This document identifies and ranks the top 25 most influential nursing blogs of 2010 based on subscribers, inbound links, and PageRank scores. The blogs are ranked based on their total influence score, which is the sum of standardized scores for subscribers, inbound links, and PageRank. The top blog, Code Blog, has a score of 24 based on high subscriber and inbound link scores and a PageRank of 4. The document also provides brief descriptions and influence scores for each of the top 25 nursing blogs.

1. Identifying Nursing Blogs that Matter Top 25 Influential Nursing Blogs

2. Purpose Why do nursing blogs matter and why should we identify the most influential? When it comes to health care providers creating content online, physicians aren’t the only ones taking part. Nurses are using blogs to share their stories from the frontlines of health care, lend insights into various specialties and work environments, and make connections with other nurses. Whereas each blogging nurse may have her or his own favorite nursing blogs to read (often evidenced by their blogrolls), we thought it would be helpful to those outside the network of nurses to have a list of the most influential nursing blogs. That’s why we have identified and ranked the 25 most influential nursing blogs of 2010. These nurse-written blogs have demonstrated the most reach and influence.

4. InLinks (Yahoo! Site Explorer)- the number of links back to content provided on the blog

5. PageRank (Google)- a ranking of site’s overall importanceInfluence Subscribers InLinks PageRank

6. Methodology How do we measure influence? Each of these three measures were given equal weight by converting Subscribers and InLinks to 0-10 scores. PageRank is already measured on a 1-10 scale, with 0 recorded when no rank available, so PageRank did not need converted. So a nursing blog’s total Influence Score is between 0 and 30, with 30 being most influential. Influence + + = Subscribers InLinks PageRank * Data collected July 2010

7. Nursing Blogs Top 25 Influencers Some influential nursing blogs have a great number of subscribers, and others have a multitude of links back to them. The most influential have both, as well as high PageRank displayed as dot size in this graph. 9 1 4 3 11 5 17 8 13 16 2 18 InLinks Score 24 14 6 & 7 20 10 21 25 15 12 19 23 22 Subscriber Score PageRank displayed as dot size

8. #1 code blog “ I have been an Intensive Care nurse for 11 years. “ This blog is about my experiences as a nurse, and the experiences of others in the healthcare system - patients, nurses, doctors, paramedics. 24 Influence Subscriber Score 10 InLinks Score 10 PageRank Score 4

9. #2 It shouldn’t happen in health care “ Max is an Paediatric Nurse who got lost, ended up in A&E, then somehow as a Nurse Practitioner in General Practice. “ The original idea was to develop a site to collate funny tales that happened in health care. 21 Influence Subscriber Score 9 InLinks Score 6 PageRank Score 6

10. #3 Nurse Ratched’s Place “ I write composite stories about many different people that I’ve cared for over the years. “ This website is privately operated and was designed to provide personal information, views and commentary about the author’s life experiences. 19 Influence Subscriber Score 5 InLinks Score 10 PageRank Score 4

11. #4 madness: tales of an emergency room nurse “ the adventures of a veteran nurse in an inner city ER Subscriber Score InLinks Score PageRank Score 19 Influence 4 10 5

12. #5 Emergiblog “ My name is Kim McAllister, and I’m a registered nurse in the San Francisco Bay area. I graduated in 1978 with my ADN and have been a nurse for 32 years. “ The purpose of Emergiblog is to give me a forum to discuss my experiences as a nurse in the emergency department and other topics related to nursing. 18 Influence Subscriber Score 3 InLinks Score 10 PageRank Score 5

13. #6 Adventures of GuitarGirl RN “ Guitar (and now bass)-playin' rock-and-roll emergency room RN. I pulled the trigger and now I have a public blog. Scary. Subscriber Score InLinks Score PageRank Score 18 Influence 10 4 4

14. #7 REBIRTH “ I am a new nurse-midwife hoping to make my mark in improving maternity care for women, babies, and their families. 18 Influence Subscriber Score 10 InLinks Score 4 PageRank Score 4

15. #8 Digital Doorway “ I am a nurse, writer, Laughter Yoga Leader, and Health & Wellness Coach. “ A digital venue for creative expression, nursing adventures, reflections, thoughtful reverie, thoughtless repose, and other flotsam and jetsam 18 Influence Subscriber Score 6 InLinks Score 9 PageRank Score 3

16. #9 PixelRN “ I used to be a nurse. I used to blog about nursing. Now I have three very small children to take care of so I make art to try and stay sane. 17 Influence Subscriber Score 3 InLinks Score 10 PageRank Score 4

17. #10 Call Bells Make Me Nervous “ I’m a shiny new nurse working my first job in the ED. 16 Influence Subscriber Score 10 InLinks Score 2 PageRank Score 4

18. #11 Impacted Nurse “ Ian Miller is a registered nurse with nearly 23 years experience working in the Emergency Department of a major teaching hospital in Canberra Australia. “ Ian Miller hopes to offer up an eclectic mix of reflections, tutorials and articles. They are intended to educate, to stimulate some introspection, to inform and amuse. 16 Influence Subscriber Score 2 InLinks Score 10 PageRank Score 4

19. #12 Weird Nursing Tales “ I was an RRT for 10 years, and have been an RN for the last 18 years. I have worked in many hospitals over the years from 1,000 beds to 60 beds. Currently, I work as a Critical Care Float Nurse at a mid-sized hospital in mid-western North Carolina. 15 Influence Subscriber Score 10 InLinks Score 1 PageRank Score 4

20. #13 Travel Nurse Aim “ My name is Amy (my husband calls me Aim; ergo the title of my blog) and this blog details my life as a travel nurse, wife and mom. 15 Influence Subscriber Score 2 InLinks Score 8 PageRank Score 5

21. #14 My Strong Medicine “ I am a Registered Nurse and a Certified Athletic Trainer. “ This blog is my way of contributing my voice to the world, sharing my adventures as a nurse, conveying a sense of fit health, while staying strong. 14 Influence Subscriber Score 7 InLinks Score 4 PageRank Score 3

22. #15 The Man-Nurse Diaries “ RN since: 2/2010Arena: trauma ICU “ I write about my experiences of being an RN or a student, and those of others. 14 Influence Subscriber Score 8 InLinks Score 1 PageRank Score 5

23. #16 Head Nurse “ Brain on the top, spine down the back. “ Since I came out with the news that I HAVE CANCER (echo chamber effect), I've gotten a hopload more followers and readers. 13 Influence Subscriber Score 2 InLinks Score 7 PageRank Score 4

24. #17 At Your Cervix “ I currently work in a very large teaching hospital in the labor and delivery unit, as a registered nurse. “ I also like to write about my gastric bypass surgery adventures, my subsequent weight loss, and the complications I've faced. I write about my travels and trips in the U.S., and I like to write about basically whatever pops up in my head! 13 Influence Subscriber Score 1 InLinks Score 9 PageRank Score 3

25. #18 Life in the NHS “ I have been a nurse for more than 25 years (yes really), recently moved into a new job so am now finding out about the world of commissioning in a UK Primary Care Trust. 13 Influence Subscriber Score 3 InLinks Score 6 PageRank Score 4

26. #19 BonnieRN Blog “ I am a Nurse Consultant with an Independent Practice in Grand Junction, Co Serving Adults with Disabilities and Geriatric Clients in Care Management. 11 Influence Subscriber Score 6 InLinks Score 1 PageRank Score 4

27. #20 A Place I Call Home “ Smalltown RN 10 Influence Subscriber Score 3 InLinks Score 4 PageRank Score 3

28. #21 RehabRN “ RN living down on the farm with Dahey, Bubba, WildDog and other wild animals, working at the Hotel Rehab to pay the bills and get material for this blog and for my standup comedy routine (if I had the time to do it...maybe when I retire!) 10 Influence Subscriber Score 4 InLinks Score 2 PageRank Score 4

29. #22 Gotham Nurse “ Your average generally agreeable guy, registered nurse, dual citizen and queer geek just returned to Manhattan for a stay after an amazing 3 years in Canada. “ Trials, triumphs and tribulations of a nurse and dual citizen spending some time in Gotham. 10 Influence Subscriber Score 5 InLinks Score 0 PageRank Score 5

30. #23 New Nurse Insanity: Fundus Chop! “ I've been a nurse for a little over a year, and it's amazing how much I've learned in such a short time- and even more amazing how much I still need to learn! 9 Influence Subscriber Score 5 InLinks Score 1 PageRank Score 3

31. #24 Lost on the Floor “ Wanderer is a Charge Nurse on a busy telemetry unit somewhere in metro Portland. He reads, he writes, he cooks and is a passionate bicycle commuter. “ This is the story of a new nurse navigating the road to success and competency on the floor of a cardiology unit at a large metro hospital. It is about successes, failures and the realization that this is for real. 9 Influence Subscriber Score 0 InLinks Score 5 PageRank Score 4

32. #25 The Nurse Practitioner’s Place “ Married, proud mother of four. I am a Family Nurse Practitioner (not to be mistaken for a "Quacktitioner", somewhere in Florida. 8 Influence Subscriber Score 3 InLinks Score 2 PageRank Score 3

33. Nursing Blogs Top 25 Influencers

34. Nursing Blogs Top 25 Influencers