Original Research: TikTok's 'Dancing Nurses' During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Content Analysis

Area of Science:

• Nursing Ethics
• Social Media Studies
• Public Health Communication

Background:

• Healthcare workers, including nurses, are increasingly using social media platforms like TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A trend of "dancing nurses" videos emerged on TikTok, raising questions about professional ethical standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and describe the use of TikTok by nurses posting "dancing nurse" videos during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To evaluate these videos against established professional nursing ethics and social media guidelines.

Main Methods:

• A content analysis of 52 "dancing nurse" videos on TikTok posted between March and December 2020.
• Evaluation of videos using the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics, ANA social networking principles, and National Council of State Boards of Nursing social media guidelines.

Main Results:

• The 52 analyzed videos received an average of 1.51 million views each.
• A significant number of videos (356 total violations) breached ethical provisions and guidelines.
• Many videos featured inappropriate content, including twerking and suggestive dance moves (46% and 6% respectively).

Conclusions:

• Some "dancing nurse" TikTok videos contained inappropriate or sexually suggestive content, potentially damaging the nursing profession's image.
• Nurses must be aware of and adhere to professional and workplace social media guidelines.
• There is a critical need for nurses to understand the implications of their social media content.