Being friends with residents on Facebook

[CapeCodMermaid]

Are any of you friends with residents on Facebook? I am not but have noticed that some of my Facebook friends are friends with a resident at a facility I used to work at. I know this particular resident. She's long term, young, and likes to cause trouble. I really have a problem with this. Any comments?

[Angry LPN]

Be very careful with facebook. I have one account for the guys, so to speak, and the privacy is set to friends only. Then I have another G rated account for family only. I am told more and more employers think they have the right to snoop at your facebook account, which is why I deactivate mine if I am job searching. People have been terminated over something they said on facebook or twitter, it's like people don't have a right to privacy anymore or freedom to express an opinion without retribution from your employer. Residents as friends on FB? Not a good idea, especially if they are trouble makers. Also, that might even be crossing into the HIPPA or whatever that nonsense is that they like to torture us with. I wouldn't go there if I were you. People can turn on you real fast

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

My head says NO! NO! NO!

But after being in the hospital and LTACH for 10 months...I am FB friends with a select few...a very select few.

[GGirll22]

I am not friends with my CO- workers on Facebook. People can turn messy real quick.

[Ben_Dover]

I think Common Sense 101 should be added as a college course and/or as a pre-req. for nursing.

[cocoa_puff]

At first, I thought this was about being friends with MEDICAL RESIDENTS on Facebook. I thought, eh, maybe? I personally wouldn't but it doesn't seem wrong to be friends with coworkers on FB.

Now that I see it's about being FB friends with nursing home residents, I say heck no!

[JerseyTomatoMDCrab, BSN]

At first, I thought you meant residents like doctors-in-training and I was going to say "We go to bars with them, why not be friends on FB?!"

To answer your question, I would say this is BEYOND inappropriate.

[JerseyTomatoMDCrab, BSN]

At first, I thought this was about being friends with MEDICAL RESIDENTS on Facebook. I thought, eh, maybe? I personally wouldn't but it doesn't seem wrong to be friends with coworkers on FB.

Now that I see it's about being FB friends with nursing home residents, I say heck no!

Me too!

[MYSTICOOKIEBEAR]

At first, I thought this was about being friends with MEDICAL RESIDENTS on Facebook. I thought, eh, maybe? I personally wouldn't but it doesn't seem wrong to be friends with coworkers on FB.

Now that I see it's about being FB friends with nursing home residents, I say heck no!

Sorry OP, I thought you were talking about Medical Residents NOT nursing home residents as in the patients .

That being said, I completely agree that it is inappropriate to have a nonprofessional relationship with a patient that you took care of or continue to take care of, whether it be in the real world or electronically through social media.

[DeeAngel]

Personally that's something I would never do.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

See and I saw the thread title, knew CapeCodMermaid works in LTC, and thought to myself, "Wow, those are some internet-savvy elderly folks at her LTC!" I temporarily forgot about the rising number of younger residents in LTC

[AnOldsterRN]

No, no, NO. I would not. Being friends with patient or former patient is crossing professional boundaries in my opinion.

Cowokers.. maybe, but also personally a no for me. I clock in, clock out. No offense, but wouldn't want to deal with patients (residents) or co-workers on my own time and in my "outside life" after clocking out.

Heck, I don't even want to attend holiday or other company parties after clocking out. No thanks.

[Elladora]

I'll be the odd man out here, it's allowed at our facility as long as the staff member is ok with it. We have some younger, long term residents, that are basically lonely. We form friendships with them and their families, Facebook isn't that much of a stretch.