Facebook and employers/school

Nurses General Nursing

Published

So I was wondering if you delete your Facebook can employers or schools still be able to see it? I know they have their own system. Is it ok to have a personal Facebook while in nursing school or is that unprofessional ?

thanks !!

Because it's my Instagram and I can do what I want with it

Snort!

I was just looking for an answer to my original post but instead I feel like I got some judgmental people on my back. I was just wondering because I've had my profiles since I was young and did some stupid stuff. Thanks to the people who gave me answers to my original post.

Specializes in ER.
I was just looking for an answer to my original post but instead I feel like I got some judgmental people on my back. I was just wondering because I've had my profiles since I was young and did some stupid stuff. Thanks to the people who gave me answers to my original post.

Welcome to allnurses. It's a public forum where, when you post a comment or thread, people are allowed to answer, within the terms of service. That means, give our opinions and advise.

Because it's my Instagram and I can do what I want with it

Yes.... That's going to make us want to help you. Very mature too ;)

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

Yes, it's OK to have a personal Facebook account while in school. Yes it's bad [maybe] to have pictures of you drinking on Instagram. Not judging here, but you seem like you are really concerned about what you may have out there on Facebook and Instagram. You wouldn't be the first to have questionable content posted for all the world to see and I am sure you won't be the last. Unless your online presence is filled with controversial and inappropriate content it shouldn't really affect you negatively.

To protect your privacy from the probable prying eyes of future employers the first step to take is to make your privacy settings tight enough that nobody can see what you post that you don't invite to see it. Second step is going forward think before you post. Don't put anything out there that you wouldn't want you employer or school to see.

I was just looking for an answer to my original post but instead I feel like I got some judgmental people on my back.

Baloney. I drink alcohol. I DON'T put it on social media, for the exact reason I gave you-it can be misinterpreted (or perhaps correctly interpreted) by people who have the power to greatly affect your future. You said you were concerned about social media and its possible impact on school and career, and I gave you my answer.

Don't ask the question if you can't handle any possible answer.

Because it's my Instagram and I can do what I want with it

Yup.

You sure can.

Absolutely.

100% correct.

But here you are asking how those pictures might damage your education and future career.

Life is all about choices. You've clearly made some you're not thrilled about.

So you can be one of the "it's mine and I can do what I want with it" people, or you can pull your head out of the sand and not get snotty with people for addressing the exact question you are obviously asking yourself as evidenced by this thread.

I was just looking for an answer to my original post but instead I feel like I got some judgmental people on my back. I was just wondering because I've had my profiles since I was young and did some stupid stuff. Thanks to the people who gave me answers to my original post.

Everything you've ever put online is out there, forever. Deleting it won't make any difference at this point.

This is why I don't use my legal name on the internet, at all. My legal last name is not the name I'm known by socially. And even then I realize that someone could find me.

I don't think anyone is judging you, I think people are trying to be realistic. Nurse or not, it's generally a pretty bad idea to put questionable photos on the internet.

Good luck to you :)

Social media can cause problems with employers if you violate HIPPA or terms of your employment contract. You need to know what those are. For example, at one of the hospitals where I work, we had to sign a contract stating we would not post pictures of ourselves in our work uniforms, on our units at work, or with our badges on. I signed that piece of paper, so I absolutely adhere to it. My coworkers, however, seem to forget they signed it and post pictures from work all the time. *shrug* That's the risk they're willing to take, not my problem. They can be terminated for it, though. It said it right there on that little piece of paper we signed.

I make it a policy to never talk about work on social media, or if I do, to be super duper vague and only say positive things. If you google, there are tons of stories out there about nurses using social media unwisely and getting fired for it (like the ICU nurse who posted on FB while at work that she was "bored" and wanted somebody to "code or something").

If you're REALLY concerned, there are services that can "scrub" your social media image for a fee. Yes, they exist. If you do a google search, you will get several hits. They can "clean up" your image and make it search-engine and social media friendly from an employer perspective. So there's always that option if you're really concerned and have the means to pay.

Specializes in Educator.

You are absolutely correct, it's your account and you can do as you please with it. It is clear that you are aware that your social media accounts could give any prospective employer, school or interested person a negative impression of you. Posting a pic of you sipping a glass of wine is different from a picture showing you passed out with your underwear around your ankles (yes, we have all seen those.) Only you can decide how you wish to project yourself on social media moving forward. You may not be able delete the old posts you are concerned about but you can distance yourself from them by creating a more professional image moving forward.

Specializes in ICU, trauma.

My professor's husband was a pretty high up manager and once came to speak to my class when i was in nursing school. Someone asked him a question like this and he basically responded by saying: Is drinking alcohol illegal? If i ever look up social media sites and see a picture of a prospective employee drinking in a picture, i could care less. Now, if every single post of you is of you drinking and going out it may make me start to wonder if you will have any issues that will effect your job.

I'm on social media and I list my school and employer. However, my social media is super locked down so I can control who sees it (just those I friend). I have nothing on social media with my name on it that I would be ashamed of...heck I'm friends on social media with my former instructors, classmates, great grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, church members, and elderly friends of my grandparents. I wouldn't post anything that I wouldn't feel comfortable with them seeing or reading. I don't even "like" posts I think might be inappropriate. I have a few work friends as friends on social media but we were friends before working together. I use it to follow professional organizations, movies and celebrities I like, and catch up with friends. I will occasionally change my profile picture or background, but that's it! I live a clean, wholesome live...I don't party or even drink, so I don't have to worry about people posting pictures of me drunk. I have no worries if my employer were to find me. I never post anything about work.

I do have an "unleased" twitter with a fake name where I post what I want, silly fandom stuff that might not be the most professional but isn't usually inappropriate. Only a few of my non-nursing friends know it's me.

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