With nursing's reputation as the gold standard of ethics slipping, CNOs must step into a new role: social media strategist.
In an era where nurses and healthcare workers are not just caregivers but content creators, social media has become a double-edged sword—an unfiltered window into the world of healthcare, wielded with equal parts power and peril.
From frontline chronicles during the chaos of COVID-19 to viral dance trends and raw stories of burnout, the rise of "nurse influencers" has given the public unprecedented access to the heart of America’s most trusted profession.
But with nursing’s reputation as the gold standard of ethics slipping, CNOs must step into a new role: social media strategist. The same platforms that spark division can also inspire collaboration if approached with transparency and purpose.
Changing perceptions
According to the 2023 Gallup Honesty and Ethics poll, nursing does in fact remain the most trusted profession, with 78% of adults in the United States "believing that nurses have high honesty and ethical standards." This has rung true for 22 years and counting, the American Nurses Association reported.
However, that 78% is down 11 points from 2020.
"I think the public perception of the trust in nursing has changed for many, many years," said Cody Legler, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Maimonides Health and HealthLeaders Exchange member, who believes the evolution and recognition of the profession have accelerated over the past decade.
"When you look at the last five years now since the pandemic started, and the application of social media across different types of social media and in different forms," Legler said, "I think it’s actually allowed for the continual evolvement of the public perception of nursing to be positive and respective. In parallel, public health concerns such as workplace violence, have been exposed on a more public and international level."
Expanding horizons
According to Legler, social media also enables the public to learn about all the different opportunities that a nursing career provides. Social media has also provided nursing with a greater seat at the table as the respect and influence of nursing leadership continues to evolve.
"I think the specialty areas of opportunity in nursing across the spectrum that have become more prominent … have really helped change the public perception of nursing from the perspective of there being more opportunities throughout different phases of life and stages of a nursing career," Legler said.
One part of the narrative on social media is very focused on targeting and influencing individuals considering going into nursing, students in nursing school, new nurses, and tenured nurses who are looking for other opportunities, according to Legler.
"It’s really driven the opportunities that are in other spaces," Legler said. "Those spaces include the ambulatory setting and nursing informatics, and we know the healthcare industry continues to shift towards that."
Social media also shows the public different and alternative ways to work in nursing, especially in the realm of flexible scheduling and technological advancement, such as in the cases of virtual nursing and remote patient monitoring.
"I don’t know if social media influencers, at large, have changed the recruitment process," Legler said, "but I think they've influenced the areas of interest and the areas of opportunity that present themselves within nursing to be much more publicly known."
From a talent acquisition and leadership standpoint, Legler explained that there is positive movement in improving the talent acquisition process because of social media.
"It’s really about building [and] ensuring that the nursing leadership team is very connected with a strong communication plan and relationship and frontline team members that we want and certainly need to be very engaged, especially when aligning strategic priorities" Legler said.
This is an excerpt from the HealthLeaders February 2025 cover story. Click here to read the full cover story.
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To inquire about attending a HealthLeaders CNO Exchange event, email us at exchange@healthleadersmedia.com.
G Hatfield is the CNO editor for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Social media enables the public to learn about all the different opportunities that a nursing career provides and gives nursing a greater seat at the table as leaders continue to invest and evolve.
CNOs should get involved with social media and use their voice and style to share best practices, successes, and meaningful recognition to nurses on their teams.