8 Tips on How to Become a Nurse Blogger

With the Internet becoming a mass medium of expression, and individuals resorting to blogging to pen their thoughts, nurses have done the same. In the start, there was no particular direction, and people were not actually aware of what they were doing. Moreover, nobody was sure whether blogging would actually stick around or just vanish into thin air like other fads. With the passage of time, everyone had their own blog. Be it non-profits, private firms, media houses, etc. all wanted to live up and meet pace with the norms of the digital world.

In today's time, nurse bloggers have become extremely popular where blogging has now become synonymous to nursing similar to all other profession. So now, if you intend to start your nursing blogging career, it is relatively easy to do.

Why Nurses Should Blog?

Nurses are often overworked and require motivation to refuel and pace back. Reading blogs is a great way to get inspired. It also exposes you to the different experiences, untold stories and first-hand accounts of nurses enabling you to gain valuable insights and learning from others. Moreover, the news and journals available today also play an integral role particularly if you wish to stay abreast regarding nursing trends and practices.

If you intend to start your blogging career as a nurse, here's exactly what you need to do:

Decide the niche and name of your blog

When you intend to start your blogging career as a nurse, you will have to first decide a name that is attractive and descriptive of your passion. Then, decide upon a niche that you wish to focus. For instance, you can write tips for new nurses for a specialized field, or enlighten readers regarding patient education or motivate and inspire others with your experience. No matter what you intend to do, just pick a niche and stick to it. Just keep in mind that the niche you choose is not too generic and rather focused.

Focus on delivering good content.

When you plan to start your blog, start thinking about the blogs you follow and why do you keep on coming back to them. Once you have the motivation that you need, try to revamp the same content with your take on it. Moreover, make sure to link your content to other amazing nursing blogs. This way, you and the other blog will be able to get better rankings on Google.

Post Regularly

You need to ensure that you manage your blogging calendar similar and post regularly. While things may not go exactly how you want them to, but that is alright. One common mistake of bloggers is that they stop posting for a while and then bombard their blog with an overload of information. Try to understand that your readers will appreciate regular posts instead of sporadic ones.

Follow other bloggers.

Make a list of all the bloggers you like and appreciate. Then follow them to stay abreast with the latest techniques and trends. It is not necessary for them to be nurses. This way you will be learning from the pros and adapting to the changing digital realm.

Make Sure To Remain Updated Regarding Your Organizational Policies

As a nurse, you have to adhere to a code of conduct. When you start your blogging career, make sure you comply with HIPAA. This means, you shouldn't be involved in lateral online violence such as complaining about a coworker on blog or blogging when at work. The policies tend to vary from organization to organization, so make sure you are well aware of them.

Respect Your Profession

As a nurse, you have big responsibility over yours shoulders. If your name has RN behind it, your value as an individual will substantially increase. Moreover, whatever content you share or the pictures you upload, will be accessible to your family, peers, employers, etc. regardless of the fact, that they may not be your audience. Thereby, post wisely.

Opt For a User-Friendly Blogging Platform

Today, bloggers have a variety of blogging platforms to choose from. Generally, most bloggers prefer to use WordPress due to the convenience it offers. The platform has premade themes which you can use as is or develop a custom theme as per your preference. The platform is extremely expandable and customizable. Moreover, if you plan to add other services, products and functionality later on, you can ultimately do that too. Other similar platforms include Joomla, Wix, Weebly Squarespace, etc.

Here's what you shouldn't do as a nurse:

While some of the facts are obvious, but they can ultimately get you in a lot of trouble. Thereby, make sure to think them through:

• Sharing patient information: Even if you plan to share the experience of a patient, make sure to change their name and identification details. Moreover, if a patient contacts you via social media or through the comments section of your blog, make sure to follow the HIPAA rule.
• Naming your workplace: if you want to score your promotion as a nurse, strive hard to not name your workplace in your blog. Also, make sure that you don't badmouth your employers, even if they deserve to be belittled.
• Belittling Peers: If you work with a doctor or medical professional that you don't like, do not name shame them on your blog. Try to camouflage their details so that it doesn't cause any professional friction.