hospital policy on Facebook, cellphones= suspension

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in L&D, Pediatrics, Telemetry, Med-Surg, ED.

and uploading pictures from your phone to facebook while at work? I ask this because my best friend just got suspended for three days for uploading a pict of two of her other co-workers blowing up glove balloons while at work. There was NO pt, pt names or other HIPPA violating info. I saw the pict myself. She was not on FB itself she did a mobile upload. She was told it was because she did it at work. PERIOD. There is a cell phone policy about limited use in pt care areas. She said she expected a written warning, even probation, but not suspension. She said they are very lax on cell phone usage because everyone even the administration uses them constantly. I think this is WAY overkill. I told her to spend her 3 days off investigating the policies and disciplinary actions to see what the norm is for this offense. If she cannot find anything outlining this behavior can she dispute her punishment? What are her options?

Thank You!!

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Take the suspension as her indication that she shouldn't be using a cell phone at work.

There's a few places that explicitly prohibit cell phone use while on the job in our market. I personally took a pic of a friend so I could have a contact picture when they call and ended up getting a tele monitor in the pic as well. I destroyed the pic right when I found it out, but something similar could have happened in this case (even though it didn't).

Also, if you think about it, each glove is something like $0.03 or $0.06 / glove. Technically they're wasting company materials by blowing up gloves (as stupid as it sounds).

Finally, unless you're in a union and are willing to fight for your rights, and as long as there ISN'T a rule against cell phone use while on the job, then by all means fight it! The only problem is that while she only got a slap on the wrist for goofing off when something more productive PROBABLY could have been accomplished at the same time, if she fights the suspension and demands payment, in many states it's VERY easy to dismiss an employee for absolutely no reason what-so-ever. Forget to do an I&O on a patient? Write up - you weren't doing your job correctly. Forget to sign off a Prilosec? Write up - could potentially be a med error. (ETC ETC ETC).

Finally, almost EVERY place has SOME kind of rules against cell phone use, etc. Even though it's not been enforced / they've been lax in the past, maybe they've decided to start cracking down b/c of a complaint, or maybe they've decided that they need to start cracking down because of a lawsuit. Either way, it's their decision, and a complaint from a pion RN isn't going to accomplish much other than mark yourself as a bad egg, a bad employee, and somebody that needs to be gone by the end of the year.

In short I would take the 3 days suspension and use it as a mini-vacation, don't get too worked up about it, and either leave the cell in the locker rooms from there-on-out, turn it off completely, leave it in your bag and take it out on breaks only, or leave it in the car / at home.

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Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.

I think that hospitals have been "in trouble" on the patient privacy side of this matter and even if HIPPA is not violated - there are REAL concerns about liability.

Even IF your friend was on break, using a cell and so on, I'm still thinking it was BAD judgement. I'm not sure that a fight on the "progressive discipline" that your friend thinks should have been handed out would be well received. READ: even if she wins - she will still lose - now or later. I'd bet that any "backwater" on the suspension would be paid forward on some other matter.

Let her go forward and learn the lesson. Let others learn from this example.

Although not perhaps technically WRONG - it was immature and unprofessional.

If one cannot get through a shift without UPDATING facebook, twitter or youTube - life is going be hard. REALLY HARD.

How about - I'm at WORK and will be WORKING for the NEXT 12 HOURS at a job that is difficult, where life is at risk - oh yeah, I am a professional and getting into school and through school was very difficult and I am not gonna toss it away because I am so enthralled with myself that I cannot use good judgement.

Sorry if it is offensive - just my opinion.

Actual mileage will vary - caution advised. :p

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Specializes in L&D, Pediatrics, Telemetry, Med-Surg, ED.
Even IF your friend was on break, using a cell and so on, I'm still thinking it was BAD judgement. I'm not sure that a fight on the "progressive discipline" that your friend thinks should have been handed out would be well received. READ: even if she wins - she will still lose - now or later. I'd bet that any "backwater" on the suspension would be paid forward on some other matter.

Very good point!!:up:

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Agree. Using cellphones to take pictures and upload to Facebook while at work (Even if HIPPA is not violated) = FAIL. Take the punishment and learn from the experience.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

You know, I posted a status update from my phone onto my facebook account a couple times....nothing violating patient privacy, I hadn't actually accessed facebook, and it was on my break at work. Still, I went home after work and deleted them ASAP because I realized it COULD get me in trouble.

As much as I am on facebook at home, I just suck it up for those 12 hours that I'm working. Just not worth it, IMO.

If it was me or my friend, I'd just say, chalk it up to a lesson learned the hard way and enjoy a couple unexpected days off work. I know that's hard to swallow but this is probably not a battle worth fighting.

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The one thing that is glaring to me is the impartiality they are showing. If they are not enforcing the policy across the board, they end up being liable, if there is a disciplinary action, and a lawsuit, the employee will win. HR depts all across the country are weary and don't like lawsuits, they take up time and resources. It's easier to just enforce the rules across the board. If they are not, I'd arrange a meeting with the Director of HR or the person in charge of Administration.

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

the hospital is using your friend as an example for other coworkers not to do what she did. i doubt they have a formal policy in place specifically for her incident but at the same time i'm sure their documentation will probably be sufficient enough for suspension. we all know we shouldn't goof around at work with our cells especially in pt care areas or using pt care equipment, so this something to just learn from.

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i heard of a hospital were a nurse got fired for posting on facebook while at work that his pt is psychotic and another got suspended for posting she is at work right now.

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Specializes in ER, education, mgmt.

My guess is that it is not so much a HIPPA thing as it is a not stealing from your employer thing. As in- being on your cell, FB, and the internet during your work time is stealing time from your employer because that is time you should be productive. As charge nurse I can't tell you how many times I have to go and tell the staff to put their phones away and quit texting!!! C'mon people! Seriously?

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

lucky not to be fired in my opinion....I HATE techs or nurses who have their cellphones on em and use them at work, if you use ur camera, you should be fired, period....there are too many possible sensitive issues there.

I remember the story last year....in my hospital, 3 ICU nurses removed a blood clot from a patients art line....it was about 6 feet long...2 nurses held it up and 1 took a pic of it and then facebooked it....the 2 who held it were fired, the 1 who took the pic was suspended and transferred from the unit....not a joking offense....

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well for safe policy.. better not take pictures while at work. i agree with elvish

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