Do nurses have a responsibility to keep their Facebook professional?

Nurses Professionalism

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I am "Facebook friends" with a large number of my nursing peers. I am often quite surprised at the behavior I see exhibited by them in so public a place.

I see:

1. Lots and lots of foul language/inappropriate pics, etc.

2. Lots and lots of "oh, man, I'm so wasted right now...bout to go to the next bar!!!"

3. Lots and lots of TMI about relationships, affairs, drunkeness, fights, whatever.

On their FB profile, they have it proudly posted that they are "Registered Nurse at So-and-so Hospital", or "Proud PEDI Nurse!" or "School nurse at Ur Dum Akadimy".

I cringe sometimes when I see some of this stuff, and think to myself "what would their employer think?" or, "Hope they're not interviewing soon with a computer-adept manager".

I try to keep my social media as clean as I can, and don't flaunt any of my bad habits for the world to see.

But, what do you think? Do nurses have a responsibility to maintain a professional demeanor on their (supposedly) private social media sites?

Another possibility: Am I an old fart?

Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.
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

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Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.

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?

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Specializes in cardiology/oncology/MICU.

I never understood putting all of your personal life on the internet. I have personally seen nurses call in sick to work and then our coworkers see that they post later that afternoon what a wonerful time shopping at the mall. I had a FB page for a minute, but i get bored with it. I am convinced that people that put all of the profanity and "girls gone wild" party nights on the internet do it merely for the attention. The reality is that most normal people find it pathetic. I am certainly not any kind of self righteous goody goody, but I would hate for one of my ICU patients or their families to see me throwing down on the internet and the next day titrating meds on them.

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Specializes in ER.
Excuse me but aren't we trained to be wholistic? I am not a nurse only during my waking hours at the hospital am I? If I were driving in my car and saw a train derailment, would I get out to help the victims or just say, "Well, I'm in 'personal mode' right now, not my problem.". It isn't so clear cut/black or white.

Your example is not the same. Affiliations with work through your personal FB is asking for an intrusion into your personal life, anytime, since even if it's a personal profile, it can be accessed. Facebook has been in trouble for violations of privacy.

Not the same (or even near) responding to the scene of an accident as you drive by (Good Samaritan).

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Specializes in ER.
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.

You are right. One should sign OUT of Facebook (or anything else) once they are done, so that things are not shared and stored.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i am "facebook friends" with a large number of my nursing peers. i am often quite surprised at the behavior i see exhibited by them in so public a place.

i see:

1. lots and lots of foul language/inappropriate pics, etc.

2. lots and lots of "oh, man, i'm so wasted right now...bout to go to the next bar!!!"

3. lots and lots of tmi about relationships, affairs, drunkeness, fights, whatever.

on their fb profile, they have it proudly posted that they are "registered nurse at so-and-so hospital", or "proud pedi nurse!" or "school nurse at ur dum akadimy".

i cringe sometimes when i see some of this stuff, and think to myself "what would their employer think?" or, "hope they're not interviewing soon with a computer-adept manager".

i try to keep my social media as clean as i can, and don't flaunt any of my bad habits for the world to see.

but, what do you think? do nurses have a responsibility to maintain a professional demeanor on their (supposedly) private social media sites?

another possibility: am i an old fart?

quite possibly you're an old fart; i'm sure the majority of allnurses.com members would agree that we both were. however, i agree with you. guess that means that i'm just as much of an old fart as you.

i have never listed any of my co-workers as friends on facebook, and if i ever do decide to do such an unwise thing, i'll create a new and super clean profile just for that purpose. the facebook that i use to connect with friends and family doesn't list where i work or where i went to school.

the thing is, those who need to read your message and take it to heart won't because they don't believe anyone nearly old enough to be their parent has anything to say that they need to hear. or they aren't smart or savvy enough to have figured out that you're right.

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Do you all wear your tin foil hats too when you post?

Well duh!

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Specializes in Cardiology and ER Nursing.

As a general rule I have a no Facebook no Twitter policy. I have not and will not post on there or sites like that.

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It may not be the reality but I believe it should be and would be if nurses just stood up for ourselves and told employers to mind their own business. I am not paid to be at work 24/7, until that time comes I will continue to do what I want in my personal life so long as it doesn't affect my ability to be professional *at work*!

It's not a nursing issue. It's an employer issue, and it affect employees in all areas. Health care personnel have the added burden of conformance to HIPAA. An employer doesn't have to keep tabs on you if they suspect you for some reason; anyone who reads a post of yours, or a post that was placed on your wall, and is offended, they might forward it to your employer. And yes, there is a good chance that a prospective new employer will Google you, and look for your Facebook account. Anything that reflects negatively on an employer will be a problem for you, but any violation of the HIPAA laws will likely get you fired.

I don't see any reason to list your employer on your FB profile. Anyone who needs to know where you work will know. I do not have an open profile, but if I did, I would not have any business colleagues as FB friends.

Of course you can manage lists of friends, and control who sees what, but a single mistake in handling that can be costly. Also, FB messes up from time to time, and everything is visible to everyone. I would not trust that site with anything that could cause embarrasment or harm to anyone.

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You are right. One should sign OUT of Facebook (or anything else) once they are done, so that things are not shared and stored.

Once something is posted, it is there forever (though Facebook recently claimed that they no longer keep photos forever). Everything that was there when you logged out will be there when you log in. Everything that was shared when you logged out will remain shared.

If you are on a public computer and you forget to log out, then your life can be turned upside down if a malefactor decides to post embarrassing things from your account. If they post criminal things, such as personal threats, then you might have a very big problem, at least until you are cleared.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

I will be starting nursing school in the Fall and I keep my FB page rated G at all times. I don't believe in posting my every move and thought on their either. I also keep my profile wall private to all except friends/family.

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I did my best to keep my FB profile as clean as I could. I then decided it was too much trouble to maintain a FB profile, plus I was uncomfortable with the invasion of privacy issues and time wasting issues. Now I have none.

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