Finally understand the Facebook no-no's

Nurses Relations

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I've been having a lot of problems with a co-worker lately, and when she requested to be my FB friend, I thought about it long and hard before I accepted. I'm a nice person, and I give people the benefit of the doubt the majority of the time. She had been a lil nicer to me, so I thought this might be her way of mending bridges.

Wrong.

I have a nasty cold. One of those ones that settles into your chest and hangs on for days. Two days ago, I slept all day, then attempted to keep my dinner plans I had made a week or so ago. I would've canceled but its for a younger girl that I mentor. I went to dinner, and I was miserable. Could barely breathe, and I was exhausted when I arrived home. Up until that point, I had been feeling ok and I was going to try working, but once I got home, I knew I couldn't manage a 10 hour shift. I called in. I posted a status about needing lots of breathing tx's and sleep, and I thanked the young girl for putting up with my miserably sick self while at dinner.

I received a call from my nursing supervisor the next morning. Basically, my co-worker knew I called out, and she saw this status. This status had nothing to do with work, and in my opinion, isn't even incriminating. She "misread" it and told my supervisor that I went out to dinner after I had called in. I had to explain to my supervisor that I had attempted to go out to dinner before I called in, but was so sick I left early. She was still angry and told me that "it didn't look good" and asked why I even went out to dinner. So, I explained that the plans had been made for a week, and it was with a younger girl I mentor. Its been a rough week between me getting sick and my gramma being in the hospital. I was just trying to fit promised time in with the girl. That seemed to shut her up a bit.

After that, I immediately deleted the co-worker. I never post anything about work, or closely related to work on my FB as I know what can happen. I have learned my lesson. Work and FB do NOT mix.

Specializes in Geri-psych Nursing.

I love my FB. I just make sure I don't post anything I don't want everybody to know. Who on earth would think it's private?

Specializes in Women's Surgical Oncology, MIU,MBU.

Hello, I have decided since I see all the problems that having a facebook account and people linking their jobs etc have caused. I have never and will never put the jobs I have worked and most certainly will not add any so called " friends" from jobs either. If she was nasty to you previously nice or not she would have never been added as a friend. I don't just add anyone to my facebook account to have large numbers of people. Lets face it everyone is not your friend. I'm really glad that it did not cost you your job. Always go with your gut feeling...its usually right.

I agree with you totally

Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.

I just went to my FB account and tightened up my privacy settings. Thanks OP for the heads up.

Specializes in Pediatrics.

Wow, am I the only one who actually likes some of the people I work with? I have made some very good friends at work (I guess I'm lucky)

I like my privacy and never had a facebook or myspace account. I have a fake one with no pic just to get a peek at what my old friends from high school look like. Once I do that I have no interest.

But do people really post their whole lives on there? How do they do that? I've never been granted access to a person's page because of my anonymous account.

Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, LTC.
Anyone in the camp of "If you're too sick to go to work, why are you posting on Facebook" is absolutely ridiculous.

You are insinuating that a nurse only has the right to call in sick if she/he is sooo deathly ill that even poking a few buttons on a keyboard is beyond them.

Also, you must have never heard of "distraction." We have wi-fi at work. The patients who have a laptop or smartphone are distracted, and feel their illness/aches/pains/nausea etc. far less. The same with any patient that has visitors, books, a great TV show, puzzles, etc. If you are lying in bed doing nothing, you feel worse because there is nothing to distract you from your illness.

Apparently nurses are supposed to be in a different category and aren't allowed to do anything but lay around while sick. :rolleyes:

Yeah that! I was in bed all week (temp 102.6 AFTER both tylenol and motrin) I also just had a baby. I used my droid to go on facebook. I guess I should have been at work! :lol2::nurse: Looking at walls does get boring...

I like my privacy and never had a facebook or myspace account. I have a fake one with no pic just to get a peek at what my old friends from high school look like. Once I do that I have no interest.

But do people really post their whole lives on there? How do they do that? I've never been granted access to a person's page because of my anonymous account.

I guess you won't know because instead of working to learn what you need to do to keep yourself safe, you've chosen to be the internet version of a recluse.

Just as in real life, there are some risks. So, you could go to a restaurant and meet with friends (even though you could get hit by a car, get mugged or contract the flu ) and work to recognize and minimize risk (follow traffic laws, look both ways before you cross the street, walk in well lit areas, don't flash cash on the street, and wash your hands before eating), OR you could react to the risks by just staying in the house (definitely less risk).

Same thing online, you can continue to isolate yourself (less risk) or, you can learn how to minimize your risks by learning how FB's privacy settings work, only friend folks you know and want to interact with, use good judgement in what information you post, etc

The choice is yours.

I joined FB to keep up with the folks in the mission organization I belong to - we went to Vietnam together twice for medical missions and shared so many beautiful photos.

Then added my kids - and then de-friended my daughter as she is one of those who puts too much personal info and does not listen to warnings.

I have co-workers as friends and a lot of allnurses friends there too.

Other relatives. High school friends.

My privacy settings are tight.

I don't do the status updates all that much - mostly I like looking at other folk's pictures and I like posting pictures.

I am very careful not to mention anything about work.

And I agree - the supervisor had no business asking the OP about the stuff she posted on FB.

And I agree - it is completely possible to post on FB and be sick.

As to Ruby's post about the woman who got drunk and called in sick . . .. calling in because of a hangover is the issue, whether she posted photos or not. I don't blame Ruby or her co-workers for getting mad about the call in but the photos have nothing to do with anything.

Just be careful about what you post and who you "friend".

steph

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