Please use some common sense on Facebook.

I have many coworkers that are my friends on Facebook. The site has their picture, full name and place of work. They'll post negative comments about patients in general or criticize their place of employment. I realize someone can have their profile hidden; however, nothing is really hidden online. Why incriminate and play career suicide?

Has anyone else noticed this trend? Know anyone fired for facebook posts or comments?

[mamamerlee, LPN]

That is career suicide. Just plain foolish. I agree with you 100%.

I have schoolmates that blast our program on Facebook. They have private profiles but STILL. In my opinion, everything posted on Facebook is completely fair game.

[AnnaN5]

I have never personally seen any of my coworkers post anything like that on Facebook but our nursing union did recently send out a letter that addressed sites likes Facebook, Myspace, etc. It was a reminder about potential HIPAA violations and the chance that employers make use these sites to get background information on a potential employee or current employee.

[thatsthekeyRNC]

I am in school right now and actually attended a seminar warning students against this - it's sad that it has to go that far. That people are that ignorant to think that it wouldn't affect their "real lives".

Some people don't realize that even if your profile is blocked another person can just "poke" you on Facebook and get into your information. Last week my friends account was poked and someone got his number and made crank calls. I am still wondering why does he have his number listed in the first place.

I have never personally seen any of my coworkers post anything like that on Facebook but our nursing union did recently send out a letter that addressed sites likes Facebook, Myspace, etc. It was a reminder about potential HIPAA violations and the chance that employers make use these sites to get background information on a potential employee or current employee.

Not saying this is not possible, but don't you have to be a person's friend to access their personal information?

If you use any of those forums you must treat them the same as public speaking... people can see it even if it's private by signing on other peoples accounts, etc..... there are ways around identities that everyone does not know. Anything said on these forums should only be only what you would say in front of a group you do not know, and never never never break HIPPA.

[NamasteNurse, BSN, RN]

some people truly think that because they say I only share with certain people that what they post is safe---wrong. As a parent of three teens I can tell you, where there's a will, there's a way

I have a FB account, but I'm not friends with anyone I work with. My account is private and you can't even search my name. I have about 90 friends who are mostly my nursing school and high school friends. I also have quite a few friends from my previous career.

When I'm on FB, I don't say anything about pts, but I will say I have to work tonight, or I'm on day 2 of 3, or something like that. That's the extent I will go in regards to my job. Lately, I havent been on FB as much.

I have some nursing school friends who do post about their jobs in details.

I don't know anyone personally, although the hospital i work at sent out an e-mail stating we should not log into our facebook accounts at work....or comment on anything regarding work. Apparently at one of our sister hospitals a nurse was fired for bashing her boss (duh...she had him as a friend too!) and workplace. They sent out screenshots of the offense and it was pretty appaling all the information shared and language used. lol, it still was a little wrong that she was fired through comments on her facebook!

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN, CNS]

The same goes for anywhere online - even AllNurses - don't post things you don't want the whole world to know about.

We just talked about this today at work, apparently it's becoming a widespread problem.

In the UK the NMC(BON) is montioring facebook and nurses have been disclpine for breaching pt confidentaly.

[Bobylon]

I rarely post on FB..... never about work, usually just catching up with old friends. I'd rather be playing my guitars !!!

[MedSurgeMess]

I keep telling my coworkers to watch it.....some of our managers and education liasons post their drinking adventures, go clubbing scantily clad, and are very apparently under the influence. They snap pics with cell phones, then post to FB. I'm waiting for admin to catch on to this someday.....it's too bad.

I'm a former police officer (now in nursing school). One of my ex-coworkers recently "resigned due to personal reasons" after it was discovered he made stupid comments on Facebook about "messing" with people while on patrol. Local newspaper found out, front page story, lawsuit, etc.etc.etc.

WWW = nothing is private. Be careful.

[TreehuggerRN]

We recently had an inservice and this was one of the topics. Not very smart.