Did I violate the confidentiality agreement?

Nurses HIPAA

Published

Hi all - I know that I should never post work related things such as names/bad comments/coworkers on say Facebook, etc.

At my LTC we have been having issues with our evening shift- always behind and getting to charting late. Staff have been complaining and wanting to make a change.

I had posted on FB a brief description of the home for comparison (Because we have both types-the smaller private homes vs. the larger multilevel homes. We are small.) I did not mention our company, or the name of the home. I posted asking my other nurse friends that work in LTC what their resident-to-PSW ratio is for evening shift(ours is 3-11) .

I was honestly just trying to see what other homes were like- looking for a possible solution that would work with our home.

Anyways I guess my administrator said that 5 people had called her at home to tell her that these bad thing were being said on FB. And I violated the confidentiality agreement.

I understand.. I guess I should've have posted the question? But I don't see the problem since it is kind of common knowledge that there are x # of residents and say x # of staff. Help?

Thanks. Just interested how others feel.

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Specializes in ICU.

NEVER talk bad about your employer on a public forum...if you want to keep your job. Sorry:/

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I personally despise fb but rule of thumb never ever talk about work on fb.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

I think when it comes to Facebook issues involving your employer the details and finer points don't really matter as perception is everything. If you work with a group who has access to your page and 5 (!) of them run off to tattle to your manager you really need to watch your back! I'm so paranoid about it now I rarely breathe a word on Facebook about what I do for a living at all!

I believe that strictly speaking, HIPAA applies to patient information. It doesn't stop people from invoking it for every issue under the sun these days, though.

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Specializes in CCM, PHN.

I can't believe you a) have ANY co-workers as FB friends and b) don't have your privacy settings locked down tight as a drum so only close friends see your posts.

I have a strict "no co-workers, no family members" policy about my FB account. It's under a fake name, has a picture of a sculpture for my profile pic, and is totally, completely, 10000% locked, private and visible only to close friends, and I STILL never mention work. EVER. Because I'm smart. See?

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Specializes in ICU.
I can't believe you a) have ANY co-workers as FB friends and b) don't have your privacy settings locked down tight as a drum so only close friends see your posts.

I have a strict "no co-workers, no family members" policy about my FB account. It's under a fake name, has a picture of a sculpture for my profile pic, and is totally, completely, 10000% locked, private and visible only to close friends, and I STILL never mention work. EVER. Because I'm smart. See?

Mclennan, many people have coworkers and family as Facebook friends. It's how we keep others updated on our lives. I never mention work in any way on there, but still. Doesn't make us not smart.

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Thanks for your input.

I don't think that it makes me any less- smart at all. I use Facebook for networking and keeping in touch with friends and family so I don't need to be completely anonymous.

I have now edited everything and blocked and deleted the coworkers except the close friend ones that I know are truthful. I also do not have it posted where My place of employment is.

I understand I shouldn't have posted it afterward- but I was just looking to see what other homes do in comparison as I do have a lot of nurse friends from past workplaces/school- just thought there might be a different solution to the issue. I saw it as asking friends in LTC what their staff:resident ratio is- but I guess I crossed the line.

Suppose I will have to censor myself and let things be at work, let them work themselves out -and continue being late at work and never paid for it. lol.

Thanks.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
Mclennan, many people have coworkers and family as Facebook friends. It's how we keep others updated on our lives. I never mention work in any way on there, but still. Doesn't make us not smart.

Ditto on all counts. If a coworker posts anything about work (or anything closely related to work) or about fellow coworkers, I will not comment on the post and I will not 'like' the post (even if I agree with it). While I think Mclennan is smart, this is not the only way to smart on facebook vis-a-vis work.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

Yep, file it under "lesson learned" and move on. Compared to some of the Facebook Horror Stories I've read here, you may be glad someday you found out how people can be early on.

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Don't ever put where you work on your facebook. Don't friend co-workers unless you have a friendship outside of work. Lesson learned.

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Depending upon the actual terms of the confidentiality agreement, you may have, but both remain less than clear at this point. If you posted with your name and the name of the facility, then there may well be something to the employer's being upset. If your complaints in any way identified the place to others, then that could be a problem (depending upon the terms of the agreement).

The best way is to never post about work related stuff in social media... those things often come back to bite people when they least expect it.

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Did you actually complain about your ratios or just inquire what others were? I'm sorry that you work in such a stressful environment! I hope good things come for you in the future.

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