Recognized by coworkers on AllNurses.com?

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rn/writer, RN

9 Articles; 4,168 Posts

I can't say enough about the importance of being careful with your true identity and personal information on this or any other website.

Staff members have heard many stories about folks who came here to let off steam and caused themselves a world of hurt because they included enough identifying info for co-workers or bosses to recognize themselves as the objects of the complaints. In one distressing case, a nurse nearly lost her job because management saw her "vent" as an airing of the facility's "dirty laundry." It took serious negotiation on her part (as well as a removal of the thread from public view) to save her job.

That's intimidating enough, but consider the hazards of posting detailed medical info in relation to HIPAA regulations. It's one thing to ask questions based on vague hypothetical situations. It's another altogether to include exact diagnoses, labs, meds, history, interventions, type of unit, description of family members/visitors, location, etc. Yes, we have actually had people do that. Public posting of a patient's private information could be considered a serious HIPAA violation and grounds for a range of disciplinary actions. Staff members remove such posts as soon as they are spotted/reported, but they can be viewed many times before that happens. It's so not worth risking your job or your license.

Remember, too, that, while you may have been discreet in any one particular post, people can look at your earlier messages. If you listed your home town or the name of your facility six months ago, it's still "out there" for others to see.

I guess if you had something that required being somewhat revealing, you could just dump your old name here, and start a new ID, then drop that one, or build an alter ego, also known as a "sock" or a "sockpuppet".

I just don't post identifying info, but if I needed to reveal a really bad bad whatever, I'd probably change my online personna.

I appreciate the sentiment being expressed here, but creating a sock puppet is a violation of the Terms of Service and therefore not a good idea.

If you ever feel that you have been identified against your wishes or that you have perhaps said too much, please contact the Admin Help Desk:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f128/

and request the assistance you need. Even if you don't know what to ask for, relate the circumstances and, the admin team (a level up from regular staff) will help you to sort things out.

On a lighter note, coming up with an alter ego (in the name of protecting your personal information) can be a bit of creative fun.

calliesue

328 Posts

I recognize one nurse and I like her in real life, but I would never out her to anyone else. I enjoy reading her posts too much. She is funny.

If you recognize me I don't care . I haven't spoken any untruths, , just my humble opinions .:devil::saint::devil::saint:

bagladyrn, RN

2,286 Posts

Specializes in OB.

I just don't post anything here that I wouldn't be comfortable saying in the breakroom at work (not knowing who might be standing outside the door). Since I'm pretty outspoken anyway, that covers a broad range!

My employers (travel nurse company) do read these and other boards even though they don't post, so I know that they know who I am here, have acknowledged that and let them know that I don't care that they know what I post. If it's negative they've already heard it from me anyway!

As far as posting about patient related situations, I'm very careful to generalize, change details and not post anything identifying to the person or place.

Specializes in Med/Surg.

I hear my co-workers talk about allnurses.com sometimes at work and they get online when it's quiet. I have never told any of them that I am on the site for the reason that I prefer to stay anonymous so that no one will recognize me or any of the situations that I talk about. I know for a fact my NM is a member here :nurse:

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN

3,734 Posts

I would love if some of the nurses I work with would be on here. Might mean they are looking for support or looking for answers to questions or keeping up with current events etc.....

eltrip

691 Posts

Specializes in Clinical Risk Management.

I've met a couple of nurses through this BB over the past years. One lives in the same city and was married at the same place I married my DH. I do filter what I put online all of the time. It's a fact of life on the web.

Some folks take the internet very seriously. On a local BB, we've had a poster resign this week due to pressure from his employer and slanderous/false reports regarding him being made by a poster to the Dept of Homeland Security and the FBI.

Please be careful about what you put out on the web. Nutcases abound!

dee78

550 Posts

I've always been amazed at the amount of info people give out online. I admit that I've given out too much on other websites from time to time. An online friend lost her job because someone didn't like her opinion and used her IP (from work). She shouldn't have been posting from work but they should have MYOB.

When you are having a discussion and trying to justify your opinion or experience, the details just seem to flow sometimes. I've learned that it isn't worth it. I don't have to justify anything to anyone.

I have tried to meet people from my area on here. I don't mind people knowing where I'm from but I don't give out my real name. I can't believe so many people use their real names (first and last) in their email address. We all have our own comfort level.

Jules A, MSN

8,864 Posts

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

But how do you really know it is someone you work with unless they give their first and last name and admit it is them? I can't say I recognize anyone here and even if I suspected I wouldn't have proof. Location, specialities etc. are pretty broad and as others have written many of our daily situations/concerns are similar so how can you be sure? In the interest of being appropriate I don't give details that would do any damage with HIPAA or insult my coworkers of course.

zuzi

502 Posts

Specializes in trauma, ortho, burns, plastic surgery.

well, ….before start to write…. let me to laugh hard before.

to be recognized by someone here on an could be a fact, good and bad in the same time. think that this is a public site and before start to write here you must to assume some precautions. always ask your self why i post now on an, for what reason? why i am here?

you come here to vent, or came here for information or to have friends nurses like you to share, or when your soul and heart is empty or too much to handle, we are humans..….be careful!

as soon you can asumme everything that you post here, in real life you will be ok! is all about accountability! you came here to vent…is ok and soo what …you can assume what you said here also in real life? so then is ok, will be ok, you don’t have to be scarred, is you and here on an and in real life! on the opposition if you came here to be somebody else than in real life, for many reasons knowing just by yourself (could be good or bad reasons), then is better to protect your self. in both of cases you will found here very good people (coming friends or coworkers in real life also) and bad people also (unfortunately they could affect in bad way your personal and professional life), so just be careful.

all of us we need right on personal work life and private life and so if you meet zuzi on the hall or on street or on a club, if she will give you the report or drink her 1000 coffe in the day, ….loooool, let her to be her self speaking a broke english hugging you without any other intention hided…., learning day by day…. but never ever there to hurt feelings to no one….. and thank you!

yup is zuzi, is me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlxulfn77tq

Specializes in LTC/SNF, Psychiatric, Pharmaceutical.
I've met a couple of nurses through this BB over the past years. One lives in the same city and was married at the same place I married my DH. I do filter what I put online all of the time. It's a fact of life on the web.

Some folks take the internet very seriously. On a local BB, we've had a poster resign this week due to pressure from his employer and slanderous/false reports regarding him being made by a poster to the Dept of Homeland Security and the FBI.

Please be careful about what you put out on the web. Nutcases abound!

Heh... I remember when the Internet and other information technology were supposed to be heralds of a new era of freedom of expression, where one's freely expressed ideas could change the world.

Instead we've seen the increasing loss of our privacy - the right which is fundamental for the existence of nearly every other right.

Indy, LPN, LVN

1,444 Posts

Specializes in ICU, telemetry, LTAC.

Yeah, I try to tell my daughter that I was on the internet before it had pictures, she just looks at me funny. I remember when your BBS screen suddenly typed out RING right before your phone rang while it was cutting you off. (That was before I got a second line just for the dang computer.) Lovely days, when the people who ran the BBS had nine phone lines in a little bitty apartment and the phone company thought they were completely nuts. You could, to get out of the house, go to Denny's at like two AM and have food fights with the same people you were talking to online.

If you were lucky the BBS people had email too!

10MG-IV

120 Posts

Specializes in TraumaER ,NICUx2days, HEMEONC CathLab IV.

Ok how much is really too much regarding HIPPA, 3 or more "facts" no name place time location,month day year, We must protect the innocent. We have enough stress, and by venting we don't need to open another bottle of charcoal. This is a legitimate question.

excerpt from RN/Writer::::

That's intimidating enough, but consider the hazards of posting detailed medical info in relation to HIPAA regulations. It's one thing to ask questions based on vague hypothetical situations. It's another altogether to include exact diagnoses, labs, meds, history, interventions, type of unit, description of family members/visitors, location, etc. Yes, we have actually had people do that. Public posting of a patient's private information could be considered a serious HIPAA violation and grounds for a range of disciplinary actions. Staff members remove such posts as soon as they are spotted/reported, but they can be viewed many times before that happens. It's so not worth risking your job or your license.

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