From the ER to the feed — how healthcare creators build their voice. Plus: What's trending the week of Jan. 17 and who to follow now

The pandemic created pressures on nurses and doctors that haven’t abated. We’ve all heard the stories and many of us have seen the pressure first-hand from colleagues, family, and friends.?

For me, the learning increasingly comes from what I’m seeing in the feed with the growth of these healthcare creators. I’m sure it can’t be easy for these professionals to spend countless hours in the ER or by a patient’s bedside only to then pick up their phone or keyboard and start documenting. But the nurses and doctors who are posting here are providing insights, expertise, and very personal perspectives that give us the opportunity to see real challenges through their eyes. It’s a good reminder that while talking to your community is important, creators can also leverage their voice to bring attention from the wider world — attention that brings new people into the field, new empathy, and potentially new opportunities.

Beth Kutscher, a senior managing editor at LinkedIn News who covers healthcare, is well acquainted with these medical voices. During her five years at Linkedin, Beth has created a powerful community, giving these creators a forum to talk about everything from new technologies to topics that demonstrate their tireless compassion. Beth told me: “It gives them the ability to talk about tough issues,” and highlighted one particular post about bullying in the hospital. “It's one of those issues that everybody knows about but nobody really talks about. But someone was brave enough to write about it on LinkedIn.”?

In her new Path to Recovery newsletter, Beth recently shared some of the many conversations initiated by healthcare professionals and highlighted our newest list of Top Voices in Healthcare. This list, as well as lists from previous years, showcase healthcare workers who are actively working to address significant health-related issues that need attention.

To understand more about what’s important in their world, I looked to some of these top voices who are pulling back the curtain to show us the real realities of their chosen profession.?

Casey Green, (aka, “Critical Care Casey”), a registered nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital, often posts about nurses supporting nurses and highlights others’ conversations on the subject like this one. Casey told me: “Right now is a tipping point for nursing students, nurses, and healthcare as an entity. Nurses need more support at the bedside, nursing students need more support getting through nursing school, and healthcare needs so much. I think by me just showing what ‘a day in the life’ is as a critical care nurse and clinical instructor it helps to humanize the role of the nurse.” Casey points to a recent post about meeting Dr. Jill Biden, explaining that she was surprised by the conversations and discussions it initiated. She said: “In posting about it, a lot of nurses told their stories of why they chose nursing or their path to where they are now. After telling their story it helped a lot of them ‘remember their why,’ which right now can be the difference in staying at the bedside (or even in the profession) and leaving.”??

For some nurses, sharing their personal experiences on a public platform is a frightening prospect. Bonnie Clipper, an expert on the future of nursing, told me she gets many messages from nurses urging her to doing posts like this one because they don’t feel free to. She said: “They are concerned about how they will be perceived if ‘their bosses’ sees their public comments. These nurses feel strongly that the public knows that there are issues with PPE, or that nurses are burned out, anxious, frustrated or even scared.”

These concerns are not lost on nursing and healthcare innovation expert, Dr. Dan Weberg, PhD, RN, who told me that he tries to use Linkedin to show the whole story from multiple perspectives often not communicated in the mainstream news. Dan said: “We have to catalyze the change we wish to see. Complaining, TikTok etc. doesn’t provide relevant professional ways to address issues. The time I spend on Linkedin adds direct value in connections or opportunities (speaking, etc.) that allow me to share observations and content I think can change my nursing profession. It’s an obligation to share that content to help nurses and healthcare leaders navigate innovation. My posts are to inspire and provoke conversation that matters.”?

Dr. Karl Kabasele is a public health physician who as a podcast producer, has the opportunity to explore issues of race and health.? He said: “I believe in the impact we are having with @The Race, Health & Happiness podcast. I remember a time not so long ago when only a dedicated few were talking about the impact of race and racism on health, and now the concept has entered the mainstream and people of all backgrounds are engaging with it. I think platforms like LinkedIn present an ideal space to not only discuss the issues but also build community and take the action that is necessary to make meaningful change.”

The takeaway: I think so many of us assume that we’re going through our jobs alone — or that no one outside our field will understand or care about the day-to-day. These healthcare voices prove that the opposite is true. It’s only through relentlessly bringing up ideas and experiences that we help bring in more voices and come up with new solutions.

Our Linkedin Audio Events beta launched recently. I'm loving the experience of being able to carry on a conversation vs broadcasting. Here are some of the upcoming events to join:

?? For people in the telecom industry: Communication Strategies to Elevate Your Success Thursday, Jan. 20 at 1 pm ET

?? Join Jake Hall, the Manufacturing Millennial and the Industry 4.0 Club, as we talk Manufacturing, Industry 4.0, and new LinkedIn Features! Thursday, Jan. 20 at 2 pm ET

?? Join Tara Jaye Frank and WatchHerWork CEO Denise Hamilton for a candid conversation about what future leaders must do differently to retain and unleash talent in an ever-evolving business landscape Friday, Jan. 21 at 5 pm ET

?? Hiring Manager Hotline: Find Your Dream Job or Dream Candidate!?Tuesday, Jan 25 at 12 pm ET?

?? Join executive coaches and DEI experts, Paula Edgar, Esq., and Cynthia Pong, JD, for an unfiltered conversation about what’s actually missing from workplaces when it comes to the experiences and retention of people of color Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 2 pm ET

?Here are the topics generating attention over the last 7 days. Leverage these to spot audience demand and to start identifying trends. Then write your own post about one of these subjects; share an interesting video that riffs off the topic; or add commentary to a conversation. Anything with a ?? is likely to continue to trend for another 2 weeks.?

Michelle Go has been the most-searched name for the last few days. The former Deloitte manager was pushed to her death in the NYC subway; colleagues and others have been posting about her life and legacy.

?? Boomers plan to stick around: A new survey reveals more than 20% of workers age 57 to 75 are delaying retirement due to financial concerns.

?? Fastest-growing jobs in the U.S.: LinkedIn data reveals the 25 fastest-growing job titles in the last five years. No. 1: Vaccine specialist. #JobsOnTheRise

?? Free at-home COVID tests now available in the U.S.: Government website providing free at-home rapid COVID-19 tests launched a day early, operating at a “limited capacity” before its official launch.

?? Employers boost 401K contributions to reel in new hires: Increased competition prompts many companies to offer employees more money for their 401k retirement accounts.

Each week, I’ll highlight creators who are initiating meaningful conversations on LinkedIn. These members use a variety of tools — from live video to polls — to nurture their audience. See if any of their actions work for you or engage with them directly by leaving a comment and sharing your insights.

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