Facebook Violations

[CottonPuffCat]

I am a non agency home health aide. I have work weekends and enjoy my client. The other aide however has posted on her facebook on how grumpy her client is and how she can't wait to go, or how her day is going to be long. Other people have commented sarcastic comments like "Don't you just love old people". What should I do in this situation. She lies, and calls off A LOT too. I have worked for 8 months with this family haven't called off, and I have come in for her each time she calls off. I feel that she isn't responsible anymore to be in the healthcare field.

[Mrs. SnowStormRN, RN]

it may not be a HIPPA violation but complaining about her patient on fb so that non medical people see it is unproffesional.... IMO. If she needs to vent the best place to do it is with a fellow RN in private (still not naming pt name) or here where its in good company. I think there are fine lines. I personally wouldnt complain about a pt on fb. but i WOULD complain about sore feet :)

IDK if complaining here would be any different in that case. There are many non-nurses on this forum (many who are patients) so non medical people can come here to AN and think the same thing. Everybody complains sometimes, she didn't violate HIPAA, if she calls out a lot - thats for the managers to deal with. Many people think people who complain about co-workers are whiney and unprofessional. This is a matter of opinion. My opinion is - unfriend her on FB, doesn't sound like she's your friend anyway, and move on. I also agree with Brandy, you "think" someone is your friend, you post something human and next thing you know, you're fired. It's like some co-workers are just waiting for the other to screw up. Why? Who knows. That's why I do not post job related stuff on FB. I'm even careful about anything I post on FB, including politics. I stay away from sensitive subjects and keep my posts light and friendly when it comes to FB. GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!

[One Flew Over]

Just as an aside. A coworker of mine was working one night and a water main broke, causing a flood of about an inch of water in several resident rooms, bad enough to evacuate several residents to a common area within the facility as well as to the two upstairs units, but not major enough to cause power outages etc. She posted on facebook minutes later, while on her break, a picture of it and about the hassle of the flooding at work. Well it turns out several family members through 'friends' and 'friends of friends' could actually see and recognize the picture as the facility. And since she didn't really explain the extent of the flooding, the facility was soon inundated with hundreds of frantic phone calls from family members hearing/spinning false information within a matter of minutes (info such as the residents being evacuated to nearby facilites.. the power being out.. residents in the dark.. etc, all untrue). Many of them cited the picture/post on facebook. Needless to say it caused a lot of unnecessary headaches and stress on staff, family and residents.

Just a little cautionary tale about the power of facebook! Watch what you post, because there's always someone watching!

[SeeTheMoon]

I agree with Brooke. While it may not be a HIPAA violation, it's extremely unprofessional and just plain...well..mean.

AN, similar sites, or your co workers, etc are the places to vent. Not fb IMHO. Not like that anyway. It's one thing to say "wow it's gonna be a long night", but "gee my pt is crabby sure wish I could leave them and go home" is another.

[CottonPuffCat]

Thank you all for the help.

SeeTheMoon: she has been saying stuff "my client is grump" and "how it's going to be a long day cause someone isn't in a good mood".

We are Non-Agency Aides. We are self employed and the families of the client or the client makes the decisions on stuff. A lot of Nurses and Aides I have seen through this program are manipulative, and treat their clients poorly. I do my best not to be these other workers, I have Standards for myself.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

How did we live before Facebook and cell phones?

[mandrews]

Sometimes I want to delete my FB.... long sigh.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

Well she has the family feeling sorry for her cause she is a single mom with two kids. It has come to a point where the clients daughter in law might hire a third person for how much she calls off. She likes to call off a half hour before her shift

with all kinds of excuses that I know are lies.

So what?

[Poi Dog]

I have a coworker who denies taking her cell on the floor with her yet she has regular facebook updates when she is at work. The nurses know about it but no one says anything.

I don't have facebook and even if I did, I would not add any of my coworkers. Yuck!

[Rob72, ASN, RN]

you couldn't tell if I worked in a hospital, what state or at a military base clinic -- just somewhere that has an ICU...and grits.

Ft. Bragg or Ft. Hood. If I'm right, you owe me some hand-rolled tamales from the next roach-coach!