It's Finally Happened!

CharleeFoxtrot, BSN, RN · May 5, 2013

I posted a few months ago about somebodies unprofessional posts being recognised by someone in the 'real' world.....mostly everyone said it wouldn't happen.......anonymity ruled.......oh yeah?

I always tell people never ever believe anything you post cannot be tracked back to you. I frequent a few boards (mostly hobby oriented) and you'd be surprised at how easy it is for people to be "tracked down" and "called out" in real life.

As far as the original post, I feel it'd be wrong to include the posts here in a job evaluation, but if this person's work is as subpar as the OP states I'd kick the whole mess upstairs-let HR or a bigger boss handle the whole internet issue.

LaughingRN · May 5, 2013

Just a thought.

If you lay all your cards down on the table and confront her about this issue/and or talk to your supervisor....

You are returning the favor by potentially telling her (and your boss) who YOU are on AllNurses.

I mean, you did start this thread....

If I were you, I would keep the information to myself just because of that fact.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · May 5, 2013

While AN is an anonymous site.....it is public and can be read without joining. We have readers for all over the world.

What most people need to remember is that anything written in the public domain is fair game. What many people need to realize is that you are not as anonymous as you think. While I use a "fake name" I KNOW people recognize me, especially when they see my dog, so I conduct myself accordingly.

When you post stories, experiences on the internet you reveal much more that you realize...it is very easy to "figure out" who someone is by their posts. It boggles my mind that people think they can't be seen just because they use a fake name....and then some use their real pictures.......that this why it clearly states in the TOS

Information About Others:
No potentially libelous information about specific schools, instructors, or health care facilities/entities should be posted in these forums. While it is important to be able to network, everyone should be mindful of the following:
It is a small world - when we narrow it down to a state and throw in some personal info, there is actually a pretty good chance someone may recognize you if you are not careful. Your privacy is paramount to us.
While this site is a wonderful place to vent (without excess personally identifiable details) it is not the place to express why ("x" specific person, place or program) is terrible. Gripe away, but since we cannot permit allegations to be made about named entities, your care in not naming them is very much appreciated.
Please do not give out personal identifying information about yourself or others. Do not name names where anyone could identify any person in any facility including your nursing programs or place of employment.

Ruby......I would not use the AN posts as a part of the evaluation. Unless you can prove she was using work time/computers for her posts. I absolutely think you need to have a conversation with your boss and HR about your concerns...however it is a confirmation that your evaluation/instincts are valid.

There may be policies about social media at your facilities that you are unaware of....there has been some protection afforded workers if the material is password protected to view (AN is viewed by the public) People get fired for social media posting ALL the time....there are people in HR that all they do is scour the social media sites looking for problems.

However, an EMT fired by Armstrong ambulance for negative comment of her boss on social media sued through the NLRB and won.....

Employers should think twice before trying to restrict workers from talking about their jobs on Facebook or other social media.
That's the message the government sent on Monday as it settled a closely watched lawsuit against a Connecticut ambulance company that fired an employee after she went on Facebook to criticize her boss.
The National Labor Relations Board sued the company last year, arguing the worker's negative comments were protected speech under federal labor laws. The company claimed it fired the emergency medical technician because of complaints about her work.
Feds settle case of Conn. EMT fired over Facebook posts

For those who wonder......YES! AN is, while a professional site, IS social media. We are in the media and we are social...social media.

I am sure that someone also knows who we are talking about right now. AN has employers that cruise this site....we have instructors, recruiters...who belong and cruise this site. I am often baffled by the thoughts that just because they use a fake name they can't be seen and why would anyone post their e-mail address/phone number publicly and play victim to spammers and weirdos.

I would follow the advice of HR and my immediate boss about these posts....even though social media is used frequently to fire people...I say leave the decision higher up the food chain....and for all we know the person in question already knows by reading this thread.

Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM · May 5, 2013

This is the approach I would take:

1. Whatever you do, don't print off the items from the website. That is very childish and unless your facility has a policy that she cannot do that (which I would wager it doesn't), this is a free country and she is free to vent to whomever she wishes.

2. Let your boss draw his own conclusion.

3. Present the evaluation as you already planned.

4. When you are done with the evaluation you need to say. "OK, we are done with formalities...I also need to speak with you off the record." Advise her that her presence on this website is not anonymous...again, don't mention that you printed anything off, but DO MENTION that you had already wrote her evaluation and what she wrote simply supported it.

You will be doing her a huge favor.

OCNRN63, RN · May 5, 2013

I'm continually amazed how people can be so ding-dang dumb.

I don't think you can use it in your eval, but I would give it to you mgr. She most likely can use it.

This should be a lesson to everyone who thinks that this site is anonymous. It's not, and people have gotten discipline-> terminated for what they've posted here. I know someone who had her posts come back to bite her. (Not me...LOL.)

macawake, MSN · May 5, 2013

I recognized someone from the picture they're using as their avatar. Moreover, it's someone I'm responsible for evaluating. And what they're posting is not consistent with a good attitude or safe practice. I can easily see why they're having so many issues with their colleagues. And the amazing thing is that clearly they think they're doing just great and everyone ELSE is the problem!

Now what? I'd already written up the evaluation, but the pages I've printed off allnurses.com complete with the person's picture clearly support my conclusions. Do I include them? Or shred them and pretend I've never looked at allnurses.com?

Will it help if I tell you that my boss reads allnurses religiously? She's probably also seen the picture and the posts.

If your boss regularly visits Allnurses chances are good that she will also read this thread. Aren't you putting yourself in an awkward position when posting here asking for advice on this issue?

Your boss might read this as well as the person you're evaluating.

As far as the evaluation goes, I would stick to what you have observed at work and leave the rest out of it.

Anyone can use any picture as their avatar. I've seen several famous people posting here on a regular basis. I assume it's not really them but someone using their picture..

In my former career I came across (on several occasions) people who used another person's identity online for slanderous/malicious purposes. This could be a "friend", former classmate or ex-partner holding a grudge. This may or may not be likely in this case but as long as you don't know with absolute certainty who's posting, it is something to bear in mind.

netglow, ASN, RN · May 5, 2013

Oh Ruby. If you do, your boss will think you are crazy. Who knows what you do when you are at work with sensitive information? Basically, I'd react by surveillance on you immediately, as well as pretty severe discipline or loss of your job.

Unless the person posts break HIPAA they have a right to personal comment. Any person can state their experiences with any person place or thing. Legally, there has been a crackdown on the type of thing you propose to do. What a person has to say is what they have to say about a subject - no matter good or bad. Opinion is protected speech.

salvadordolly · May 5, 2013

As someone who performs evaluations, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that there is no reason to bring the online material into play with the following exceptions:
~~Material posted is in clear and blatant violation of HIPAA.
~~Material posted either names institution of employ or names it clearly without using words based upon geographic or architectural markers. i.e.: I work in a 292 bed level III hospital in a little town near Mobile. In which case anything negative reflects poorly upon the institution.
~~Material posted makes deducing identities of employees or physicians simple and is done in a slanderous manner.

I would agree with this. Otherwise, an employee has a right to post whatever they want. I'd be very careful with using social media posts as part of an evaluation. If they posted under an assumed name, they may have "reasonable expectation of privacy". You could get in trouble for using them. I would do your regular evaluation and advise her at the end that she may want to be careful with what she posts on the site.

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · May 5, 2013

I just wanted to point out that just because a photo is being used does not guarantee that the person posting is the person pictured. Someone could have framed her by copying her picture. I am confident if anyone cared to put the pieces together I would be identified. I don't post anything I wouldn't want my coworkers reading, though I'd prefer not to think of them as stalking me on AN.

OCRN3 · May 5, 2013

I agree, also someone may just be using a random picture that actually happened to be a nurse..?

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · May 5, 2013

This is a very interesting thread.

I feel like in the last few months there have been a lot more avatars that look like actual people (as opposed to cartoons, cute nurse pics or animals). The thought never crossed my mind to put a picture of myself up here; this is not Facebook or Instagram (although I've been in here way before those things were even around).

My first username here was the same as my old email address. The first school I worked at, I used my personal email to correspond with students (the school did not have work email accounts). I ended up aborting the email account AND changing my screen name, after one of my students actually called me by my username.

My real life name has been in threads here. Not in a negative way, but it still freaked me out to see it. I asked the mods to remove it. They put up a reminder in the thread about using real names.

I've seen a handful of students I knew in threads. I was able to connect the dots (also, they did what I originally did, making their username similar to their email address).

Im guessing the OP has enough to justify the nurses unsatisfactory evaluation. Regardless, I think the OP should just keep the info in her "virtual back pocket". Threads have a tendency to disappear here, and you never know when you may need something to back up or validate something that is going in here.

skittlebear · May 5, 2013

How do you know 100% that it's her? It could be someone else using her identity to slander her name, especially if that nurse knows that you frequent AN. I am against using this website, or any website, that she uses outside of work against her while she is at work. To me, that is just lowdown. As another poster mentioned, it is a free country and one can express his/her opinion. I guess I, too, need to be more careful about what I post. I'm not putting my picture out there for all to see, that's for sure!