Research / Leadership / Education Placements

Twitter (X)

The Benefits of Creating a Professional Twitter (X) Account

Professional Development

Twitter can be used to provide reflections as evidence for your CPD portfolios to represent the development we make as students. It gives us a foundation for diverse learning opportunities including: following experienced practitioners, involvement in tweetchats and access to advertisements for conferences and CPD events! It also enables us to be informed with developments in practice, policy changes and new research developments.

Networking

Networking allows for the sharing of information through creating the opportunity to connect and collaborate with experienced professionals who wish to share their enthusiasm, knowledge and skills within an area that may be of interest to you but you've not yet explored!

This environment can involve you in a community to learn from as you can be surrounded by various others including students from other AHP disciplines or professionals.

Promoting Yourself and Your Professional Role

This also allows you to solidify your identity as a student, alongside giving you the opportunity to promote your role within a wider AHP and MDT audience.

The Basics of Twitter (X)

This video explains the basics of how to use twitter.

Common Language Used Across Twitter (X)

Tweet: The posts that you see on twitter.

Handle: This is how the name of the account becomes identifiable which requires the @ symbol to link the account in a tweet with the exact wording. For example the SHU community of practice twitter handle is SHUAHP_Students.

Retweet: RT (Short for “RE-TWEET”) is a tweet that shares what someone else has said and this shows up on your twitter page. This is similar to forwarding an email.

Hashtag Symbol '#': is used to organize information so that it becomes easier to find. For example if you're tweeting about AHPs you can write #AHP. You can also use this to search for other words featuring #AHP in the top search bar. You can also create your own hashtag.

Trending: This is where hashtags and related tweets have become very popular.

Tweetchats: An organised discussion on twitter usually by an organisation or page through the use of threads using the same hashtag.

Expectations and Advice for Managing Your Professional

Twitter ( X) Account

It is important to maintain professionalism at all times whilst using twitter. If your profile is on a professional, public setting be aware that everyone is able to see this. It is important to write responsibly as potential jobs, placements, colleagues, and everybody will be able to see what you like or post.
You will need to abide by the same HCPC rules and regulations as you would in a professional capacity. For this you need to understand the individual HCPC requirements of your profession. The HCPC website provides very useful tips and information regarding the safe use of twitter. https://www.hcpc-uk.org/standards/meeting-our-standards/communication-and-using-social-media/guidance-on-use-of-social-media/.
You also need to uphold expectations within your regulatory body, for example RCOT for Occupational Therapists have their own social media guidance as will other professions.
Think about the level of privacy you want on your account, this decision will need to based on how you will use the account, personally or professionally. This will help you decide if you wish to protect your tweets (The default setting is for tweets to be public).
Visit the twitter help centre for further help with account privacy: https://help.twitter.com/en or explore what it means to have a professional twitter: https://business.twitter.com/en/blog/twitter-for-professionals.html

Useful Twitter (X) Accounts to Follow

Sheffield Hallam University Twitter (X) Accounts

Allied Health Professional Students Community of Practice: @SHUAHP_Students
Operating Department Practice: @ODPSHU
Physiotherapy Department: @PhysioSHU
Radiography: @SHURadiography
Therapeutic Radiography oncology Podcast @Rad_chat
Occupational Therapy: OT_SHU
Paramedic Science: @ShuParamedic
Dietetics: @SHUDietetics
Allied Health Apprenticeships: @SHU_AHP_DA
Physiotherapy Degree Apprenticeship: @SHUDAPhysio
Interprofessional Education: @IPE_SHU
Allied Health Department: @AHPSHU, @AHP_SHU

Health Related Twitter (X) Accounts to Follow

@NHS_HealthEdEng: Health Education England
@AHPsEverywhere
@AHPs4PH: an account for AHP's interested in public health
@AHPpracticeCoP: A Community of Practice for all things AHP placement related
@WeAHPS – Hosts tweetchats between AHPS.
@AHPFederation: Allied Health Professional Federation
Your regulatory body will have their own page, locally or regionally and by practice area. They may advertise jobs, local news and events.

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