Defaming other nurses

[NurseMonica87]

I have a question. When a nurse has disciplinary actions on their license, it's public via our nursing pamphlet. Only people in nursing that receive it will know about nurse's with disciplinary actions. Is it ok for another nurse to get on social media and post another nurse's full name and letting the world know she has disciplinary actions on her license? This is very disturbing to me. Seems to me that it should defame that nurse's character because now the public may question her professionalism without know the situation. The public may even be bias towards you and may not want you to care for a patient in the future bc another nurse publicly announced another nurse had stipulations on their license. Answers anyone?

[heron, ASN, RN]

The action is a public record. While I think that spreading it around via social media is mean-spirited and malicious, I also have to acknowledge that actions have consequences. A damaged reputation is one of them.

What would you propose as a solution?

[BabyFood26]

We all make mistakes. Sadly, this individual must live with his/hers as a disciplinary mark on their license. Like the PP stated actions have consequences.

It is indeed an unnecessary, and IMO, ugly thing to do. Unfortunately there is little to be done about this. Unless the poster has gone above and beyond stating the facts, no action against the poster is worth being taken.

There is a line that can be (and hopefully has not yet been crossed) where if the poster continued to elaborate on anything past what is viewable by the public, true or false, it can be and should be brought to legal attention.

[BrendanO, MSN, RN]

It's not defamation if it's true.

As pp said, anyone with internet access can look up someone's nursing license on the public website for your state's professional licensing agency. An official disciplinary sanction against a licensed worker is neither private nor confidential information.

[SmilingBluEyes]

It's not defamation as said, but it's very telling of the nasty nature of the character (or lack thereof) of the person posting this.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

In the vast majority of situations, I would think it very poor form to broadcast another nurse's missteps--particularly if the purpose is to be malicious.

However, if what is said is 100% true, it is not defamation.

[Phil-on-a-bike]

To address the original question - whilst, as others have noted, this is neither defamation nor technically misconduct - it's certainly not

"okay".

It reveals a professionally inappropriate attitude towards social media.

The poster presumably learned of the license stipulations through professional channels - the nursing pamphlet - and made an independent decision to broadcast it through personal channels.

We're all exposed to information which is not technically confidental or restricted.

But we don't take it upon ourselves to broadcast it publicly.

This person has made themselves a hostage to fortune.

The rest of their social media output better be SPOTLESS - and remain so in the future - because it would be the easiest thing in the world for the disciplined nurse to spend half an hour reading their previous posts, looking for a slip in confidentiality or professionalism which would be valid grounds for a well-deserved complaint.

I know I would, if I were the nurse who'd been disciplined.

In fact, I'd look at the timestamps and see if any of the posts had been made while the toxic little weasel was supposed to be on duty.

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

It's not defamation if it's true.

As pp said, anyone with internet access can look up someone's nursing license on the public website for your state's professional licensing agency. An official disciplinary sanction against a licensed worker is neither private nor confidential information.

Exactly.... if it's TRUE, it's not defamation..... if someone's saying crap that's not true? Then that's very different