Back in 2012, the staff of NurseJournal.org spent hours researching nursing schools to find out which schools were the most social media savvy. A little over a year later, a lot has changed, so we decided it was time for an update.
Social media is constantly changing, so schools must reevaluate their strategies regularly and decide which platforms to maintain a presence on and how much interaction to engage in with their followers. The biggest change for nursing schools has been an increase in the number of schools using NursesLounge.com, a professional networking site just for nurses. More than 30% of the schools we researched now have a presence on Nurses Lounge.
This time around, we have improved our scoring formula and added Nurses Lounge and Instagram into the mix. Although adaptation of Instagram is still low among nursing schools, we see many schools adding this fun photo-sharing site to their social media presence, and we expect this trend to continue.
Our formula is weighted to put more emphasis on the social media platforms that are most popular with nursing schools. The highest possible score is 100, with 32 points for Facebook, 15
for Nurses Lounge, 14 for Twitter, 12 for YouTube, 12 for LinkedIn, 6 for Google, 4 for Pinterest, 4 for Flickr, and 1 for Instagram. Here are the updated results. Feel free to post the badge on your website and social media accounts if you made the list.
#1) Chamberlain College of Nursing
Overall Score
86.7
Chamberlain College of Nursing in Downers Grove, IL is still our all-over winner with an established social media presence on every platform we evaluated except Flickr. Chamberlain offers nursing degrees at the associate, bachelor, and master levels.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
1
Facebook
32.0
67,929 likes, 3,214 talking about, 10,858 were here
2
Twitter
13.9
2,077 followers, 5,073 tweets
1
YouTube
12.0
3,289,824 views, 303 subscribers, 40 videos
1
LinkedIn
12.0
2,443 followers, 1,788 group members
3
Google Plus
5.8
Circled by 318, 409 Google +1′s
1
Instagram
1.0
312 followers, 42 photos
35
Nurse Lounge
6.1
7 members
#2) Johns Hopkins School of Nursing
Overall Score
82.0
Johns Hopkins offers a variety of nursing possibilities, from a bachelor’s degree to doctoral nursing programs and beyond to post-degree certification and continuing education. You can even get your master’s degree online.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
2
Facebook
30.2
4,387 likes, 64 talking about, 1,397 were here
1
Twitter
13.9
6,936 followers, 2,143 tweets
9
YouTube
10.1
7,525 views, 79 subscribers, 152 videos
2
LinkedIn
12.0
1,132 followers, 513 group members
1
Google Plus
6.0
Circled by 461, 693 Google +1′s
1
Flickr
4.0
5,512 Flickr photos
4
Instagram
0.8
21 followers, 37 photos
68
Nurse Lounge
5.1
2 members
#3) Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
Overall Score
80.1
Vanderbilt offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), a PhD in Nursing Science, and a 2-year postdoctoral program. You can also choose from eleven post-master’s certificates if you already have your MSN.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
4
Facebook
30.0
3,069 likes, 115 talking about, 1,225 were here
3
Twitter
13.6
2,096 followers, 3,841 tweets
38
YouTube
6.0
126 views, 45 videos
16
LinkedIn
10.7
42 followers, 160 group members
14
Google Plus
3.4
Circled by 18, 25 Google +1′s
2
Flickr
4.0
3,478 Flickr photos
6
Instagram
0.6
29 followers, 16 photos
26
Nurse Lounge
7.7
5 members, 1 posts
#4) Duke University School of Nursing
Overall Score
77.8
Duke University School of Nursing offers an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing that allows you to get your BSN in 16 months if you already have another degree. They also offer Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing degrees, as well as a postdoctoral fellowship.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
16
Facebook
29.4
1,266 likes, 77 talking about, 1,032 were here
7
Twitter
13.2
3,395 followers, 1,601 tweets
4
YouTube
11.3
137,676 views, 281 subscribers, 57 videos
24
LinkedIn
10.7
124 group members
4
Google Plus
5.6
Circled by 146, 350 Google +1′s
9
Flickr
3.5
838 Flickr photos
7
Instagram
0.6
35 followers, 13 photos
#5) UAB School of Nursing
Overall Score
74.6
The UAB School of Nursing is ranked fifth worldwide for its clinical work in medicine, dentistry, nursing, optometry, health professions, and public health. A few of the programs offered at the school are a PhD in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and Accelerated Master’s in Nursing Pathway.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
6
Facebook
29.9
2,033 likes, 73 talking about, 1,641 were here
16
Twitter
12.2
563 followers, 686 tweets
6
YouTube
10.9
98,018 views, 133 subscribers, 26 videos
15
LinkedIn
10.7
204 group members
22
Google Plus
2.8
Circled by 9, 10 Google +1′s
3
Flickr
4.0
3,161 Flickr photos
5
Instagram
0.7
42 followers, 27 photos
#6) Columbia University School of Nursing
Overall Score
69.6
Columbia offers a combined BS/MS program for students with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree. Their master’s program offers the following specialties: acute nurse care practitioner, adult-gerontology nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, nurse anesthesia, nurse midwifery, pediatric nurse, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, and women’s health nurse practitioner.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
13
Facebook
29.5
2,672 likes, 130 talking about, 502 were here
10
Twitter
12.7
923 followers, 801 tweets
14
YouTube
9.3
7,161 views, 44 subscribers, 19 videos
14
LinkedIn
10.8
173 followers, 43 group members
14
Flickr
2.0
175 Flickr photos
57
Nurse Lounge
5.3
3 members
#7) University of Minnesota School of Nursing
Overall Score
69.0
In 2013, the University of Minnesota School of Nursing opened an 11,000 square foot learning simulation and research center. The school was the first in the US to offer Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs in Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Health Innovation and Leadership, Midwifery, and Nursing Informatics.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
64
Facebook
22.9
830 likes, 17 talking about, 89 were here
49
Twitter
9.1
302 followers, 316 tweets
43
YouTube
5.5
1,217 views, 1 subscribers, 4 videos
38
LinkedIn
10.6
34 followers
23
Google Plus
2.8
Circled by 9, 10 Google +1′s
5
Flickr
3.9
2,296 Flickr photos
3
Nurse Lounge
14.1
264 members, 4 posts
#8) The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing
Overall Score
68.3
In addition to associate, bachelor, master, and PhD programs, the University of Texas offers an associate to bachelor program (AND-BSN) and an alternate entry Doctor of Philosphy (AE-PhD) program.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
59
Facebook
23.4
897 likes, 8 talking about, 213 were here
21
Twitter
11.9
471 followers, 1,515 tweets
15
YouTube
9.2
6,454 views, 37 subscribers, 20 videos
32
LinkedIn
10.6
56 group members
32
Google Plus
1.4
Circled by 8, 0 Google +1′s
17
Nurse Lounge
11.8
479 members
#9) University of Washington School of Nursing
Overall Score
67.8
The University of Washington School of Nursing places a strong emphasis on research to address the most pressing challenges in health care. UW offers six degree programs with a variety of specialties as well as continuing education opportunities.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
21
Facebook
28.7
872 likes, 35 talking about, 414 were here
35
Twitter
10.1
636 followers, 164 tweets
32
YouTube
6.5
1,811 views, 9 subscribers, 8 videos
25
LinkedIn
10.7
106 group members
33
Google Plus
1.4
Circled by 8, 0 Google +1′s
21
Nurse Lounge
10.4
29 members
#10) University of Cincinnati College of Nursing
Overall Score
65.9
The University of Cincinnati College of Nursing has more than fifteen specialties available in their Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
3
Facebook
30.0
3,811 likes, 328 talking about, 288 were here
18
Twitter
12.1
531 followers, 1,096 tweets
3
YouTube
11.4
58,278 views, 98 subscribers, 121 videos
66
LinkedIn
5.3
3 group members
15
Flickr
2.0
170 Flickr photos
69
Nurse Lounge
5.1
2 members
#11) Marian University Nursing Schools
Overall Score
65.4
Through the School of Nursing in Indianapolis and the Tennessee Nursing School in Nashville, Marian University offers an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) that involves online courses combined with hands-on practice and hospital rotations to prepare you for your future nursing career.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
34
Facebook
26.5
1,740 likes, 40 talking about, 149 were here
45
Twitter
9.5
269 followers, 408 tweets
33
YouTube
6.5
856 views, 7 subscribers, 9 videos
43
LinkedIn
10.0
29 followers
8
Google Plus
4.3
Circled by 191, 11 Google +1′s
49
Nurse Lounge
5.5
4 members
#12) Belmont University Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing
Overall Score
65.4
Belmont offers both undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees and boasts some of the highest NCLEX-RN licensure pass rates in the nation. The school’s faculty is dedicated to helping each student succeed.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
45
Facebook
24.4
1,370 likes, 4 talking about, 419 were here
42
Twitter
9.5
223 followers, 457 tweets
35
YouTube
6.4
8,199 views, 13 subscribers, 1 videos
20
LinkedIn
10.7
165 group members
12
Google Plus
3.5
Circled by 23, 23 Google +1′s
29
Nurse Lounge
7.3
3 members, 1 posts
#13) Goldfarb School of Nursing
Overall Score
64.6
Goldfarb School of Nursing has just received an interesting distinction. The school was recently honored as the “Best School of Nursing for Men” for 2013 by the American Assembly for Men in Nursing (AAMN).
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
11
Facebook
29.6
1,344 likes, 75 talking about, 1,375 were here
54
Twitter
8.3
338 followers, 141 tweets
5
YouTube
11.0
110,196 views, 138 subscribers, 28 videos
28
LinkedIn
10.6
89 followers
13
Flickr
2.1
213 Flickr photos
#14) The University of Arizona College of Nursing
Overall Score
63.9
Whether you’re headed toward a career in nursing, healthcare administration, public health policy, advanced practice nursing, nursing education, or nursing research, the University of Arizona College of Nursing has the right program to make it happen.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
17
Facebook
29.3
1,177 likes, 68 talking about, 1,009 were here
24
Twitter
11.6
458 followers, 655 tweets
37
YouTube
6.1
2,754 views, 3 subscribers, 6 videos
6
LinkedIn
11.0
26 followers, 423 group members
5
Google Plus
5.4
Circled by 92, 105 Google +1′s
#15) UT Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Nursing
Overall Score
63.9
The UT Health Science Center San Antonio School of Nursing is part of a Tier 1 research university and is the only school in South Texas that offers doctorate nursing degrees.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
15
Facebook
29.4
1,334 likes, 40 talking about, 1,278 were here
74
Twitter
5.9
45 followers, 2 tweets
28
YouTube
7.0
3,173 views, 20 subscribers, 7 videos
10
LinkedIn
10.9
379 followers
19
Nurse Lounge
10.8
15 members, 4 posts
#16) Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University
Overall Score
63.3
The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing was the first in the US to offer the acute care nurse practitioner program, the advanced practice flight nursing program, and the practice doctorate in nursing.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
40
Facebook
25.2
1,481 likes, 69 talking about, 52 were here
13
Twitter
12.6
1,793 followers, 561 tweets
2
YouTube
12.0
683,182 views, 877 subscribers, 77 videos
21
LinkedIn
10.7
133 group members
21
Google Plus
2.9
Circled by 10, 11 Google +1′s
#17) Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions
Overall Score
62.7
Drexel University provides opportunities for nursing students to develop their research, teaching, and evidence-based practice skills through its innovative nursing education programs.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
61
Facebook
23.1
841 likes, 20 talking about, 71 were here
14
Twitter
12.4
587 followers, 916 tweets
23
YouTube
7.4
1,358 views, 4 subscribers, 18 videos
9
LinkedIn
10.9
331 followers, 75 group members
58
Nurse Lounge
5.3
3 members
#18) Emory Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Overall Score
62.3
The Nell Hodgson Woodson School of Nursing attracts nursing students who want to learn the most innovation patient care techniques from a staff that is constantly working to discover new methods to advance the nursing profession.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
19
Facebook
29.1
1,381 likes, 87 talking about, 515 were here
28
Twitter
11.1
371 followers, 736 tweets
13
LinkedIn
10.8
298 group members
4
Flickr
4.0
3,855 Flickr photos
59
Nurse Lounge
5.3
3 members
#19) Duquesne University School of Nursing
Overall Score
61.9
Duquesne University offers a community-focused nursing education that incorporates high-tech simulation training. International opportunities are available for students who want to learn about global health issues through first-hand experience.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
80
Facebook
21.3
472 likes, 27 talking about, 24 were here
58
Twitter
7.9
141 followers, 262 tweets
17
YouTube
8.2
4,451 views, 14 subscribers, 16 videos
55
LinkedIn
7.3
14 group members
10
Google Plus
3.9
Circled by 31, 32 Google +1′s
8
Instagram
0.5
8 followers, 8 photos
20
Nurse Lounge
10.5
76 members
#20) ASU College of Nursing & Health Innovation
Overall Score
61.4
The ASU College of Nursing & Health Innovation offers Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Doctor of Nursing Practice, and Nurse Educator programs. The school has two health clinics that provide services to the public and are managed by nurses.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
10
Facebook
29.6
1,500 likes, 38 talking about, 1,645 were here
19
Twitter
12.1
744 followers, 508 tweets
22
YouTube
7.5
1,054 views, 8 subscribers, 16 videos
44
LinkedIn
9.6
26 followers, 1 group members
27
Google Plus
2.6
Circled by 4, 4 Google +1′s
#21) Yale School of Nursing
Overall Score
61.4
Master’s program specialties available at the Yale School of Nursing include nurse practitioner, nurse-midwifery, clinical nurse specialist, and nursing management. Yale offers Post Master’s Certificates in six different areas as well as a PhD in nursing.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
76
Facebook
21.6
739 likes, 15 talking about, 18 were here
4
Twitter
13.5
6,161 followers, 1,054 tweets
13
YouTube
9.3
7,596 views, 29 subscribers, 45 videos
7
LinkedIn
10.9
422 group members
30
Google Plus
2.2
Circled by 38, 0 Google +1′s
#22) Kent State University College of Nursing
Overall Score
60.5
Kent State’s expert faculty is dedicated to helping all students reach their full potential, whether they’re studying for an associate’s degree or a PhD.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
62
Facebook
23.0
675 likes, 22 talking about, 69 were here
25
Twitter
11.3
1,431 followers, 353 tweets
29
YouTube
7.0
1,532 views, 8 subscribers, 12 videos
12
LinkedIn
10.9
349 group members
18
Google Plus
3.2
Circled by 27, 2 Google +1′s
20
Flickr
1.7
42 Flickr photos
#23) University of California San Francisco School of Nursing
Overall Score
59.8
The UCSF School of Nursing is dedicated to excellence: educational excellence, research excellence, and patient care excellence. For the past decade, the school has been one of the top two nursing schools receiving research funding from the NIH.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
36
Facebook
26.1
742 likes, 51 talking about, 131 were here
30
Twitter
10.9
315 followers, 955 tweets
54
YouTube
4.7
722 views, 7 videos
4
LinkedIn
11.1
581 group members
34
Google Plus
1.2
Circled by 0, 1 Google +1′s
37
Nurse Lounge
5.9
6 members
#24) University of Maryland School of Nursing
Overall Score
58.9
The University of Maryland School of Nursing is a leader in public service, health sciences research, and patient care. Its nursing programs are conducted in a research-intensive environment with a focus on providing a high-quality for all students.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
14
Facebook
29.5
1,200 likes, 56 talking about, 1,440 were here
65
Twitter
6.8
143 followers, 74 tweets
19
YouTube
8.1
4,613 views, 12 subscribers, 23 videos
8
LinkedIn
10.9
406 followers, 1 group members
35
Google Plus
1.2
Circled by 0, 1 Google +1′s
12
Flickr
2.4
334 Flickr photos
#25) The University of Iowa College of Nursing
Overall Score
58.4
The University of Iowa College of Nursing has the #1 programs in the nation for gerontology and nursing service administration, as well as top 10 rankings for anesthesia, pediatric nurse practitioner, and the MS in Nursing.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
47
Facebook
24.2
775 likes, 50 talking about
31
Twitter
10.7
256 followers, 1,565 tweets
41
YouTube
5.9
417 views, 10 subscribers, 4 videos
39
LinkedIn
10.6
34 followers
30
Nurse Lounge
7.0
11 members
#26) TCU Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Overall Score
57.2
Your nursing education at TCU Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences includes clinical experience in schools, community health agencies, and top medical hospitals. During your senior year, you’ll be able to choose a specialty, such as community health, pediatrics, maternity, or psychiatric care.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
91
Facebook
20.1
402 likes, 24 talking about, 16 were here
55
Twitter
8.3
223 followers, 241 tweets
55
YouTube
4.6
290 views, 7 videos
41
LinkedIn
10.5
32 group members
8
Nurse Lounge
13.7
140 members, 8 posts
#27) University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing
Overall Score
56.6
The University of Illinois offers BSN, MS, GEP, DNP, and PhD programs in five locations: Chicago, Rockford, Peoria, Urbana, and the Quad Cities. Regardless of the degree or campus you choose, you’ll receive quality instruction from some of the best nursing educators in the country.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
58
Facebook
23.7
1,230 likes, 8 talking about, 232 were here
34
Twitter
10.5
649 followers, 229 tweets
44
YouTube
5.5
1,029 views, 9 subscribers, 1 videos
3
LinkedIn
11.1
636 group members
38
Nurse Lounge
5.9
6 members
#28) Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies
Overall Score
55.3
Georgetown’s School of Nursing & Health Studies provides a student-centered education in accordance with the Jesuit tradition. The school is divided into four departments: Health Systems Administration, Human Science, International Health, and the Department of Nursing.
Rank
Platform
Points
Stats
31
Facebook</