patient friend request on Facebook

[birdwalk33]

I am wondering what anyone thinks about nurses adding patients as friends on Facebook? Many of the people on my friends list on Facebook are nurses I work with. We have a patient who get's admitted into the hospital frequently and is always on my floor. We have all taken care of her at some time or another so I'm sure she feels very familiar with us. Just recently one of the nurses accepted a friend request from this patient. I had to change all my privacy settings on facebook because I didn't feel it was appropiate for this patient to be able to see what goes on in my personal life. (not that there is anything going on in my personal life but it's just the point) Now there are 3 nurses who have added this patient to their friends list. If any of you know how facebook works depending on your privacy settings you can see your friends list of friends which means this patient can see all the other nurses, family members ,ect (even my nurse manager is on our friends list) I'm sure this patient will probably go down the list and send us all friend requests, however I do not feel comfortable adding her as my friend. I do not want her to feel bad about that but as I've said I don't feel it's professional. Any thoughts on this?

[bill4745, RN]

I agree. A patient should not be a Facebook friend.

[Emergency RN]

A patient is NEVER your friend, ever.

That said, as far as I'm concerned, the only people you should ever have personal electronic connections to are people who you would not be afraid to eat dinner with, watch your kids while you're on vacation, or have sleep over in your house when you're not there. That for me is a VERY narrow list.

[nursel56]

Your instincts are correct. It isn't appropriate, and a nurse who does places herself in a potentially vulnerable position with regard to HIPAA rules. Besides, psychologically I need to have a sense of "away" time. I can't recharge and regroup without having that feeling of separation.

[newlife21]

Adding a patient into Facebook friend list is not wrong,but we should not let our personal information to be see by the patient,the personal information should be locked under privacy settings.

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

You can block her or instead of accepting her as a friend on FB, state that you don't know her.

I would NOT accept her as friend on FB or give her my e-mail address or phone number.

otessa

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

I had this exact situation come up and did not accept. Too much room for the wrong person to see it then deduce that I took their personal info and seeked them out. Not good.

Besides, I used to go to FB to get away from all the hospital nonsense. Thats why I deleted my account, too many other hospital types on there..........it ceased to be a get away.

[woman_king]

You can pre-emptively block her so that she can't see your info, your name on a friends list, or even do a search and have your name come up. You have the right idea for sure--I would never be "friends" with a patient on Facebook!

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

I would PM her that you are not allowed to by your employer. That way she will not be offended. Then deny the request.

I have my settings to private so only people I accept can view anything.

[lorazepam]

Facebook will fade someday, remember 6 degrees? Friendster? Myspace?

I used to have a Facebook, until I learned that some of my co-workers were adding other employees to their "Friends" list. This led to more gossip than I could bear around the watercooler. Gossip is not professional. I'm not that interesting, though I'm flattered that I would one day become a topic, it's really no one elses business.

Further, I searched a manager one day and their page was not flattering. Also, some facilities offer internet access in patient rooms. How do you know your patient isn't looking you up or googling you? Borderline stalking in my opinion. Yeah, you can opt out to place your last name on your badge, but I've met patients who have asked me about another nurses last name or complete name just to do a search.

Plus...HR is getting smart (or bored) and some employers will look you up through these social networking sites.

[Zookeeper3]

The only thing I can tell you, in my experience in working ICU for 15 years, a touch different than your situation, so take it for what it's worth;

-A supervisor was stalked for a year post code by a crazy family and literally changed cars and routes to work, despite a court order of protection

-our badges only state our first name for protection

-a peer has had family verbally attack them ,,, "murderer".. in wallmart and security had to break it up.

-kind loving family stalks me at wallmart and they work in my hospital... "just to talk"

-family keeps calling me at work with all the problems they are having at rehab and want my advice...

-there is a crazed person vandalizing workers cars in employee parking.... guess it's due to anger, dissatisfaction

There are too many variables and a patient or family member will turn on you on a DIME... they have access to your pictures, your family, your contacts.

We unfortunately are victims of verbal and physical abuse and may never see it coming. I would NEVER,..... EVER ..... EVER... put my family at risk because of what I do for a living....

Because I never know... I can NEVER guareantee the future.

Be safe, tell your co-workers to be safe... if you like your patients and want to be in contact... agree to meet at Mc Donalds for breakfast on such and such day... if it gets flaky you just never show up again.

My family is always protected by my ability to understand the human condition... and that is that people can get crazy. Unfortunately, but true.

[S.N. Visit, BSN, RN]

Living in a small town (pop 4000) as a home health care nurse, I have established friends on FB that are now patients! Not sure what I'll do when or if I get a request from a pt. that wasn't previous a friend. It will be hard to reject some of them knowing that we run in the same circles of friends/family.