This topic has been discussed throughout many threads but I wanted to designate a single thread to this issue. I am a Facebook junkie just like many people from my generation.
I would never post anything patient related or anything that would breach HIPAA. I posted a very tongue-in-cheek status about the daily struggles of nursing (such as drug seeking patients, non-compliant patients, and the patients with a grand sense of entitlement to name a few).
It was meant to be sarcastic and humorous. Well, long story short, HR got a hold of it and almost fired me for it. They said it made me look like a cold, callous nurse and that doesn't sit well with their core values as a facility.
My point of this thread is to be extremely careful about what you post on the internet. My page was as private as it could be but they managed to view it through a "friend's" page.
Luckily, I was able to keep my job and learned a valuable lesson. Don't post work related ANYTHING on your social networking sites.
Specializes in ICU, PIC, BURN UNIT, PEDS, MED SURG, PSY.
Except if everyone began speaking up, they couldn't fire everyone. There are whistleblower laws and if anything is dangerous to a patient, there is the concept of nursing ethics and advocacy for the patients to be considered. I just read an article by a doctor telling stories about five of his patients on Facebook. Do you think they'll take his license away? If not maybe we should be looking at the organizations who are supposed to be watching our backs. A defenseless defender is no good to anyone. And if we won't speak up now, when? Do we really understand how many of us there are, and how powerful a force we could be if we could stop splintering and show ourselves as a unified force? Does anyone know how many lobbyist the American Nurses Association has? And what the legal protections are?
I am on a mission to get rid of FB and am extremely anti-FB.
I closed my FB account 2 days ago. After I opened it a while ago now, I had inadvertently posted my mobile number (b4 the new privacy updates), thinking it wouldn't be shown, or only shown to friends. My ex-boyfriend alerted me by sending me an urgent message, and of course I deleted my number immediately. My mobile only showed for about 1 or 2 days b4 my ex alerted me.
Now, I have had the weirdest, most disgusting, upsetting, abusive calls & tezts you could imagine. I've also had to alert everyone that I don't answer unknown or blocked numbers anymore - it has been one, big hassle. I have also had my personal savings account hacked - of course I didn't post any a/c details & would never give them to anyone on line or via phone etc - but I wonder if they used my info on FB to hack my a/c somehow. Nothing like this ever happened to me ever b4 I signed up to FB.
And I think FB is a waste of time. Friends can find you and rellies, but so can other weirdos & paedophiles etc - I've had some really strange invitations and messages posted to me from people I don't know, & who aren't friends of my friends. Also old friends etc who found you, only post once or twice then you never hear from them. And people may catch up once or twice, but in reality, they have their own lives & the newness of FB wears off, then everyone forgets about it, & carries on with their own lives. It's a computer illusion that fools people & kids into thinking they are connected, when in reality, they are only talking to a computer screen. The novelty soon wears off.
Maybe I just had a bad experience, but I'm glad it's closed & I won't be re-opening it again ever. It actually gave me the creeps after a while, knowing anyone can look me up - no thanks! FB is definitely not safe, & don't let your kids/teenagers convince you it is - close their accounts today. It could be anyone on line contacting them - don't take the chance of exposing yourself or them either.
if one is dumb enough to put what gut response they have at the time (without a cooling off period) on a public Forum aka FACEbook, then they should be prepared to face the consequences.
Its a cutesy forum, originally made for sharing 'my vacation photo's', and its aimed at the kids & teens. Its the herd mentality, we are addicated to small things.
Why does everyone blame facebook for everything, it's a social media, using it is your choice, what you post is your choice, just as all nurses is. Use your good sense and there should be no problem. It's like saying all nurses caused me to burn dinner, or facebook caused me to be late for work.
A good lesson to all. Even though the social media sites such as Facebook are of huge importance and benefits, there are certain limitations of using them and we need to be aware of that..
Specializes in ICU, PIC, BURN UNIT, PEDS, MED SURG, PSY.
Or maybe we just need to find the real legal definition of "patient confidentiality" or who benefits from keeping "secrets" If the names are changed and circumstances altered a bit, one is allowed to write books. Why then not on facebook or allnurses? Where is the "support" in the forums and groups if we're not allowed to explain the situations that are causing us difficulty or moral distress. What are we afraid of and why? Does the ANA have a policy or who gives guidance on this aside from "keep secrets so you don't get the institutions sued?"
if one is dumb enough to put what gut response they have at the time (without a cooling off period) on a public Forum aka FACEbook, then they should be prepared to face the consequences.
Its a cutesy forum, originally made for sharing 'my vacation photo's', and its aimed at the kids & teens. Its the herd mentality, we are addicated to small things.
Im friends with with my manager on FB.....im very carefull what I say, nevr say anything negative, except, "im on call, working, etc etc"
I'm friends w/ coworkers, managers, etc. Just careful about what I say. The worst post I made about work is, "Wow! What a long day!" People just need to use common sense.
Well I can tell you I lost my job because of what I posted on FB. I vented when I shouldn't have. My profile is set so privately you can't even search for me, I was very particular about who I friended. Well a "friend" printed out my page and gave it to my manager and I lost my job, had to hire an attorney and deal with the BON. It was a horrible experience. Luckily I have a new job and I absolutely don't post a damn thing, good or bad, about it. I don't have my place of employment listed or anything anymore. Lesson painfully learned.
H I posted a very tongue-in-cheek status about the daily struggles of nursing (such as drug seeking patients, non-compliant patients, and the patients with a grand sense of entitlement to name a few).
Facebook didn't almost cost you your job, you running your mouth almost cost you your job.
It continues to amaze me that people blame Facebook for things THEY POST THEMSELVES on the stupid site.
rashana
40 Posts
Except if everyone began speaking up, they couldn't fire everyone. There are whistleblower laws and if anything is dangerous to a patient, there is the concept of nursing ethics and advocacy for the patients to be considered. I just read an article by a doctor telling stories about five of his patients on Facebook. Do you think they'll take his license away? If not maybe we should be looking at the organizations who are supposed to be watching our backs. A defenseless defender is no good to anyone. And if we won't speak up now, when? Do we really understand how many of us there are, and how powerful a force we could be if we could stop splintering and show ourselves as a unified force? Does anyone know how many lobbyist the American Nurses Association has? And what the legal protections are?