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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.

Specializes in ICU.

I'm really surprised at how many people say that what's posted here doesn't matter. Even if you delete/edit your post, this page is probably already Google cached. Anyone, anywhere could find it. You might as well write it on permanent marker on the wall of your unit, or on the elevator doors. If you give any personal information at all it will really be that easy to find without anyone looking for it specifically. If you do have to vent and use specific details, make sure you are as anonymous as you can be. Have a unique username for this site that is not the same as any email or other username you have. Never mention where you work, where you live, or what your specific specialty is, and never mention any patient or coworker detail unusual enough to let people who have worked with that person figure it out. Heck, you can always CHANGE or add details to protect yourself! Instead of a 58 year old woman, your person can suddenly be a 72 year old man... after all, what's important is the story behind the vent and not the exact demographic details of the patient or coworker, right?

Let's put it this way... what is your job worth to you? Is it worth risking your job for a post on the internet? We do have freedom of speech, but if you've signed a contract not to discuss details of work outside of work (which, let's face it, most nursing jobs require now) then you are potentially violating your contract with your post. If nothing else, you can always be fired for breach of contract. I would not necessarily use this person's post against her unless she did violate HIPAA or clearly violated a work contract in some other manner.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Maybe I have a guilty conscience, but before I bring up any one else's posts, I would Damn make sure my internet habits ( of all sites, search history, what have you) are pristine first.

And I assure you they aren't.

That said, I guess it would depend upon how outrageous, egregious, malicious, dangerous the posts were.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Maybe I have a guilty conscience, but before I bring up any one else's posts, I would Damn make sure my internet habits ( of all sites, search history, what have you) are pristine first.

And I assure you they aren't.

That said, I guess it would depend upon how outrageous, egregious, malicious, dangerous the posts were.

The difference between posts on this site and private internet habits is that Allnurses is open to the public. Unless you post screenshots of your search history on Facebook or some other site, no one will be able to see it.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

The difference between posts on this site and private internet habits is that Allnurses is open to the public. Unless you post screenshots of your search history on Facebook or some other site, no one will be able to see it.

Not true. Friends of friends can see your activity. If I "like" or comment on a photo or status, my friends can see it (even if they are not friends with the person I am commenting on. You need to be well aware if who your friends' friends are when posting things.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Not true. Friends of friends can see your activity. If I "like" or comment on a photo or status, my friends can see it (even if they are not friends with the person I am commenting on. You need to be well aware if who your friends' friends are when posting things.

I wasn't referring to Facebook posts directly; I was responding to a poster who mentioned searches and internet sites visited. Unless you are a hacker, my ISP, the IS department if I were stupid enough to be using work computers for non-work purposes, someone I share my computer with, or I told you directly, you would have no way of knowing that before visiting allnurses today, I visited CNN, my local newspaper's website, and searched for candlemaking supplies.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Sorry, my bad. But since you mentioned FB in your reply, I thought you were :/

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Sorry, my bad. But since you mentioned FB in your reply, I thought you were :/

I only mentioned it because there are some strange people out there who do post screenshots of webpages because they find them funny- and they forget that all the other tabs they have open will show up too and can be embarrassing (such as they have an adult website open in another tab). This is one way I've seen people reveal some of their internet habits that would otherwise be private, so that's why I used it as an example. Sorry for the confusion.

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Interesting to see the different perspectives on this issue, particularly that some people think that there is some sort of "safe zone" where you can say anything publically and it "doesn't count." That's how people get into trouble.

I would talk to my boss, and probably Human Resources to be sure you handle it correctly. You don't want her to bring you down because you don't make the right moves now. Don't take chances with your own career over it. Keep yourself safe by keeping your boss informed.

I couldn't agree more! Very well said.

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Specializes in Med Surg.
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.

THIS. Aside from litigation, there is probably no way to determine the absolute identity of someone online (and sometimes even with litigation). And if it isn't the person in question... BOY.

Someone could also impersonate someone online to sabotage them (not likely, but I've seen weirder things happen).

Really, if someone isn't violating hipaa or publicly identifying or disparaging their employer or identifying coworkers, isn't the most important thing how well (or not) they are doing their job? I understand that you are wanting to use the material as an extension of that, or evidence in support, but you should be able to make your case on the basis of work performance/attitude alone. And if you can't? Then you may have to rethink the nature of the review in any case.

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.

THIS. Aside from litigation, there is probably no way to determine the absolute identity of someone online (and sometimes even with litigation). And if it isn't the person in question... BOY.

Someone could also impersonate someone online to sabotage them (not likely, but I've seen weirder things happen).

Really, if someone isn't violating hipaa or publicly identifying or disparaging their employer or identifying coworkers, isn't the most important thing how well (or not) they are doing their job? I understand that you are wanting to use the material as an extension of that, or evidence in support, but you should be able to make your case on the basis of work performance/attitude alone. And if you can't? Then you may have to rethink the nature of the review in any case.

I'm sorry but I have to think if Occam's Razor here, the odds of someone trying to sabotage a coworker on a website are slim to none. It's much more likely that the picture belongs to the poster.

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Specializes in Med Surg.
I'm sorry but I have to think if Occam's Razor here, the odds of someone trying to sabotage a coworker on a website are slim to none. It's much more likely that the picture belongs to the poster.

I agree that it's not likely.

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But since it can't be proven, a lawyer would be all over that. Getting electronic records isn't something done for cheap, and unless this person's broken a law (ie, HIPAA) no facility is going to drop a mint on that. I don't know if they'd do it over HIPAA, either.

Who's crazy enough to come on here with their own photo? Don't we come on here to vent??

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