The IFNA Communications Committee is not only tasked with keeping our members informed about the happenings of the organization, but also works toward getting members to engage with each other in discussions about issues related to family nursing, keeping members informed about what the activities and research of the membership, and promoting family nursing. To that end, the Committee is launching this blog as a forum for expanding its work and promoting engagement.
You’re most likely familiar with blogs. These days, many organizations and associations have blogs. Examples related to family nursing can be found here and here. In addition, many academics blog about their research and expertise, including the co-chairs of the Communications Committee Janice Bell and Wilma Schroeder. A unique feature about the blog as a social media platform is that it allows for creativity, information gathering and sharing, and expression of ideas in an interactive format without character limits. It really is a new type of publication that has emerged in the era of Web 2.0, in which the Internet and its content becomes interactive and participatory. As a member of the IFNA Communications Committee, I’ve taken on the task of blog editor.
The Committee hopes this blog will be a tool for disseminating ideas and information not only from the organization itself, but also from you, the members of IFNA. Posts on this blog will be a mix of those authored and created by me, the blog editor; sharing of information from the various committees, particularly the Communications Committee, and IFNA; curating resources and ideas; and as a forum for guest posts written by IFNA members. Look for posts coming out about twice each month.
So, we’re opening up the invitation to you, our IFNA members, for potential blog posts and topics. Have an idea for a post? Send it my way. Want to write a guest blog post? Let me know! This blog is another way for our community to engage with each other and to share what we’re doing, all in an effort to make ours the strongest voice for family nursing.
Joel G. Anderson, PhD, CHTP, is a member of the IFNA Communications Committee. His research focuses on support of family caregivers and persons with dementia. He uses social media as one way of examining the family caregiving experience. You can follow him on Twitter at @JoelAndersonPhD.
