Influencers and influencer marketing has been on the rise in recent years, especially with the increased usage and prevalence of social media and the internet in general. As defined by Mirriam-Webster, an influencer is “​​one who exerts influence : a person who inspires or guides the actions of others”. In a marketing context, an influencer is a person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on social media.

When looking at the general definition of an influencer, chances are you know of someone in your community or in your nursing community who is an influencer. While social media certainly did not “invent” the term influencer, it has become the biggest reason why the term is so recognizable and makes an impact. People have made entire careers off of being an influencer and some even use their influencer notoriety to launch businesses, programs, products or services (to name a few). 

In 2022, influencer marketing is expected to grow to a $15 billion industry - and social media usage has reached new heights since 2020 with TikTok entering the mainstream and becoming a fierce competitor and a fast growing platform. 

Nurse influencers have provided crucial information in the midst of COVID-19 conspiracies and misinformation, provided a first-hand look at the profession and #relatable content. That’s just the beginning of the impact influencers can make!

Utilizing Your Platform and Your Voice

Nurses sharing their stories is hardly a new concept, but with the world in the palm of our hands (literally and figuratively) it has become that much easier to tell your story. The truth is that, when utilized to its potential, social media is a way to establish your personal brand and a platform. Whether you’re using your voice to share funny memes or videos or to bring your expertise to the masses, your voice has the ability to impact people - perhaps more than you realize! 

That funny meme or video might brighten someone’s day, or remind a fellow nurse that they are not alone in their struggle or hardships. The expertise that you’re sharing can (and has) helped not only nurses but the general public gain more knowledge and understanding about what it means to be a nurse - especially in the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses and healthcare professionals have utilized their platform in numerous ways during COVID-19 with the biggest role being addressing misinformation - and the realities - of working during the pandemic. 

From identifying vaccine card fraud to sharing the very real effects that the pandemic has had on our mental, emotional and physical health, nurses are baring their souls now more than ever. Behind those videos is a nurse who is in their most vulnerable state, going through the many stages of grief and burnout. By showing people that nursing is more than what the public perceives, there are lives and minds being changed by nurses sharing their truth. 

Educating the Masses

Nurses are like the unsung heroes that are helping keep people safe and holding the weight of an entire healthcare system on their shoulders. For as many people who share platitudes and call us heroes, the support has not been there from a structural and systemic level - in many ways it still isn’t. Despite the ways that our systems and policies treat us, nurses have either shown up every day or realized that they have reached their limits. BOTH of which are okay, let’s not get it twisted!

To expand on our first point, nurses have taken on the additional role of debunking myths and giving us nothing but #facts since COVID’s early stages of misinformation, which is still happening today (deep sigh). By providing free, yes free, education to the general public, nurses have taken the steps needed to tell people the whole truth! On the other side of the screen is someone who may have learned something new, or seen more beyond what the local news and politics will have them believe. 

Now more than ever, people are aware of what nurses are going through - and that can be so powerful!

Building Community 

Perhaps the greatest thing about social media is that it can make us feel a little less alone, even if it’s just through digital means. We’ve seen nurses connect like never before, including on our very own NurseDeck social media channels. Going through this collective experience makes the possibilities for connection endless. As you read this, there might be nurses connecting virtually through a support group or posting comments on message boards and social media. 

Ask any nurse and they may tell you that their community has helped support them through the good, the bad and the very ugly. Community support is also not limited to nurses helping nurses! Community can be your local organizations and citizens donating PPE, or crowdfunding for resources and support. Community can also be that person who left you a comment on your TikTok video about how much you matter - or a nurse they know that has saved them or their loved ones. 

When we show up for others, it can be surprising to see who shows up for us and extends their hands in return!

We could go on and on about how important nurse influencers are and what they’ve done and still do for nursing. The proof is all around us - if we just take a moment to look! So the next time someone questions you as an influencer or judges because of what they perceive influencers to be, brush it off your shoulders and bask in what you’ve built and how you’re helping others beyond your shift. 

We will continue to do our part in building community and we encourage you all to continue to do the same! For the nurses out there who have thought about being an influencer but haven’t taken the step - go for it! We need as many voices as we can to lift up nurses everywhere and every voice matters *virtual hug*