Nursing and Social Media Social media is now a part of our world, and regardless of how you feel about it, there is no question, it's here to stay. Most people are aware of the good and the bad of social media, however on occasion someone can slip up and post a comment, story or photo, and the results are devastating. Posting Nightmares A nurse that worked in a hospital within a major city had been awarded nurse of the year. She was honored, and when she found she was nominated, she asked her friend at the banquet to videotape her acceptance speech. It all sounds very innocent, just as it was intended to be. Her acceptance was gracious, she thanked her co workers, and praised them all for their hard work. There happened to be a display board in the background, that one nurse had put together showing the previous years events. Unfortunately, it was overlooked, that one small picture out of the many, was of the nurse, with a patient. The video was posted to social media, and bottom line, 3 wonderful nurses lost their jobs over the incident. It was a totally innocent mistake with no harm intended, but they broke the hospital confidentiality rule, thus losing their jobs. Another Emergency room nurse posted a picture of a room after the patient left the hospital. The patient had been combative, throwing things on the floor, etc. The caption of the post was “another Saturday in the E.R.” This post cost the nurse her job as well, again violating hospital policy. Unfortunately, stories such as these are all too common in today's social media world. Related: What to Do When You’re Patient Exaggerates - the Art of Diplomacy Social Media and Hospitals Working for a large hospital certainly has its benefits and perks. They do however have policies and guidelines for their employees, and they are not flexible, regardless of the employee or the situation. If you work for a hospital, the guidelines for social media are generally as follows:
Never mention a patient's name. This is pretty standard, and not surprising to most people, Hippa laws and confidentiality are in the minds of every nurse. Never discuss an incident from work that involved a patient, even if you don't mention their name. This may be a bit surprising, however,