Do nurses have a responsibility to keep their Facebook professional?

allnurses Guide · Jul 22, 2012

I rarely, rarely, rarely even check my FB and just about never ever post.

I keep it for contacts and to monitor my two teenagers.

It is very private, but I am considering getting rid of work associates, d/t a few who complain about work and coworkers.

It seems a few are oblivious to the fact that their posts aren't as invisible as they think... like the two co-workers who took a rather rude jab at me when I failed nursing school...yoo hoo! I can seeeeeeeeeee you, lol!

Not only do I try to protect myself from work, but I also try to protect myself from my psych patients!

nekozuki, LPN · Jul 22, 2012

Many people I know have two facebooks: One is professional, clean-cut and spotless, practically looking like a resume. Then they have one that is under a pseudonym that their friends all know, and contains all the crude, hilarious and often embarrassing photos/posts that make it a tabloid-worthy read. What can I say? It's a changing world out there.

lovedijah · Jul 22, 2012

I've always said some people need diaries. Not everything is meant to be shared with the world, or everyone that you've known since 8th grade. My cousin profiled her divorce on Facebook even "checking in" to family court for her child support hearing. That is too much and very trashy.

allnurses Guide · Jul 22, 2012

Also, has anyone noticed that there are more folks here at AN using their actual picture as their avatar?

I see this mostly with the younger nurses/students/CNAs, etc. and I think it's dangerous!

I sure wouldn't complain about school politics and horrible instructors with my picture tied to my post!

I think it may be a degree of blurred boundaries, insensitivity to exposure and a dash of vanity.

giveface · Jul 22, 2012

I have to say I feel very different about this topic than most responses here. I have always believed, nursing school included, that what you do in your own private life, so long as you don't show up to work under the influence, is absolutely uncategorically your own and no one else's business. Provided you aren't using social media to "friend" patients or their family members, or posting privleged/confidential client/employer data on social media, than what you do with it should be entirely up to you. If someone wants to think they can judge how professional an employee is based on what he or she does in his or private time, I think that says more about the person snooping and judging than it does about the investigated nurse.

I find nurses to be a very self-righteous group of professionals. We are nasty and judge each other far more than physicians do same.

allnurses Guide · Jul 22, 2012

I have to say I feel very different about this topic than most responses here. I have always believed, nursing school included, that what you do in your own private life, so long as you don't show up to work under the influence, is absolutely uncategorically your own and no one else's business.

Ideally, that would be true, but unfortunately, that is not the reality.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 22, 2012

I do have some work friends, and I do list where I work. However, it's rare that I post anything about work. The most I'll post is that I'm off to work, just got out of work, or that it was my last day of the week at work. Never anything more, no matter how exciting/bad/unusual the day was.

Of course, the settings are set as private as possible for anything. I use lists to control who sees what, so work people aren't let in on every single post. I also watch what others post on my wall by requiring approval of what they post, if they can link me in pictures or posts, etc....and if I feel it's not appropriate for my image it doesn't get approved.

Even with all of that, I'm still very careful about what I post because the internet is not as anonymous or private as one thinks.

IMO, a user's FB is their responsibility, and whatever consequences come from their page are more than likely earned. If you choose not to have a FB page to avoid any problems, more power to you. If you choose to have one, more power to you too, but be smart about it.

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2012

My Facebook page is extremely private to anyone who is not a friend, and if there is something I don't want my work colleagues to see, I just block that post from them (this is what friend lists are for). Besides, I also have a fake profile that I check into when I wanna read and post things that are way off-color. To act professional on Facebook for the sake of an employer defeats the purpose of Facebook. Sure, I follow HIPAA rules to the T, but we did not join a convent when we became nurses ... geez!

MassED, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2012

I am "Facebook friends" with a large number of my nursing peers. I am often quite surprised at the behavior I see exhibited by them in so public a place.
I see:
1. Lots and lots of foul language/inappropriate pics, etc.
2. Lots and lots of "oh, man, I'm so wasted right now...bout to go to the next bar!!!"
3. Lots and lots of TMI about relationships, affairs, drunkeness, fights, whatever.
On their FB profile, they have it proudly posted that they are "Registered Nurse at So-and-so Hospital", or "Proud PEDI Nurse!" or "School nurse at Ur Dum Akadimy".
I cringe sometimes when I see some of this stuff, and think to myself "what would their employer think?" or, "Hope they're not interviewing soon with a computer-adept manager".
I try to keep my social media as clean as I can, and don't flaunt any of my bad habits for the world to see.
But, what do you think? Do nurses have a responsibility to maintain a professional demeanor on their (supposedly) private social media sites?
Another possibility: Am I an old fart?

Like separation of church and state, work and personal life should be separate. Two Facebook accounts, using modified names, especially.

And of course, keep the work associated FB one clean.

MassED, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2012

I post mostly photo's of my kids, inspirational stuff, and silly stuff
like the kitty cat sitting on a little table; looked like the cat had four
new legs. The caption? "Lt. Dan! You got new legs!" =)
I try to stay away from posting things that are crude, full of foul
language, or embarrassing, but my life is uber stressful and
sometimes I can't help posting the occasional "SOS!" status.
I don't have that many Facebook friends; most of them know
me pretty well, another bunch of them are friends from Church.
(another reason why I try to keep it clean! =))
In a perfect world, yes what we post on Facebook should
have no bearing on our professional life, but the fact is
that a computer savvy employer can find ANYTHING
ever posted on the Internet, EVER. So...
And yes, I do feel like the poster who's friend
posted that thing on her Facebook page deserved
to be fired if she knew that it was there and
failed to delete it and scold her friend for it. JMO.

The other end of that is, do you really believe your employer is working so hard to investigate fellow employees for what they've posted on the internet, unless they've done something? I think those that worry, have something to worry about.

I don't believe any large facility is going to have some PI's on an employee unless there's something bad brewing (fraud, abuse, drug activity, or other illegal stuff.) They just aren't going to waste resources.

But as far as applying for a new job, these contracted investigation companies can and do find out information that is available on the WWW.

giveface · Jul 22, 2012

Ideally, that would be true, but unfortunately, that is not the reality.

It may not be the reality but I believe it should be and would be if nurses just stood up for ourselves and told employers to mind their own business. I am not paid to be at work 24/7, until that time comes I will continue to do what I want in my personal life so long as it doesn't affect my ability to be professional *at work*!

MassED, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2012

IMO, if you have posted your place of employment anywhere in your profile, you automatically have designated yourself a representative of that employer, and anything you say on Facebook can definitely come back and haunt you, or at least look super unprofessional.
One of the reasons why I don't list my employer in my profile!

Yes, I agree! No affiliations with work or your school. :up:

Unless you are using your FB page as a professional page, it's personal, and should exclude those places that might judge you professionally.