The Idea of an Essay, Volume 2

102 relationships between nurses, reducing the effects of emotional burnout. Promoting internal health even further, social media can encourage nurses to meditatively journal in order to relieve stress and release tension. Oftentimes, nurses overlook their own needs in an effort to provide for others, which can dangerously affect their health (Charles 180). Karen Baikie, who is a clinical psychologist, writes that journaling can serve as an effective method of processing feelings experienced after a traumatic event (338). Blogs and other websites offer a place for nurses to express emotions, work through distressing situations, or therapeutically manage stress. Social media websites can provide a place for nurses to address their own needs and struggles, which can prevent “compassion fatigue” (Charles 180). Because journaling helps the left side of the brain balance out the emotions of the right side, it can boost the emotional health of nurses which will impact the efficiency and safety of the medical field (182). Although social media appears to carry great potential for the nursing community, it is bereft with flaws, and the benefits quickly lose their value when examined closely. First, it is challenging to concretely prove that the benefits of social media outweigh the risks, for this subject is extremely speculative. Because of the complex nature of friendship, relationships, and the human mind, it is difficult to concretely prove the effectiveness of social media in promoting camaraderie and relieving stress. Additionally, these benefits are extremely subjective, depending on the personality, lifestyle, and choices of each individual. For example, one nurse may utilize her Facebook page in an entirely different manner than her coworker, yielding polar opposite results. Consequently, it is perplexing to predict consistent outcomes. Furthermore, there are other effective methods of addressing emotional burnout which usurp social media’s role in nursing. For example, nurses can bypass social media altogether and adopt several other approaches when forming and maintaining relationships with coworkers. Lunch dates and coffee breaks are often more effective in strengthening friendships than private messaging over the web. Furthermore, the internet is not a necessary component in the journaling experience; individuals may find it more helpful to jot down meditations in a notebook or document on their laptop. Clearly, hospitals can address the issue of burnout without involving the presence of social media.