Nurses’ use of social media in relation to COVID-19

Introduction: In Sweden, as in many other countries, there is a shortage of nurses and it is expected to continue in the coming years. The current COVID-19 related crisis is affecting nurses' working conditions in many ways, with increased stress and workload, changed work routines, challenging ethical issues, an unpredictable future, etc. All factors can affect the sustainability of working life. Staffing, in quantity and quality, is a decisive factor for staff to stay in care. It is of great importance to identify and understand how different factors can support but also hinder nurses in their daily clinical practice. Social media (SM) (e.g. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter) increasingly permeate daily activities. In SM, information circulates 24/7, without national borders. SM can be a source of help and information as well as concerns and misinformation. It is of particular interest to examine nurses' professional use of SM in times of uncertainty, and a situation in which the state of knowledge is unclear and changing. Aim: The aim of the project is to investigate how nurses in Scandinavian countries use SM related to COVID-19 and in what way such uses affect the nurse's professional role and practices. Methods: The project will be conduct in two parts. Part 1: Systematic literature review. Part 2. Qualitative (individual interviews, case studies) methods within Scandinavia.