Overreacting?

Nurses Relations

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So I work in an ER and a coworker helped me out by discharging a pt for me. She later said how she thought he was cute, nice, funny, etc. Well we were looking at our hospitals facebook page and saw that he had "checked in" and posted some pics of himself in the ER. She ended up sending him a note on fb saying she saw him on the fb page and was hoping he was feeling better, that it was a pleasure meeting him and his family cause they brightened her day and to take care.

Now is this icky, or is it the equivalent of a thank you note but just in a different media? I maybe just an old fuddy duddy.

And as a complete aside, hopefully, this nurse who discharged the patient signed off that she did so. If not, any complaints about "that nurse who took care of me and was bugging me on facebook" will be directed accordingly, and not to you.

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Specializes in Emergency, ICU.

Nope she hasn't friended him, as far as I know. But with me telling her this was icky she may not tell me if she did.

Good point. I think this nurse was trying to pick this guy up. No one calls an ER patient to see how the are doing! C'mon, your instinct was right. It's icky because she was inappropriate.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

How can you control what the patient does? If they take a pic and post it on their own page.............

However, it does seem risky for that nurse to do that although I am sure her intentions were good. And it seems risky for the hopsital to have a page that patients can post pictures too.

Or is this just the way things are now and we will see more of this because social media is not going away?

If this same patient called her at the ER and asked her on a date would she be fired for accepting?

Interesting questions this whole thing brings up.

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.

Well just talked to my coworker and she realized it was creepy and deleted the message. Hopefully that's the end of it.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Okay what is with this trend of everyone "checking" into the ER or urgent care? And now you say people are taking pictures of their brief stay in the ER? Sorry this is nuts!

If you feel well enough to post pictures to FB of your ED stay, you probably don't need to be there. I swear I do not get this oversharing.

I would never have done what your friend did. Sending text messages to patients after D/C? No way.

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Who sends "Thank you" notes to patients? I never have nor would I. Thanking them for what? Getting sick and using the local hospital to get well?

Facebook has bitten and will continue to bite more people in the rear..personal life should stay personal, professional life doesn't need to be documented on a social media site.....ugh!!

Your coworker needs to grow up and get professional. Most hospitals aren't -or shouldn't be - Greys Anatomy/General Hospital etc. If she worked for me, we'd be having a chat about boundaries and HIPPA..

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

It seems inappropriate to me.

I thought about it. You diminish the nurse/pt relationship by making it about meeting singles.

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.

If you feel well enough to post pictures to FB of your ED stay, you probably don't need to be there. I swear I do not get this oversharing.

I would never have done what your friend did. Sending text messages to patients after D/C? No way.

She didn't send text messages. She sent a message through fb. And yeah probably 75% of ER visits are true emergencies.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
She didn't send text messages. She sent a message through fb. And yeah probably 75% of ER visits are true emergencies.

My mistake; she sent him a private message through FB. I still wouldn't have done that.

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It's weird because the guy could interpret it badly and report her. At the least it could be considered harassment, unfortunately.

If the patient himself doesn't report it, however, then no one else should. The person who recommended it be reported to risk management needs to calm down. No one wants to work with a bunch of tattle-tale pasty prudes. If the patient had no problem with it, then no harm done. Why would someone report something that caused no harm just to ruin a coworkers career/life? Shameful.

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No, that's weird. I don't have Facebook anymore, i work in a clinic where we see a lot of the same people and they would actually friend me. I am unfindable but I was friends with one girl who works there who has all the patients on her friend list. I thinks it crossing the line to contact patients through Facebook, I swear this world would be a lot more sane without social media, not much good comes out of it.

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I am under the impression that due to privacy and patient confidentiality that if I saw a patient on the street, I would be in hot water for addressing them about their health or medical care. I get acknowledging them, but this just seems off to me. I wouldn't have risked it. I personally avoid Facebook and other social media sites, and I know it sounds weird. My mother think it is odd, she's in her 60's and has a facebook and I am in my 30's and do not.

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