How to react nicely if a patient asks for your social media acct?

[hedzinkwly]

How would you react if a patient asks for your social media account?

How to tell them nicely if you would rather not give it to them?

[3ringnursing, BSN]

I say, "Sorry, don't have one" {luddite}. That makes some people scratch their heads. :)

[Elfriede]

(Friendly smile with big eyes)

"Wow ! .... I´m so sorry, but our regulations don´t allow it. You may give your account on a piece of paper. And after your treatment here ...."

(Not even after the next iceage!)

[LadysSolo]

I tell the truth - my licensing body "suggests" we not be on social media, and since they control my ability to make a living, I am not on social media and have no account. Happens to be true, but they have no way to know if it is true or not. You could easily lie and say you have no account.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Is always my answer. My company makes it easy. It is strictly forbidden to be linked via social media with current patients and their family members, or those who were past patients/family until at least 2 years have passed since the end of the professional relationship.

I just tell em, "company says no, and so must I". Have to say, however, it is very rare for a patient or family member to even ask.

[Skippingtowork]

I work in a unit where nurses always text the parents of their patients and have them as friends on facebook. This sometimes causes problems within the unit...blurred lines. If there is ever a lawsuit, you've opened your life and the life of your friends up to scrutiny. Stop!!!

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

I think this thread jinxed me!

I got floated to another unit this week, and had a patient who was very chatty/flirty. Five hours into the shift, my unit called me back down, so I went in and told the patient that Nurse So-and-so was going to be their nurse for the rest of the night, I was going back to my unit. "Awww, that's too bad.... do you have Facebook?"

He'd known me for FIVE HOURS (and five hours during which I was also caring for four other patients besides him) and he wants to be Facebook friends??? What the everloving heck????

[rymes]

1st of all I would probably laugh it off & say I don't participate or if you already indicated you do, just say I make a rule that I can't give personal information out to a patient. I would never give out that type of information about myself.