Nursing Boards control of Nurses

[Cougar1113]

I ran onto this article where a Canadian nursing board is punishing an RN for posting on her private Facebook page about care her Grandfather received at a hospital, where she DID NOT work at, charging her with Professional Misconduct.

I personally think nursing boards have to much control over what happens in our personal lives.

Nurse who wrote about grandfather’s care on Facebook found guilty of professional misconduct | Saskatoon StarPhoenix

In February 2015, Prince Albert nurse Carolyn Strom posted a news article about end-of-life care on her personal Facebook page and then commented about the subpar care” her grandfather had received at a Macklin health facility. The post was brought to the attention of staff there, who filed a complaint with the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association (SRNA).

Strom defended herself at a two-day hearing in Regina this past February — the SRNA's first disciplinary hearing about nurses' behaviour on social media. She argued the SRNA's code of ethics did not apply to her when she posted on Facebook because she was not part of her grandfather's health care team and wrote the post on a personal page. She said it's important for people to discuss health care issues and argued her right to free speech would be violated if she was found guilty of professional misconduct.

The SRNA disagreed.

In a written decision published this fall, the SRNA pointed out that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is not absolute. It also stated that courts across Canada have found regulated professionals guilty of professional misconduct because of things they have done in their private lives.

Pending the outcome of a penalty hearing that has not yet been scheduled, Strom could be expelled or suspended from the SRNA or face some other form of sanction, such as a fine.

Strom's lawyer, Marcus Davies, said he will appeal the decision after the penalty hearing.

(The SRNA) have over-punished, over-sanctioned and responded inappropriately to a discussion on health care and they have held (Strom) to a standard that I think few of us would expect ever to be held to. You can't comment on your own grandparent?” he said.

If you remove nurses from a discussion of health care — which this decision effectively does — nurses will be reluctant or frightened to engage in a frank discussion of health care in public. Then you've made the discussion less valuable.”

If the decision stands, it could have repercussions for other self-regulating professions such as doctors, accountants and lawyers, Davies said.

The SRNA said Strom, who identified herself as a nurse in her Facebook post, harmed the reputation of nursing staff at the Macklin facility, which runs contrary to the SRNA's broad code of ethics.

[email protected]

Twitter.com/MsAndreaHill

[Emergent, RN]

What do you think, can a family member self-identify as an RN on Facebook and then give a negative opinion as to the care given?

I heard about the story concerning the Canadian nurse who posted on Facebook regarding her grandfather's care. She identified herself as a nurse and expressed her opinion regarding the care. This got her into hot water with the Canadian nurses regulatory body.

In my opinion, this is wrong, I don't think this squelching of free speech serves the common good.

Prosecution draws parallel between registered nurse Carolyn Strom's case and Bill Whatcott's in disciplinary hearing | Regina Leader-Post

[sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN]

Awkward

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

Something I wouldn't do, ever, and not only for free speech (silencing it is bad, but explaining what and how you really wanted to say before Boards is even worse). Simply, being a nurse, one has way more avenues to express dissatisfaction with care AND get real results than by employing social media. It takes more time, but also more likely to bring results.

[caliotter3]

Social media isn't a good venue for a lot of things.

[Cowboyardee]

Something I wouldn't do, ever. Being a nurse, one has way more avenues to express dissatisfaction with care AND get real results than social media.

Not personally a big fan of using social media this way either, here. But that's beside the point.

She didn't violate patient confidentiality. On the surface, there's no apparent claims that she engaged in libel. It seems like a clear-cut case of a regulatory agency going after a whistle-blower or critic just because it can. Here is the money quote from a lawyer on the nursing board's investigative team:

"We're not saying everything she's said in her Facebook posting is professional misconduct... [but the post as a whole] invites the public to lose confidence in that facility and that health-care team."

So what? In my book, what matters is whether the content of the post is true, not whether it makes those implicated look bad. That probably wouldn't pass the legal muster in the US, though I'm vaguely aware that Canada has different standards in terms of protecting free speech from governmental agencies.

Of course, there could easily be details I'm missing, but count me as not in favor of people losing their livelihoods for using social media to criticize powerful institutions, especially if their criticism is on point.

[Sour Lemon]

What do you think, can a family member self-identify as an RN on Facebook and then give a negative opinion as to the care given?

I heard about the story concerning the Canadian nurse who posted on Facebook regarding her grandfather's care. She identified herself as a nurse and expressed her opinion regarding the care. This got her into hot water with the Canadian nurses regulatory body.

In my opinion, this is wrong, I don't think this squelching of free speech serves the common good.

Prosecution draws parallel between registered nurse Carolyn Strom's case and Bill Whatcott's in disciplinary hearing | Regina Leader-Post

I'd like to see exactly what she wrote.

[Cowboyardee]

I'd like to see exactly what she wrote.

Taken from a CBC news story on the hearing, here is the original offending facebook statement:

"My grandfather spent a week in palliative care before he died and after hearing about his and my family's experience there, it is evident that not everyone is 'up to speed' on how to approach end of life care or how to help maintain an ageing senior's dignity.

I challenge the people involved in decision making with that facility to please get all your staff a refresher on this topic and more. Don't get me wrong, 'some' people have provided excellent care so I thank you so very much for your efforts, but to those who made Grandpa's last years less than desirable, please do better next time."

I don't know if any parts of the quote were removed. She was found guilty of professional misconduct, but I was unable to find any mention of the exact punishment.

Something's rotten in Saskatchewan.

Nurse who 'vented' online found guilty of professional misconduct - Saskatchewan - CBC News

[smf0903]

I'd like to see exactly what she wrote.

I had been curious about this too, so I did a bit of searching and found this:

Facebook post leaves Prince Albert, Sask., nurse charged with professional misconduct - Saskatoon - CBC News

It provides more specifics about what was said/posted.

[BabyFood26]

Shouldn't have identified herself as an RN. It's one thing if she wants to vent about the unsatisfactory care her grampa received. She used your job title to validate her distaste, but really it's just unnecessary and unprofessional.

And throwing your nursing title around after talking negatively about a nursing facility, I mean, come on ... not a smart move...

That's like... if a psychologist got on his Facebook page and started venting about a family member not receiving the proper care from another clinic somewhere by a different psychologist, then saying... I know what I'm talking about, I'm a psychologist. He/she would be reprimanded too I'm sure.

Profession and person need to be seperated. This was a personal issue. Should of been kept that way.

[cleback]

I'm thinking this is only a concern for nurses under a universal health system? In the US it would not be uncommon for a nurse or other medical provider to be critical of another system. But to criticize one's own employer would be bad taste anywhere.

[Cowboyardee]

That's like... if a psychologist got on his Facebook page and started venting about a family member not receiving the proper care from another clinic somewhere by a different psychologist, then saying... I know what I'm talking about, I'm a psychologist. He/she would be reprimanded too I'm sure.

My wife is a psychologist. And... nope. Not in the US at least.