Another nurse bites the dust due to facebook

[siringe]

I don't know the woman in question, yet news reports acknowledge that facebook has caused another job termination casualty in the nursing community. I know there are numerous posts regarding this topic, yet I figure sharing this may help someone think twice when placing job/career related postings on facebook no matter how private you think your posts are!Follow the link to see why. What would you do?

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[woahmelly]

I just did a search of my name on the site and everything came up. It is pretty scary, places I have lived including phone numbers and all kinds of other information. I'm not even listed in the phone book lol What in the world?

Oh, yeah. I've put in some very old e-mail addresses and user names just to see. What was I thinking?

[45whenimdone]

There's a thing called "privacy" allowing only friends to read any posts made by it's author on FB. Maybe all FB should reset their privacy listings in order for viewing only to be made by friends. It amazes me how many people do get in trouble from their work place regarding matter posted on FB. Solution: a. don't post, or b. don't allow any co-workers, bosses, etc to be your 'friend'.

[Angelfire3]

Greetings All,

I haven't read all 9 pages of comments, but I wanted to know how did the hospital find out what she had written? Are employers really searching the internet to see what people are putting before, during & after employment?

When applying to a job, do you have to give them permission to look at your facebook, myspace, twitter etc pages? Or is it informed consent?

[Who?Me?]

I FB, but never mention work. I don't post family pics on there. Nothing on the net is private even if you think it is.

[Who?Me?]

No you don't sign anything to give them permission to look at your FB, Twitter, etc accounts, but anything you put out onto the Net could be argued to be public domain and if your boss, who probably is FBing and twittering too will see it. In this case one of her co-workers most likely talked about the post or with it being such a high profile case, HR might have "googled" for comments on it-which they legally can do. Sucks doesn't it.

So never post while at work and keep work comments to the mundane like "yep worked today." Don't even mention where you work or with who. Better safe than sorry.

[Angelfire3]

Yes, it does suck. I don't have a job. I'm in nursing school. I haven't worked in YEARS! But it's so surprising to read this. I just did a search under pipl.com with my email address & usernames...I was surprised to see some of my comments on pages that I'm part of, such as my natural hair albums.

Good thing I'm not the only one with my username on there. I found sites that I have visited and commented on back in 2001. I found my 1st born obituary (painful memory) etc. Just glad there is nothing negative under my name/email address.

[Who?Me?]

I "google" myself and my usernames everyone once in awhile in order to make sure things are okay.

[heathIam, RN]

There's an old adage in nursing - you can't fix stupid.

Facebook, twitter and all the other social networking sites prove the adage true. People are willfully stupid about what they post online and who they share information with. Just because someone you work with wants to friend you does not mean you have to accept. Privacy seems to be a poorly understood concept in our current culture. It's ok to *nudge, nudge, wink wink* about what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but how about developing a personal practice policy of what happens at work stays at work?

I post as little real personal information online as I can get away with and I have no contacts from work on my social networks - it's only for family and is set with the highest leel of security filters the site allows. I don't post anything about a patient or family - and here's the thing this nurse didn't understand - you don't have to give specifics to violate confidentiality, all you have to do is indicate you care (or didn'\t) for the person as a patient.

Really nurses, learn to zip it!

[dnnc52]

hey folks I am so paranoid even about this site that I try hard to cover my tracks. I think ?

But I do know that there are people who would love to quote some things I had said on here. This should be a neutral zone. But still I never reveal specific info on a pt's ID. But some of my comments/corp feelings that I have shared could have got me into hotwater. I figure most of us on here try to keep our true ID somewhat distant.

As for the nurse, unprofesional conduct?. Gosh do we not deserve freedom to expression?. Again I do not see where revealed the name,condtion, what if she made a central statement like "I wished all cop killers burned in hell" would that had changed anything?

say we say "at times being a nurse sucks"?

[LelaRN]

That's exactly why when I get on Facebook, I chat with a few Friends/Family, then I play my Farmville and that's it.

Momma always said, you can't just say any and everything that comes to mind without consequence.

[jetfuel]

for pity's sake, people. it's hipaa: "health insurance portability and accountability act". if there's a "hippa," i'm unfamiliar with it.

considering the education each and everyone one of us is supposed to have, and the size of the shadow hipaa casts over us, you'd think we would all know this one inside and out.

oh, and the title of this thread, "another nurse bites the dust due to facebook"...come on. facebook is not to blame any more than a soapbox is to blame for what people shout when they stand on one.

:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

if we blame guns for killing people, can i blame my pencil for spelling errors?'

--larry the cable guy

[kindaquazie]

As health care providers we have a non-negotiable contract with the profession spelled out in our Code of Ethics for Nurses. Clearly, this nurse violated that contract. Why, to aggrandize her own opinion regarding a situation that involved a patient in her care. We are NOT ALLOWED to do that, plain and simple. We are to "practice with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems." It is rule #1. If you are a person who makes fun of a patient for any reason, is disgusted by the homeless, the drug-addicted, or obese, feels annoyed by the hypochondriac, is repulsed by certain races or religions...you are not a nurse and should not be allowed to practice as one.

We are all human, and need the occasional reminder from our peers that we are talking a little too loudly, or being insensitive... but this nurse crossed a line. I place her in the same category as the surgeon who photographed his patient's tatoo on the operating table or the nurse who withholds pain medication from a patient under armed guard because he is a "scum-bag". This is just my opinion, but I hope if I or any member of my family is ever in the hospital that we "measure up" to the personal standards of whatever poser nurse is caring for us so we get decent care.