David Benton analyses how he uses social media site LinkedIn to identify untapped resources and potential professional connections

Over the past decade, there has been a proliferation of social media sites offering the opportunity for colleagues to connect with each other locally, nationally and internationally. Meanwhile, nurses have been increasingly using social network analytical techniques to look at team functioning and communication pathways. This article uses the author’s LinkedIn social network to illustrate how analysis can offer insights into the connections, and how the results can be used to professional advantage