Do nurses have a responsibility to keep their Facebook professional? - Page 5

Register Today!
  1. Jul 22, '12 by
    I keep my facebook private and don't post much of anything that could be considered inappropriate. I do express my opinions (political, etc) and I do post some things that perhaps are not totally acceptable by "work" standards (pictures from the beach or whatever) but I don't let anyone but those I am friends with access them. Simple as that. I don't think anyone smart is going around posting "I'm so drunk blah blah" anyways, otherwise they are immature and stupid to begin with.


    I also only list my job as "RN" Not my workplace. I don't use my full name on fb. I don't post about work except maybe, time to go to work, afterwards, who wants to get dinner? or something like, man today at work was tough. That's about it. I don't post half nude pics or stuff about drinking, I don't have an issue with friends from work on fb except if they disagree with my personal life it might make work more difficult. Never encountered that so far though. My personal life is just that, MY PERSONAL LIFE. No one's business what I do in it as long as it's not illegal or involving them. I don't post things that I believe would be offensive. I do make my thoughts known regarding politics, but I am respectful of others differing opinions and never nasty to them to I would expect the same respect.
    Last edit by JZ_RN on Jul 22, '12 : Reason: added
    chaka_1709 likes this.
  2. Jul 22, '12 by
    Do nurses have a responsibility to keep their fb 'professional'? Does anyone? What people post on their fb pages is THEIR business. Whether or not they keep them public or private is again, their business. I'm so tired of people complaining about what other people post, whether it's what they had for breakfast or how drunk they are or how depressed they are. Some people actually do use fb as a form of a diary. I feel like a broken record when I say, if you don't like what a particular person posts, DELETE THEM or at the very least (if you don't want to hurt their feelings) hide their posts. And what a PP said about how someone 'in the know' can bypass security is kinda ridiculous. Yes, there are ways to get into someone's private fb account. But do you really think that a hospital would spend the time, money, and future liability for blatantly violating privacy to try to access someone's page just to see if they're complaining about the facility or getting drunk on their own time? Now, if the page is already public, that's a whole other story and if a person posts offensive things they are setting themselves up for trouble; but once again, that's their business.
    JRP1120, RN, JZ_RN, chaka_1709, and 1 other like this.
  3. Jul 22, '12 by
    Quote from Hygiene Queen
    Also, has anyone noticed that there are more folks here at AN using their actual picture as their avatar?
    I see this mostly with the younger nurses/students/CNAs, etc. and I think it's dangerous!
    I sure wouldn't complain about school politics and horrible instructors with my picture tied to my post!
    I think it may be a degree of blurred boundaries, insensitivity to exposure and a dash of vanity.
    Dang! I thought I had myself pretty well disguised...
    Miss Lizzie, ALavallee, Hygiene Queen, and 3 others like this.
  4. Jul 22, '12 by
    The stuff on te internet is there forever.

    There is no guarantee of safety, secrecy or being completely unknown.

    Technology is moving so fast that we are all going to get left at the gate.

    They found that Burger KIng where the guy thought they were annoymous posting about standing on the lettuce by tracing something embedded in the picture. They were BUSTED in an hour or less I think by hackers.

    The reality is you put it out there, it can come back to get you.
    MBARNBSN and MassED like this.
  5. Jul 22, '12 by
    Do you all wear your tin foil hats too when you post?

    Yes I am friends with lots of people from work. Yes I have posted some things that might deem "unprofessional" Was I at work, no. Am I a representative 24/7 for where I work, no. While at work I am at work. I do my job well and I promote the qualities of the institution. The second I step out of there I am no longer a nurse and I am no longer working for them. I will not go bashing who I work for (cause I actually love my job) or say things directly about what happens at work, but other than that, what I post I really dont care about.
    anotherone, JZ_RN, sweetlilguppy, and 5 others like this.
  6. Asst. Admin
    Jul 22, '12 by
    Quote from Hygiene Queen
    Also, has anyone noticed that there are more folks here at AN using their actual picture as their avatar?
    I see this mostly with the younger nurses/students/CANs, etc. and I think it's dangerous!
    I sure wouldn't complain about school politics and horrible instructors with my picture tied to my post!
    I think it may be a degree of blurred boundaries, insensitivity to exposure and a dash of vanity.
    So much for anonymity.... I have co-workers that are friends but they have been to my home and they are limited at best. My page in private but I am still very careful what I put out there....I've seen it bite too many folks. Even password protected sites I have seen one co-worker copy and paste an e-mail to an administrator about something that was said by another employee (about the administrator) and that employee got fired even though the administrator did not have a password to that site. The reporting employee is a snake but was it illegal? time will tell.

    Keep your private business private.
    MBARNBSN and MassED like this.
  7. Jul 22, '12 by
    Yes, you're an old fart.
    Bortaz, RN and redhead_NURSE98! like this.
  8. Jul 22, '12 by
    I make it a habit not to "friend" any of my co-workers in order to avoid any conflicts.....I identify myself as a Nurse, under my occupation title but nothing further....and I never address any events that go on at work, good or bad.....I am mindful of what I post and occassionally need a delete here or there because you just never know who is tuning in to your page.....Nurses in my opinion should be held to a higher standard, at work and away from it....in many ways we should be the model of professionalism and class, posting about "how wasted I was" is silly and undermines your profession....just a thought...
    MassED likes this.
  9. Jul 22, '12 by
    Quote from Bortaz, RN
    I see a lot of people signing into various discussion boards with a sign-on linked to their Facebook account. Just the other day, I was reading the comment section on a news story on the website of our local newspaper...there, for all the world to see, very public, were profane and ignorant and inappropriate comments by posters identified like so:

    Joe Blow - RN at Blah Blah Medical Center.
    Jane Wipe - Poncho Villa Elementary
    Elsa Fap - CEO at BoogerCorp.

    I just truly believe that people are not as secure in their online life as they believe themselves to be.
    I actually reported someone to their employer for their comments on a newspaper-type site, asking if they wished to be associated with someone who made such vile comments online under their own name and listed as an employee of their institution. Never got an answer though, lol
  10. Jul 22, '12 by
    When they're paying me for the hours I sit at home, or the hours I go out to eat, drink, dance, etc., then they can tell me what to put on my Facebook. I try not to get too crazy with it, but if someone has a problem with my "check-ins" then it's a company I don't wish to work for. And if anyone has a problem with their coworkers' posts I'd suggest hiding them from your news feed, or unfriending them altogether. With "friends" like those people who needs enemies?
    anotherone, JZ_RN, LiLoRN, and 2 others like this.