections  on  how  healthcare  issues  are  portrayed  in  the  local  media •reflections  on  how  healthcare  issues  are  discussed  in  national  media •public  policy  issues  (with  a  thoughtful  and  respectful  tone) •clinical  education  and  best  practices •reflecting  on  roles  of  different  team  members  A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  14      Â
Â
Sometimes  patient  stories  are  just  so  insightful: Considerations: there  are  times  when  a  particular  patient  experience  has  taught  a  nurse  so  much  that,  despite  navigating  HIPAA,  a  nurse  is  compelled  to  write  about  the  experience.  Blogging  is  a  great  opportunity  to  share  stories,  though  there  should  be  nothing Â
(repeating for emphasis... nothing)  recognizable  or  identifiable  about  a  patient  (or their family)  in  a  story.  One  way  to  navigate  this  is  to  focus  and  expand  on  what  you  learned  from  the  patient  and  their  family  while  minimizing  and  changing  identifiable  information  about  a  patient  and  family,  including  what  profession  the  patient  had  been  involved  with  or  any  other  details  that  may  cause  a  family  member  to  realize  their  family’s  story.  Writing  a  story  about  a  patient  and  changing  the  person’s  name  will  almost  always  not  be  enough.  Other  components  to  consider  changing  when  writing  about  experiences  are  the  person’s  gender,  age,  diagnosis,  the  time  frame  in  which  you  came  across  the  person  and  potentially  sharing  the  story  as  one  that  was  told  to  you  by  another  clinician  in  another  geographic  area.  Â
Uses for hospice and palliative nurses: Blogging  is  one  of  the  most  effective  ways  to  tell  a  story,  both  for  individuals  and  for  organizations.  Tumblr  is  a  platform  that  does  not  require  a  lot  of  technical  expertise  to  publish  content.  This  is  why  it  is  a  great  option  for  nurses  to  tell  stories.  It’s  also  really  important  to  remember,  when  it  comes  to  blogging,  you  don’t  have  to  have  your  own  blog  to  participate.  Many  organizations,  such  as  HPNA  have  blogs  and  appreciate  contributions  from  their  members.  This  is  a  great  opportunity  to  share  a  reflection,  story  or  commentary  without  committing  to  the  content  maintenance  and  time  commitment  of  managing  your  own  blog.  Tumblr  is  also  a  great  platform  for  collecting  and  archiving  interesting  hospice  and  palliative  care  content.  Content  curation  is  a  great  stepping  stone  into  blogging  for  nurses  who  do  not  feel  ready  to   publish  their  own  articles. A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  15      Â
Â
Blogging  list  of  interesting  experiences  and  topics:   You’ve  read  some  topic  suggestions,  below  is  a  space  to  jot  down  some  notes  and  immediate  (quick)  thoughts  about  topics. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
Quick  Remember:  Tumblr, Your Digital Scrapbook of Professional Interests:  Tumblr  is  kind  of  like  a  scrapbook,  it  can  also  be  similar  to  a  newsletter  or  a  column  in  a  newspaper.  Authors  plan  content  or  stories  to  engage  readers.  They  plan  a  publishing  frequency  and  commit  to  contributing  their  thoughts  to  help  communicate  insights  on  particular  topics.  Even  if  you’re  not  feeling  ready  to  contribute  a  lot  of  personally  written  articles,  Tumblr  can  be  a  great  platform  to  collect  and  curate  your  favorite  content  on  the  web.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  16      Â
Â
=
What is it? A  social  network  for  keeping  in  touch  with  friends  and  family.
Concerns about Privacy The  privacy  concern  is  one  that  expands  to  many  of  the  digital  platforms  but  usually  has  the  highest  level  of  concern  on  Facebook  due  to  the  personal  nature  of  the  content  individuals  typically  share.  There  are  many  privacy  options  we  will  discuss  and  the  most  important  thing  to  remember  is  that  you  don’t  have  to  share  everything.
If you’re concerned about something being shared beyond certain parameters, it’s a good time to check with yourself if this is something you may not want to share on a digital platform.  (And that’s ok!)
Public vs. Private Facebook  profiles  are  most  commonly  used  with  far  more  privacy  than  both  LinkedIn  or  Twitter.  Because  this  tends  to  be  a  network  where  you’re  sharing  personal  photos  and  opinions,  having  the  privacy  settings  set  so  that  ‘friends  only’  can  see  your  content  means  that  the  public  will  not  have  access  to  view  your  activity  on  Facebook.  The  settings  are  there  (and  can  often  be  confusing)  to  have  public  updates  and  content  so  it’s  important  to  be  judicious  about  appropriately  setting  (sometimes  resetting)  your  privacy  settings  on  the  Facebook  platform.  Any  time  you  are  concerned  about  Facebook  privacy,  you  can  check  your  settings  and  make  sure  posts  are  set  appropriately. A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  17      Â
Â
Components of Facebook Facebook Profiles •A  Facebook  Profile  is  an  individual’s  Facebook  account.  People  connect  and  interact  with  content  as  themselves.
Facebook Pages •Facebook  Pages  are  the  way  organizations  engage  on  Facebook.  There  is  different  functionality  for  Facebook  Pages  like  scheduling  posts  and  looking  at  a  Page’s  growth  over  time. •Individuals  engaging  on  Facebook  Pages  can  be  a  great  way  to  connect  and  share  information.  Using  the  share  button  from  a  post  on  the  HPNA  Facebook  Page  can  help  your  Facebook  connections  learn  about  palliative  nursing.
Facebook Groups •These  are  ways  to  organize  based  on  interests.  Facebook  Groups  were  a  feature  before  Pages  existed  so  some  companies  have  Facebook  Groups.  The  features  there  are  more  limited  than  Facebook  Pages.
Personal vs. Professional While  Facebook  tends  to  be  a  personal  platform  for  individuals  it  doesn’t  necessarily  mean  there  is  no  space  for  professional  content  and  activity.  On  Twitter  it’s  ok  to  show  a  bit  of  your  personal  side,  the  reverse  also  applies  on  Facebook.  It’s  appropriate  to  occasionally  share  professionally  relevant  content  on  Facebook  because  this  provides  an  opportunity  for  friends  and  family  to  understand  more  about  your  work  and  the  importance  of  hospice  and  palliative  care.  As  noted  above,  commenting  or  sharing  articles  from  professional  Facebook  Pages  like  Facebook.com/HPNAinfo  is  an  appropriate  way  to  engage  professionally  on  Facebook.  When  you  comment  on  the  page  it  does  not  allow  other  people  to  access  your  Facebook  content,  rather  it  allows  your  current  connections  to  access  the  HPNA  content.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  18      Â
Â
Tips for Boundaries: Tip  for  boundaries:   if  you  see  a  professional  colleague  commenting  on  Facebook,  that  doesn’t  necessarily  mean  it’s  a  good  idea  to  connect  with  them  on  Facebook.  This  is  especially  important  when  considering  connecting  with  colleagues  at  your  organization.   If  you  get  invitations  from  professional  contacts  on  Facebook,  one  tip  is  to  redirect  the  invitation  to  LinkedIn.  This  will  help  maintain  Facebook  as  a  platform  for  personal  connections  and  content  while  still  maintaining  your  connection  to  the  individual  on  LinkedIn.  This  may  feel  a  little  awkward,  but  keeping  boundaries  defined  on  social  platforms  will  save  you  headaches  later.  Sample  text  could  be  “Thanks  for  the  invitation,  I  primarily  use  Facebook  for  my  family,  could  we  stay  connected  on  LinkedIn?  Here’s  a  link  to  my  profile.�
Uses for hospice palliative nurses: Helping  extend  the  reach  of  palliative  care  content  on  the  web  and  from  the  pages  of  professional  organizations.  Any  time  someone  likes,  comments  or  shares  something  from  the  HPNA  Facebook  page,  it  increases  the  likelihood  other  people  will  see  and  engage  with  that  content.  It  increases  this  likelihood  for  people  that  already  follow  the  work  of  HPNA  as  well  as  new  people  that  may  be  unfamiliar  with  hospice  and  palliative  care  stories,  topics  and  issues  and  provides  an  opportunity  for  learning.  Facebook  also  provides  a  great  opportunity  for  engaging  friends  and  family  with  interesting  articles  that  articulate  the  stories  of  hospice  and  palliative  care  professionals
Â
Quick  Remember:  Facebook, Your Digital Home:  People  you  have  had  or  would  have  into  your  home.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  19      Â
Â
Google  Plus
What is it?  Of  the  platforms  listed  in  this  guide  Google  +  is  the  newest.      This  may  surprise  many  people  because  Google  has  been  around  for  a  while,  but  their  entry  into  this  type  of  social  platform  was  relatively  late.  This  late  entry  into  social  media  has  allowed  them  to  touch  on  the  many  successful  features  of  other  platforms  such  as  Twitter’s  Hashtag  and  public  nature,  combined  with  a  look  similar  to  Facebook’s  Timeline,  as  well  as  add  some  unique  features  around  video  broadcasting.
Clarifying Myths: Because  Google  +  is  one  of  the  newer  social  platforms,   it’s  criticized  for  not  being  that  important  of  a  network.   Â
In  fact,  Google’s  entire  search  algorithm  is  changing  based  on   activity  on  Google+,  so  while  the  activity  may  be  smaller  than   other  platforms  (now),  it’s  still  an  important  network  to  understand.  Â
Public vs. Private
Tips for Boundaries:
Google+  tends  to  be  a  very  public  platform.  While  the  format  and  design  most  closely  resembles  Facebook,  the  culture  tends  to  be  more  like  Twitter.  Edit  Settings  are  in  the  upper  right  corner  where  your  profile  photo  is,  click  privacy  to  make  sure  the  visibility  of  your  profile  is  how  you  want  it.
Due  to  the  public  nature  of  Google+,  the  boundaries  tips  from  Twitter  apply  well  here.  If  you  have  a  Picassa  account  for  your  photos,  make  sure  to  set  the  privacy  appropriately  for  those  photos  after  you  sign  up  for  Google+.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  20      Â
Â
Uses for hospice and palliative nurses: If  you  are  in  a  Google+  account  and  search  palliative  you  will  see  anyone  on  Google+  talking  about  palliative  care.  Exploring  the  conversations  on  Google+  (at  this  time)  is  less  of  a  priority  than  the  Twitter  platform  because  Google+  has  a  lot  less  activity,  sharing,  and  conversations  happening  right  now.  The  main  benefit  of  this  platform  for  hospice  and  palliative  nurses  is  the  Google+  Hangout  feature.  A  Google+  Hangout  is  a  free  resource  for  video  conferencing  with  groups.  An  HPNA  Special  Interest  Group,  for  example,  could  send  a  link  for  interested  nurses  to  join  the  Google+  hangout  and  have  a  group  video  discussion.  Another  component  to  Google+  Hangouts  are  broadcasts.  HPNA  will  be  planning  live  broadcasts  over  the  next  year  where  nurses  can  listen  and  view  live  expert  panels  through  a  broadcast  of  a  Google+  Hangout.  Having  even  a  simple,  minimally  active  Google+  account  will  at  least  open  the  opportunity  to  engage  with  other  nurses  and  participate  in  HPNA  live  broadcast  events.  Eventually  as  Google+  grows  you  can          re-evaluate  if  you  find  the  platform  to  be  engaging,  you  may  find  a  way  to  build  time  on  that  platform  into  your  social  rhythm.
Quick  Remember:  Google+, Your Digital Neon Flyer:          The  elephant  in  the  room  with  the  Google+  platform  is  that  it’s  connected  to  google.  If  you  are  blogging  on  Tumblr,  sharing  your  articles  on  your  google  plus  page  will  help  Google  recognize  your  content  and  may  make  it  easier  for  others  to  find  your  writing  when  they’re  searching  on  Google.  This  platform  has  potential  to  help   people  find  content  you  care  about  when  they  are  searching  for  more  information.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  21      Â
Â
Priorities
So  we’ve  looked  over  a  lot  of  information!  Just  remember  that  you  don’t  have  to  jump  into  everything  at  once.  Consider  starting  with  LinkedIn  and  gradually  building  as  you  gain  confidence  and  as  your  social  rhythm  develops.  Take  a  look  at  the  social  media  workflows  outline  below  to  get  a  sense  of  potential  time  commitments  of  social  media  activity.   Â
Total Monthly Hours
Social Media Workflows Social  Media  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  1  hour/month 1.  LinkedIn  —―  maintaining  a  profile,  joining  groups,  sharing  blog  articles 2.  Contribute  to  the  HPNA  blog  —―  set  a  goal  of  writing  a  reflection  post  1/year 3.  Engage  on  HPNA’s  Facebook  Page  every  other  week Social  Media  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  1  hour/month  +  10minutes/day 1.  LinkedIn  —―  maintaining  a  profile,  joining  groups,  sharing  blog  articles 2.  Contribute  to  the  HPNA  blog  —―  set  a  goal  of  writing  a  reflection  post  2/year 3. Engage  on  HPNA’s  Facebook  Page  every  other  week 4. Have  an  active  presence  on  Twitter  (10  minutes  per  day)
1
6
Social  Media  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses   5  hours/month  +  10minutes/day 1.  LinkedIn  —―  maintaining  a  profile,  joining  groups,  sharing  blog  articles 2.  Contribute  to  the  HPNA  blog  —―  set  a  goal  of  writing  a  reflection  post  2/year 10 3.  Engage  on  HPNA’s  Facebook  Page  every  week 4. Have  an  active  presence  on  Twitter  (10  minutes  per  day) 5. Engage  in  a  weekly  live  discussion  on  Twitter  1/hour  per  week                             (can start by committing to joining the live discussion once a month) Social  Media  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses   2  hours/week  +  10minutes/day 1.  LinkedIn  —―  maintaining  a  profile,  joining  groups,  sharing  blog  articles 2.  Contribute  to  the  HPNA  blog  —―  set  a  goal  of  writing  a  reflection  post  2/year 3.  Engage  on  HPNA’s  Facebook  Page  a  couple  times  each  week 4. Have  an  active  presence  on  Twitter  (10  minutes  per  day)  5. Engage  in  a  weekly  live  discussion  on  Twitter  1/hour  per  week                       (can commit to once a month) 6.  Have  your  own  blog.  (starting goal of one post per month, move towards 1//week)
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  22      Â
15
Â
Below  are  two  exercises  that  will  help  you  complete  or  update  your  bio  on  Twitter.  This  will  also  be  helpful  information  if  you  do  an  “aboutâ€?  page  on  Tumblr.  Completing  these  exercises  will  be  helpful  as  you  start  your  Twitter  and  LinkedIn  checklists. Â
List 14 words you use to describe yourself: Â 1.___________________________ Â 8. Â ____________________________ 2.___________________________ Â 9. Â ____________________________ 3.___________________________ Â 10. Â ___________________________ 4.___________________________ Â 11. Â ___________________________ 5.___________________________ Â 12. Â ___________________________ 6.___________________________ Â 13. Â ___________________________ 7.___________________________ Â 14. Â ___________________________
What are 14 ice-breakers you might use to introduce yourself? Â 1.___________________________ Â 8. Â ____________________________ 2.___________________________ Â 9. Â ____________________________ 3.___________________________ Â 10. Â ___________________________ 4.___________________________ Â 11. Â ___________________________ 5.___________________________ Â 12. Â ___________________________ 6.___________________________ Â 13. Â ___________________________ 7.___________________________ Â 14. Â ___________________________
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  23      Â
Â
LinkedIn getting started Signing Up (& Skipping a Few Prompts) •Before  getting  started  with  LinkedIn,  grab  your  CV  and  a  photo.  •Visit  www.Linkedin.com  &  Sign  up,  the  first  prompt  will  ask  your  zip  code,  your  company  name,  and  your  job  title  &  industry,  complete  this  section. •Next  you  are  prompted  to  “add  your  email.â€?  This  means  LinkedIn  would  like  you  to  connect  to  your  email  to  see  which  of  your  current  contacts  are  on  LinkedIn.  In  the  bottom  right  corner  there  is  the  option  to  skip  this  step  —―  we  recommend  skipping  this  for  now.  It’s  best  to  invite  colleagues  and  contacts  after  you’ve  added  a  little  more  to  your  LinkedIn  profile  like  your  photo.  They’ll  ask  you  if  you’re  sure  you  want  to  skip,  skip.  •Check  your  email  and  click  the  link  to  confirm  your  LinkedIn  account. •LinkedIn  prompts  you  again  to  connect  your  email,  tell  them  you’re     still  sure  you’d  like  to  skip  this  for  now. •LinkedIn  will  suggest  a  few  people  you  know  based  on  your  title  and  listed  organization.  Again,  skip  this  step.  •Skip  the  “share  your  profileâ€?  prompt.  •LinkedIn  will  ask  if  you  want  an  advanced  account  that  requires  a  subscription.  Go  ahead  and  choose  the  basic  free  account.  They  call  it  basic,  but  there  is  a  whole  lot  of  functionality  to  get  started  with.
We promise it’s not all skipping, let’s start completing your LinkedIn profile.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  24      Â
Â
Completing Your LinkedIn Profile •These  are  the  LinkedIn  prompts  to  focus  on.  Simply  go  through  and  add  different  aspects  of  your  professional  background. •  Experience:  how  much  professional  history  should  you  add  to  your  profile?  It’s  your  choice  of  how  many  positions  to  include  and  how  detailed  your  descriptions  are,  but  having  your  current  position  and  your  previous  position  are  a  good  starting  place/minimum.
•Add  “Memberâ€?  of  the  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  Association  to  your  experience.  (LinkedIn  has  a  check  box  for  ‘if  you  currently  work  here’  keep  this  box  checked  because  in  your  profile  it  will  essentially  show  that  you  are  currently  a  member  of  HPNA.)
Education History • Again,  it’s  your  choice  on  how  detailed  you  want  to  get  in  providing  information  about  your  educational  history,  but  having  the  institutions  listed  is  a  good  starting  point.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  25      Â
Â
Skills & Expertise • List  a  few  skills  and  professional  expertise.  This  helps  others  find  you  based  on  your  strengths.  For  example,  if  you  were  looking  to  talk  to  someone  in  oncology  nursing  to  give  a  presentation  to  your  team,  you  can  search  within  LinkedIn  for  “oncology  nursingâ€?  and  they  will  show  you  relevant  people  (those  you  have  common  connections  with  or  are  in  your  local  area).
Adding Your Photo • Click  Choose  File  and  upload  a  professional  looking  head  shot. (clear of your face, recent, and not with other people)
Create a public link to your profile
2 1
In  the  right  column,  then  click  “customize  your  public  profile  URLâ€? Â
If  you’re  in  the  “edit  profile  section�   Click  the  edit  button  under  your  profile  photo.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  26      Â
Â
Create a public link to your profile
3
Try  using  your  name,  if  it’s  taken,  consider  adding  credentials  after  your  name  for  the  link.  A  green  check  will  appear  when  the  name  you  are  typing  is  available.
Suggestions: • Your  link  will  then  be  LinkedIn.com/in/YourCustomizedName           (this is a great link to add to business cards) • It’s  not  recommended  to  add  anything  about  your  current  title  or  organization  as  a  part  of  your  unique  LinkedIn  url  for  example  Linkedin.com/in/HPNADirectorKate  would  not  be  a  good  choice  because  it  would  need  to  be  changed  if  a  title  or  organization  changed  through  an  individual’s  career. • Another  consideration  is  to  have  your  LinkedIn  profile  match  your  Twitter  handle  (your  username). • You  can  come  back  and  edit  this  if  you  aren’t  sure  yet  what  your  link  should  be.
Additional Profile Information • Add a Summary:  list  at  least  three  sentences  about  the  focus  of  your  work  and  professional  interests. • Try  to  come  back  and  complete  some  further  information  another  time,  based  on  which  features  are  most  relevant  to  you.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  27      Â
Â
Add/Update Listed Websites • Click  “Edit  Profile,â€?  find  the  section  titled                                   “Additional  Informationâ€?  &  click  “Edit.â€? • In  the  website  section  there  is  a  drop  down  menu  of  options,  select  “Otherâ€?  (This  allows  you  to  indicate  the  title  of  the  listed  website,  so  on  your  profile  it  won’t  say  Website,  Website,  Website). • You  could,  for  example,  type  in  “HPNA  Blogâ€?  in  the  blank  section,  then  the  blog  link. • Repeat  process  for  any  other  websites  relevant  to  your  work. • Recommend  not  using  this  as  a  place  to  add  a  link  to  your  personal  Facebook  profile.
Reminder: • Your  “Professional  Headlineâ€?  doesn’t  have  to  be  your  exact  title.        Chad  Reilly’s  professional  headline  (a  great  example)  is                      “Enthusiastic  Director  of  Membershipâ€? • This  is  listed  directly  under  your  name  on  your  profile.  To  update:  click  profile  then  click  the  edit  button  to  the  right  of  your  name.
Add LinkedIn Connections • Click  Contacts,  then  “Add  Connectionsâ€?  tab  on  the  right. • Connect  your  personal  email  account,  when  it  prompts  you  to  invite  people  you  know  on  LinkedIn,  “Deselect  Allâ€?  then  go  through  and  manually  click  on  people  you  want  to  connect  with  (This  will  be  people  that  you  know  who  are  already  on  LinkedIn)  . • Add/Update  Connections  (once  every  three  months  or  so  month).
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  28      Â
Â
Searching for Companies (& Organizations)
 • LinkedIn  has  the  option  to  follow  interesting  companies  and  organizations.  Select  “Companiesâ€?  in  the  LinkedIn  navigation.
 Â
 • Search  for  organizations  you  are  interested  in  following.
•Then  select  “Follow.â€?  Repeat  for  other  interesting  organizations.
Searching for Groups • LinkedIn  has  the  option  to  follow  interesting  companies  and  organizations.  Select  “Groupsâ€?  in  the  LinkedIn  navigation.    • Search  for  groups  based  on  professional  interests.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  29      Â
Â
Searching for Groups • Groups  vary  in  size,  some  are  connected  with  and  managed  by  an  organization,  some  are  managed  by  people  with  similar  interests. • Being  a  part  of  groups  is  a  great  way  to  find  interesting  articles  and  connect  with  others  that  have  similar  interests.  • Some  groups  you  will  automatically  be  allowed  to  join.  Some  groups  you  will  need  to  request  to  join  and  wait  for  approval.
Adjust settings as soon as you join a LinkedIn Group • From  within  the  group  -  Click  “More...â€?  Then  Click  “Your  Settingsâ€?
• Here  you  can  update  the  frequency  of  emails  sent  to  you  from  this  group.  You  can  turn  all  the  emails  off.  This  way  you  will  see  group  discussions  only  when  you  click  into  the  group  on  LinkedIn.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  30      Â
Â
Maintaining LinkedIn •Check  into  group  discussions  every  month  or  so. •Follow  up  with  new  contacts  and  connect  with  them  on  LinkedIn. •View  articles  and  activity  of  your  network  every  so  often,  like  and  comment  on  contacts  activity.  •Go  back  and  check  out  some  of  the  career  goals  you  listed  on  page  9  of  this  guide.  As  you  utilize  LinkedIn  more  often,  come  back  to  these  goals  and  try  to  think  about  small  but  meaningful  strategies  you  could  implement  on  LinkedIn’s  platform.  LinkedIn  will  be  as  useful  as  the  strategy  you  implement  for  yourself.  A  “How  can  I  use  LinkedIn  and  it’s  features?â€?  approach  will  go  farther  than  a  “What  can  LinkedIn  do  for  me?â€?  approach. •Keep  an  eye  on  how  LinkedIn  develops  it’s  ‘influencer’  feature.  This  was  not  discussed  in  the  guide  because  the  feature  is  so  new  it’s  not  released  to  everyone.  LinkedIn  is  building  the  capacity  to  follow  other  individuals  (similar  to  Twitter).  This  has  the  potential  to  be  a  very  powerful  and  interesting  feature.
Congratulations! You’ve made it through the beginning of LinkedIn! Take  a  minute  to  write  down  any  thoughts  or  questions  you  have  about  the  LinkedIn  platform.
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  31      Â
Â
Twitter getting started Signing Up •Before  getting  started  with  Twitter,  grab  your  exercise  from  page  23.  •Visit  www.Twitter.com  &  Sign  up,  the  first  prompt  will  ask  your  name,  email  and  a  username.  Â
Choosing a Twitter Username (a “Twitter Handleâ€?) •Try  to  make  your  username  as  short  as  possible •Simplicity  is  key,  just  try  to  make  it  something  that’s  easy  for  others  to  remember •Avoid  using  numbers  or  an  underscore_ •If  your  name  is  hard  to  spell,  consider  using  the  first  few  letters  or  initials •Consider  your  first  or  last  name  and  then  adding  credentials  or  something  about  your  city:  JonesRN,  DavidDC,  MattMSN,  MDStan •It  may  take  a  few  tries  to  find  a  Twitter  username  that  hasn’t  been  taken  on  Twitter. •You  can  edit  this  later  if  you  can’t  immediately  find  one  you  love.
Confirm your account •Twitter  will  send  you  an  email  to  verify  you’ve  signed  up. •Find  the  email  and  make  sure  it  didn’t  go  into  your  spam  folder. •Click  the  link  they  send  in  the  email  to  verify  your  account. It’s a good thing to get done right away because otherwise Twitter will keep trying to remind you about verifying your account. A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  32      Â
Â
Next Steps •Take  a  minute  to  watch  Twitter’s  welcome  and  introduction  video.
 •The  video  goes  over  the  basics  of  Twitter. •Twitter  will  ask  you  to  connect  to   your  email  to  find  people  you  know  on  Twitter.  Feel  free  to  skip  this  step.  You  can  connect  and  find  people  you  know  any  time.  Also  Twitter  is  more  about  finding  new  interesting  people  than  it  is  about  connecting  with  current  contacts.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  33      Â
Â
Next Steps •Twitter  will  also  prompt  you  to  choose  an  interest.                       (Unfortunately hospice and palliative care aren’t in the first round of options.)
• The  good  news  is,  no  matter  which  category  you  choose,  the  next  prompt  allows  you  to  search  for  anything.  Follow  HPNAinfo.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  34      Â
Â
Next Steps • Look  for  more  interesting  people  and  organizations  to  follow  by   searching  palliative,  then  hospice,  and  also  #hpm  for  “hospice  &  palliative  medicine.â€?  Follow  any  suggested  people  that  look  interesting.
• Twitter  requires  you  follow  at  least  five  people  but  if  you’re  finding  interesting  people,  it’s  ok  to  follow  more!  When  you’re  ready,  select  the  ‘next’  button.
Your Twitter Bio • The  Twitter  bio  is  often  overlooked  by  beginners  on  Twitter,  but  it’s  actually  really  important.  As  you  follow  people,  they  will  look  at  your  bio  to  see  if  they  want  to  follow  you  back.  If  your  bio  is  complete,  the  chances  of  engaging  people  right  away  is  much  higher.
• The  next  page  will  go  over  some  tips  for  completing  a  good  bio.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  35      Â
Â
What makes a good Twitter Bio? • A  picture  of  your  face  is  helpful  for  when  you  meet  other  professionals  in  person.  At  conferences  for  example,  people  often  say  hello  to  each  other  because  they  recognize  them  from  their  photo  on  Twitter. • This  also  identifies  you  as  a  person  who  is  ready  to  engage  on  Twitter  and  will  increase  the  likelihood  that  others  will  follow  you.  (so it is important to have a photo up!) • A  square  image  shows  up  best  on  Twitter. • Often  people  will  take  a  screen  shot  of  their  face  from  a  larger  picture  since  the  picture  on  Twitter  is  so  small. • Location:  City  and  state  is  appropriate. • Website:  link  to  your  professional  bio  or  LinkedIn  account           (Make sure it’s a link specific to you rather than a big organizational website) • Grab  your  exercise  from  page  23  to  help  you  with  your  Twitter  Bio. • Bio  Checklist:  1.  Your  Title  2.  (Optional)  Your  Organization’s  Twitter  Handle  2.5.  Add  TAMO  “Tweets  My  Ownâ€?  to  indicate  you  are  not  speaking  on  behalf  of  the  organization.  3.  A  Passion  4.  Something  fun  5.  New  to  Twitter  (remember you only have 160 characters) • Saying  “Twitter  Newbieâ€?  in  your  bio  helps  others  know  that  your  account  is  new,  not  inactive,  it  may  increase  the  chance  that  someone  will  follow  you  back.  • You  can  always  come  back  and  edit  your  bio  as  you  get  to  know  the  space,  but  having  something  there  about  yourself  is  important  in  helping  build  your  audience.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  36      Â
Â
Twitter Notifications & Settings •Clicking  on  the  gear  in  the  upper  right  corner  will  bring  up  the  option  to  edit  “Settingsâ€?  Then  select  “Email  Notifications  in  the  left  menu.Below  are  some  suggested  email  settings.
• Another  settings  tip:  avoid  connecting  your  Twitter  to  your  Facebook  account.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  37      Â
Â
What lives where? Home •The  Tweets  sent  by  people  you’re  following  will  show  up  here.  Sometimes  you  will  see  Tweets  from  people  you  are  not  following  and  there  are  two  potential  reasons  for  this.  First,  most  often,  one  of  the  people  you  are  following  Re-Tweeted  (essentially  re-sent)  a  message.  If  they  Re-Tweet  a  message,  this  will  be  shown  to  anyone  following  them,  which  is  why  you  might  see  tweets  from  people  you  haven’t  followed.  A  second  reason  could  be  promoted  tweets.  Advertisers  pay  to  have  tweets  go  through  people’s  home  stream.  These  are  indicated  with  a  yellow  arrow.
@Connect •If  someone  “Mentionsâ€?  (sends  a  public  message  including  your  username)  you,  a  list  of  these  messages  can  be  found  here.  Also  if  people  follow  you  or  Re-Tweet  you,  notifications  will  be  listed  here.
#Discover •Based  on  who  you  follow  and  over  time,  the  tweets  you  send,  Twitter  will  suggest  Tweets  for  you  to  read  that  are  tailored  to  your  interests.
Me •This  is  where  your  profile  is.  When  you  send  a  Tweet  or  a  Re-Tweet,  those  messages  will  be  visible  in  your  followers  Home  stream  and  they  will  also  be  visible  on  your  profile  here.
Search •If  you  search  for  a  word  in  the  search  bar,  Twitter  will  show  you  live  tweets  about  that  particular  topic.  If  it’s  a  topic  you  want  to  see  frequently  you  can  save  the  search.  After the search 2 results appear, look 1 for the white & gray gear to save the search. A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  38      Â
Â
Finding Interesting Tweets & People •If  you  just  searched  #hpm,  check  the  settings  at  the  top  of  the  stream,  you  can  filter  the  messages.  Twitter  will  first  show  you  “Topâ€?  messages.  Some  Top  messages  may  stay  the  same  for  a  couple  of  days  because  they  have  gotten  a  lot  of  engagement.  Select  “Allâ€?  to  see  Tweets  in  real  time. Â
•After  a  search  on  a  particular  topic,  you  will  notice  to  the  left  “People.â€?  These  are  individuals  and  organizations  Twitter  suggests  based  on  the  topic  you  searched.  These  people  are  typically  very  active  in  the  topic  searched.  This  is  a  great  way  to  find  people  and  organizations  based  on  your  interests. Â
•Another  great  way  to  find  interesting  people  to  follow  is  to  look  at  lists.  If  you  visit  HPNA’s  Twitter  account  www.twitter.com/HPNAinfo  you  will  see  lists  in  the  navigation  to  the  left.  When  you  click  on  “Lists,â€?  Twitter  will  show  all  of  the  lists  created  by  that  account.  HPNA  for  example  has  a  list  of  people  to  follow  if  you’re  just  getting  started.  Click  their  list  titled  “Getting  Started.â€? Â
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  39      Â
Â
Finding Interesting Tweets & People •If  you  just  searched  #hpm,  check  the  settings  at  the  top  of  the  stream,  you  can  filter  the  messages.  Twitter  will  first  show  you  “Topâ€?  messages.  Some  Top  messages  may  stay  the  same  for  a  couple  of  days  because  they  have  gotten  a  lot  of  engagement.  Select  “Allâ€?  to  see  Tweets  in  real  time. Â
What are options with Twitter Lists? •Subscribe:  when  you  click  on  a  list,  you  will  see  a  button  that  says  subscribe.  This  allows  you  to  follow  a  list,  or  collection  of  people  on  Twitter,  without  having  to  follow  each  individual  in  that  list.
•Follow List Members:  for  individuals  getting  started  with  Twitter,  lists  are  a  great  way  to  find  a  large  group  of  Twitter  accounts  that  would  be  interesting  to  follow  based  on  your  interests.  Below  is  a  quick  view  of  what  lists  look  like,  when  you  click  the  follow  button,  it  will  indicate  that  you  are  now  following  that  Twitter  account.
•Create your own lists:         as  you  become  more  active  on  Twitter,  you  may  want  to  organize  people  in  lists.  Every  Twitter  account  has  the  little  person  icon  next  to  the  follow  button,  simply  click  that  icon  and  select            “Add  or  remove  from  listsâ€? Â
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  40      Â
Â
A Little Twitter Homework • Find  30  interesting  organizations  and  people  that  are  interesting  and  follow  them.  • If  you  find  someone  that’s  very  relevant  to  you,  see  who  they’re  following. • Don’t  worry  too  much  about  who  you’re  following,  you  can  always  “Unfollowâ€?  accounts  if  you’re  not  finding  their  content  interesting. • It’s  a  good  idea  though  to  stick  to  a  higher  percentage  of  professional  follows,  in  other  words,  journalists  and  professionally  relevant  people  over  Britney  Spears. (Some fun accounts are okay. The more professionally relevant people and organizations, the easier it will be to send professionally relevant tweets)
What To Tweet? Â
    • Many  people  worry  “what  do  I  say?â€?  It’s  a  good  idea  to  start  with,  what  are  other  people  saying  as  a  way  to  get  to  know  the  space  and  develop  your  voice.  Over  time  this  will  feel  more  natural. Â
Â
Simple Tweeting Plan: • Re-Tweet  things  that  are  interesting  to  you.
Lets Send Some Tweets: • Click  “Homeâ€?  at  the  top  of  your  page.   • When  you  see  a  headline  that’s  interesting  to  you,  click  the  link  and  read  the  article  or  information  shared.  If  it’s  interesting,  scroll  your  mouse  over  the  tweet  and  the  option  “ReTweetâ€?  will  appear,  click  ReTweet. • Twitter  will  ask  “are  you  sureâ€?  and  to  say  yes.  • (You  will  see  some  tweets  that  start  with  RT  -  to  show  a  ReTweet.)  • Repeat  this  ten  times  so  you  have  completed  ten  ReTweets. • Check  out  where  all  the  tweets  went:  click  “Profileâ€?  up  at  the  top. • You’ll  now  see  the  list  of  things  you’ve  ReTweeted.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  41      Â
Â
Almost Done with Twitter Homework Why Tweet If No One Is Following? • Everyone  starts  with  zero  followers  and  right  now  it  might  be  nice  that  people  aren’t  paying  attention  while  you’re  getting  to  know  the  Twitter  language.    • As  you  continue  to  participate  on  Twitter  people  will  follow  you. • In  the  beginning,  there  will  be  some  spammers  following  you,  how  can  you  tell  if  they’re   spammers?  They  usually  have  unprofessional  pictures  and  often  tweet  the  same  message  over  and  over  again,  or  they  send  a  tweet  with  someone’s  username  and  just  a  link  and  nothing  else.  Just  ignore. • If  they’re  following  you,  it’s  no  big  deal,  you  can  just  ignore  them,  there  is  no  need  to  try  to  block  them  unless  they  are  sending  you  a  lot  of  messages  that  are  annoying.
More Tweeting & Following • Try  to  send  a  minimum  of  25-40  Tweets  (all ReTweets are ok!) • This  will  help  your  account  look  active  as  you  start  to  branch  out  and  follow  new  people  and  increase  the  likelihood  that  they  will  follow  you  back.   • Find  20  more  people  and  organizations  to  follow.   • Your  profile  should  show  that  you’re  following  around  50  accounts  and  that  you’ve  sent  25-40  Tweets.  This  is  a  great  start! Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Maintaining Activity  • Try  to  log  into  Twitter  once  a  day  for  just  ten  minutes. • Set  a  goal  of  sending  3-5  Tweets  a  day. • Try  to  follow  2-5  new  people  each  week. • Visit  support.twitter.com  if  you  find  yourself  confused  about  what  something  means.
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  42      Â
Â
We  hope  this  guide  empowers  your  pursuit  of  life-long  learning. Â
For additional resources please visit HPNA.org/SocialMediaResources Â
Connect with HPNA
www.facebook.com/HPNAinfo www.twitter.com/HPNAinfo  www.youtube.com/HPNAinformation  www.linkedin.com/company/hospice-and-palliative-nurses-association Â
Leading the way to promote excellence in the provision of palliative nursing care through leadership development, education, and the support of research in the field. Hospice  &  Palliative   Nurses  Association
A  Social  Media  Guide  for  Hospice  and  Palliative  Nurses  provided  by  HPNA.org                •  43      Â
Â