Facebook almost cost me my job

Nurses Relations

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Hi AN family,

This topic has been discussed throughout many threads but I wanted to designate a single thread to this issue. I am a Facebook junkie just like many people from my generation.

I would never post anything patient related or anything that would breach HIPAA. I posted a very tongue-in-cheek status about the daily struggles of nursing (such as drug seeking patients, non-compliant patients, and the patients with a grand sense of entitlement to name a few).

It was meant to be sarcastic and humorous. Well, long story short, HR got a hold of it and almost fired me for it. They said it made me look like a cold, callous nurse and that doesn't sit well with their core values as a facility.

My point of this thread is to be extremely careful about what you post on the internet. My page was as private as it could be but they managed to view it through a "friend's" page.

Luckily, I was able to keep my job and learned a valuable lesson. Don't post work related ANYTHING on your social networking sites.

Specializes in med/surg, home health.

If you go to the Board of Nursing website they actually have a policy you can get a copy of, that states what you can/cannot say or post on social networking sites like facebook.

I would be careful, it (the policy) says you can be held accountable, even years later, for things posted online. Even on sites like this one where you don't use your name.

I also would not "like" anything r/t nursing on facebook or any of the others. Don't put your place of employment either. "liking" links everything back to you. For example, if you "like" ALLNURSES, your employer looking on facebook can trace you back to here and find your posts.

Many HR depts. search for whatever info online about employees/potential employees that they can find. It WILL be held against you. If you put something online, even if you mark it "private", it is public. Even e-mail.

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

i also would not "like" anything r/t nursing on facebook or any of the others. don't put your place of employment either. "liking" links everything back to you. for example, if you "like" allnurses, your employer looking on facebook can trace you back to here and find your posts.

many hr depts. search for whatever info online about employees/potential employees that they can find. it will be held against you. if you put something online, even if you mark it "private", it is public. even e-mail.

that's why i don't like an on facebook (sorry, brian) because i prefer to keep an separate from my real life. though i'm sure someone with time and patience could probably suss out who i am irl (though i won't confirm or deny it). i'm not foolish enough to think i could ever be 100% anonymous on the internet, even with the best of precautions and security settings. and i keep that in mind with anything i post online, whether here, fb, blog, e-mail, whatever.

people who post without thinking online have only themselves to blame when it comes to bite them in the rear. yes, you have the right of free speech. but employers also have the right to reject you based on what you say--or post.

I havn't posted much related to work but I just went through and deleted everything that is in any way related to my job!

It doesn't matter, if it was posted it's cached and is on the internet forever.

And it doesn't take a techo geek to find it.

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