Navigating digital ethics: Experiences of nurse digital content creators

Area of Science:

• Nursing Ethics
• Digital Health Communication
• Social Media in Healthcare

Background:

• Social media empowers nurses, creating "nurse digital content creators" who influence public health perceptions.
• Online presence of these nurses challenges traditional ethical frameworks and professional boundaries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how Italian nurse digital content creators perceive and manage ethical and professional boundaries online.
• To understand their motivations, challenges, and the implications for nursing ethics and public health.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative reflexive thematic analysis of interviews with four Italian nurse digital content creators.
• Data analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis, ensuring rigor through member checking and peer debriefing.

Main Results:

• Five themes emerged: Professional Purpose/Digital Advocacy, Ethical Boundaries/Institutional Silence, Privacy/Confidentiality/Self-Protection, Emotional Labour/Public Exposure, and Health Misinformation/Moral Duty.
• Nurses see digital communication as extending care but face unclear institutional guidance, reputational risks, and emotional burdens.

Conclusions:

• Nurse digital content creators are vital for health literacy and nursing's public image.
• Ethical questions necessitate updated professional guidelines and institutional support.
• Integrating digital ethics into nursing education and policy is crucial for professional integrity and maximizing online engagement's educational value.