Facebook questions.

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Specializes in ER/Emergency Behavioral Health....

Not just Facebook, but social networking in general.

I have a Facebook account (as many 20somethings do). It's nice to keep in touch with old classmates and long distance family.

I had my coworkers on there until recently. There have been issues with people getting suspended/fired over things they had posted on Facebook. I try not to post about work, but I didn't like the chance of something happening lingering over my head; especially over something like Facebook. So, I deleted all my coworkers. Some are confused, I told them they can have my number if they want to communicate outside of work, which many already do.

What is the general consensus out there on Facebook friending your coworkers?

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

I don't. Too much drama or potential for drama plus the risk of being tagged in inappropriate posts or items pulling to your feed/wall. Just say you reduced your FB to family and close/non-work friends.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

My co-workers have a 'closed' facebook group- we use it almost exclusively to arrange trades and announce girls' night out-type social events/ births and the like. NO references to patients are allowed.

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day, mmd32886:

meanmaryjean's idea is good; otherwise, don't friend coworkers or patients is generally sound advice to follow.

Thank you.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

Don't friend them. If you do be vet careful.

Same applies for "closed" groups. All

It takes is one person complaining about work or a patient and another taking a screen-grab of it to end a career, or at least a job.

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.

I friend coworkers but not managers. I never post about work though and don't list what hospital I work at on my profile. I have coworkers who friend patients! Bad idea.

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I deactivated my fb for the remainder of school. We had a nursing group so everyone on our class could share information. One person complained about an instructor and a student screen shot it, turned it in to the director and they were kicked out for being unprofessional. I did not want to take any chances with fb, very easy to get in trouble.

Be very careful if you are there friends.

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I have been slowly phasing out facebook altogether because it has become a distraction from "real life" for me. Everyone is different. I have found I don't miss it. But here's the thing. I generally kept coworkers OFF the facebook friends list. Here's why. There are two types of coworkers. 1) good friend who I see often out side of work and their is no need to facebook them since we catch up in person anyway. 2) coworkers who I don't see outside of work. No need to facebook them because I see them at work and can catch up on the basics over lunch. These days I only have my family and out of state friends that I want to keep in touch with on facebook, and I usually only check facebook once a week. Facebook has gooten more annoying with filling my feeds with friends likes of their friends I don't know. Can't turn these off, so I just defriend them and email or text them if I need to catch up.

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Specializes in ER/Emergency Behavioral Health....

Since making this post I have deleted all of my coworkers. I now have only 83 close friends and mostly family on there.

If I make friends in nursing school I may add them since there is apparently a Facebook page for our class to create study groups.

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Specializes in corrections and LTC.

I don't have coworkers on my FB unless I was friends prior to working with them and immediately delete anyone that posts something slightly questionable. I won't lose my license or be involved in a HIPAA lawsuit over social media.

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