BE CAREFUL on social networks

[Chico David]

There was another recent posting - thread now closed - by a nurse who got in trouble over a Facebook posting. I have some direct experience with this - as a union steward - and a fair amount of second hand knowledge. Here are a few basic things to keep in mind:

1. Your Facebook "friends" may very well not be your actual friends - in every case that I've dealt with, management became aware of the offending posting when a "friend" of the poster brought it to their attention. And your privacy settings are no protection.

2. You do not have rights of "free speech" related to your work - the First Amendment protects you against the government intruding on your free speech rights - it says nothing about your employer.

3. If you are not covered by a union contract, in most parts of the US you are an at will employee and can be fired for any reason or no reason - except for a very small number of protected reasons like your age or race.

4. If you post something that would make anyone reading it think they might not get good care at your hospital, that would almost always be a legitimate reason for action against you. Here are a few real life examples: "We were so understaffed it was scary" or "If another person comes into the ER just to get narcs, I might punch them out" or "I got so frustrated with one patient I wanted to take her call light away".

Yeah, we've all had feelings like that, and we might say them to a real friend face to face - but posting them online for all to see - and, no matter what your privacy settings are, it really is for all to see - is just foolish. Save those rants for your truly private conversations.

One last note: Labor law does protect concerted activity. So if your union has a Facebook page and you were having a discussion there about how to improve staffing at your hospital, a negative comment on staffing in that context would likely be protected by law - but the exact same comment in the context of just a general rant likely would not be.

So, be careful, be smart, don't cause yourself unneeded trouble for silly reasons.

[mvm2]

These are the reasons I do not have a facebook account at all. Never have never will. I don't like the fact that everyone and their brother can see and read about you. No matter what people say about oh you can set up your facebook a certain way blah blah blah. I could never trust that my pics, or words were not being read and seen by people that I would not want them to see or know. Talk about letting the whole world in on your private life. One little computer glitch, and your whole world could be seen and read by the whole world. No thank-you.

[nursing_student93]

My facebook is on total lockdown, I have it set so that even my friends can only see profile pictures or anything I specifically post to my wall -- people can post on my wall, but only the poster and myself can view it, no one else. I rarely post statuses.

However, I do have it listed that my major is Nursing and which school I attend. Is this not a good idea?? Only "friends" (friends, acquaintances) can see it.

[AWanderingMinstral]

And as a final reminder, do not ever, ever post where it is you work under your "information".....

Amen! I don't use my real name, a face picture, or my personal e-mail address. In addition, if I'm working for, say, Johns Hopkins, I list my employer as "a leading health care provider in the Baltimore area." It amazes me that some former coworkers post pix of themselves and/or their coworkers at the nursing station. UNREAL!

[Mulan]

I think they let her back in the program after she filed a lawsuit. But I think that between the placenta photos and the lawsuit, she's probably not having going to have an easy time finding a job...especially since she has a unique first name--Google would pull all the info right up in the first few search results.

I know if an applicant came to me with that name, the first thought in my mind would be, "oh, it's the placenta chick" And that doesn't cast her in a favorable light :/

Yes I agree, never post anything on facebook.

I wonder though if there would have been all that brouhaha if it had been an appendix instead of a placenta.

[deemalt, BSN, RN]

I am constantly surprised on this site when people have their photo pop up with their posts! Even if you are a student, you still are dealing with the public during your clinicals.

[22gawhitacre]

You shouldn't have done this while she was on vacation. This comes across as you waiting till she was on vacation to pull this type of stunt. Not very professional.

Very scary all. This is another take.

I didn't even have a facebook acct. but several people at work did. There are always cliques at work. I 'shared' an office with a coworker who had taken over the office with not only her own things, but that of another employee (relative) sort of as storage. I came after her, but in reality, was the 'dept head' being an RN, she an Lvn. There were plenty of cabinets and drawers, but they needed cleaning out, snacks, decorations, trash. I had one drawer and a double cabinet. We were going to have a life safely inspection and I was told to get things off the floor. We had bankers boxes, those kind we often use to hold things we need to keep until yearly inspection or if files, three years. But the fact that our files were in boxes on the floor and another dept's supplies were in cabinets just hit me wrong I guess. The Lvn was on vacation. I asked my immediate supervisor and another district advisor about going through things and they were all for it. Someone at the facility who didn't like this Lvn posted I don't know what, but a family member of the Lvn. would go on facebook, knew this person and it got back to her. All while she was on vacation. I knew something was up when she came back mad and barely spoke to me. And yes, I did try to call her and let her know I needed to go through things, but wasn't able to get up with her. Then I thought, 'why should I bother her with this while she is on vacation?'.

I never found out who posted, the supervisors who encouraged me acted as though they knew nothing about it. It was a mess and things were never really comfortable afterward. This was a case of someone being spiteful. Shame.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

We have had people called into the office over not only work related things, but pics they posted on their page, such as 2 of the PCC's really drunk and dressed up like nurses, a few obscene ones from the Daisy winner. When you list where you work you are representing who you work for, and these people also friended the facebook page of where we work! HELLO!

Also, when I have given depositions, I have been asked if I know this person, have kept in touch with them in anyway, including social media. In NICU we have to remember that we can be called to court for 18 years. That family whom you so loved may decided to bring suit 17 years later.

[krwrnbsn]

And as a final reminder do not ever, ever post where it is you work under your "information".....[/quote']

Stuff like this makes me do a head slap! It's unbelievable.

[krwrnbsn]

I cannot believe what people put in Facebook it's like everyone forgot their filter. I no longer have one because Facebook seems to cause problems for many people and I would rather just steer clear.[/quote']

Me, too! People think because its in fb it's ok to post it. They put things on there that they would never say in person to people. It is horrible and absolutely agree that it just causes problems.

[shantel1621]

My sentiment exactly@ kcdunlap... Keep your personal and work life separate. I have had to tell many of my friends at work that it's nothing personal! You have my phone # call or text me...social media is just what it is SOCIAL.

[BeStillRN]

Thanks everyone for the tips! I'm not a nurse or nursing student yet, but do appreciate the advise and know what "not to do" for the future!

[RJmanuone]

The only thing I'd think it would be safe to say on Facebook if you had to say anything at all would be something like "I had a wonderful day! I love my patients!" Anything else and you are on some shaky ground...

(y)

I really like your quote in the last line...

we could also use a second profile, just to let out the steam with limited number of select friends...