Setting up a nursing blog is a great way to spread more awareness about the role of nurses, and if you enjoy writing, it could even become an extra career for you. Before setting up a nursing blog, there are certain things you should consider to ensure your writing gets noticed and does not break any rules. Follow these six tips to make your perfect nursing blog today.
Choosing Your Name and Niche
This is perhaps one of the most difficult parts, but choosing a name that your blog is going to be under is important. It needs to be obvious that the blog is about nursing, but it also needs to be eye-catching and original. Google some names you have come up with to check that there isn’t already another blog under that name. Once a name has been chosen, choosing a niche is next. If you are a specialist nurse, you may want to write about that, but that doesn’t mean it is what you need to stick to. Whatever you choose, it is important to not be too general, the more niche your blog is, the better.
Using the Right Software
You can set up a blog for free on many websites and use free hosting tools. If you do not want to pay a fortune to set up a blog, choosing free tools is best to start with. WordPress is one of the most popular and best tools out there for anyone setting up a blog, nursing or otherwise. Using WordPress is simple, and you do not need to be a genius to work it. If you are stuck with any aspect of WordPress, simply Google it; there are hundreds of online tutorials on using this tool.
Checking Company Policies
Before you set up your blog, you need to know the policies regarding what you can and cannot write. Most of this will be common sense, such as not posting during working hours and not complaining about where you work, your co-workers or your patients. You also need to maintain confidentiality at all times and if you are going to be writing about a patient or their experience, it may be best to gain some kind of consent first. This can be a tricky situation and you certainly do not want to lose out on your career over it, so check any policies carefully before beginning your blog.
Writing Great Content
Getting noticed is all about the content you post. You need to make sure what you write is original, interesting and well written. When starting out, it is best to ask others to read your posts before you post them online for the world to see. Sometimes a second pair of eyes is needed to see any grammatical errors. If you need a little inspiration, check out what this blogger wishes he had known before he began his own blog.
Be Careful with What You Write
At the end of the day, people trust nurses. This means what you write needs to be the truth and it needs to be medically correct. If you are wanting to spread awareness about something, you need to ensure that everything you are saying is 100% correct and backed up with evidence. As a nurse blogger, you will be talking about your own experiences and teaching other nurses or possibly parents and patients. If you want to set up a blog to aid in teaching other newly qualified or student nurses, you may want to consider a role in nursing education. Alongside your blog you could study online for an MSN in nursing education.
Promote Your Blog
If you want to get noticed in the blogging world, you will need to promote your blog on the right platforms. You can tell colleagues and patients about your blog if you want them to comment and promote your blog too. If you want to remain anonymous for now, then there are other ways to promote your nursing blog, such as through social media. Using social media accounts is the best way to gain followers from a number of different websites and best of all, it is free. You can also find other nurse blogs and interact and comment on them to increase your followers – just make sure your comments are helpful and not promotional.
Setting up your very own nursing blog is a great way to spread the word about many different conditions and the life of a nurse. Follow these tips to set up your nursing blog and get writing!
