Several years ago, one of my considerably younger staff members came to me with the idea of creating a "blog" for nurses in my department. A blog, you say? What language was he speaking? Blogging wasn't part of my vocabulary or my professional skill set. Like many of you, I grew up at a time when computers took up entire rooms and media communication was pretty one-sided. You'd read or hear something in the media and, if you felt compelled to comment, you'd write a letter to the editor-and that was that.
But times change, and technical innovations give us new ways of interacting with the world. Because Nursing2011 has the largest nursing reader circulation in the world, the editors and I saw a golden opportunity for creating a dialogue with nurses via a blog. So last spring, I initiated "In Touch" as a forum for discussing the latest issues and happenings in the world of nursing and healthcare. You can access it through our Nursing2011 website as well as our Nursing2011 Facebook page, or directly at http://bit.ly/NursingBlogInTouch.
Since its inception, we've sought your comments on many issues: the Gulf oil spill, nursing school challenges, the new FDA cigarette warnings, and whether or not a BSN should be mandated. The BSN question in particular generated quite a few hits on Facebook, some of them quite passionate!!
Why blog? Because it stimulates discussion. In traditional print media, communication is a one-way street. Blogging is like a multilane highway that encourages active dialogue. Unlike the articles published in Nursing2011, blog posts aren't peer reviewed. By responding to them, you can provide comments, opinions, corrections, and other perspectives on topics without limit (as long as they're not abusive or inappropriate).
The bottom line is that we want to hear from you!! Let us know what issues you'd like to discuss, suggest content for the journal, comment on journal articles, or respond to other nurses' opinions. If you're reading this online, you can comment right here at the end of this post-it's quick, easy, and fun. If you're reading this in print, you can send me an e-mail at the address below-or, better yet, access the blog online and add your comments there.
Join the discussion!! Until next time-
Linda Laskowski-Jones, MS, RN, ACNS-BC, CEN, FAWM
Editor-in-Chief, Nursing2011 Vice President, Emergency, Trauma, and Aeromedical Services Christiana Care Health System, Wilmington, Del.