social media problem

Nurses Relations

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I have a social media account, and on the account I only add people I know personally. However, I have encountered a problem anyway- there was a discussion about gay rights, and I said something somebody disagreed with. I said that whether you agree with gay marriage or not, the law prohibits discrimination and people have to obey the law. I also said that as a nurse I do not discriminate against anyone, and I happen to support marriage equality 100%.

Well, this person took exception to what I said, and threatened to contact my employer and tell them that I'm a racist and I should be fired. (I know, racism had nothing to do with the discussion. I'm not sure why they went there.) Well, I didn't make any further comments and I immediately unfriended the person.

What I want to know is, in the unlikely event that this person follows through on the threat, what should be my course of action? Anyone who knows me knows that I am not in fact a racist, and my job would know this too, but I am concerned now about this individual causing trouble. I'm just astonished at how crazy people can get over something like this.

Specializes in critical care.

If this person goes to your employer, THEY will look crazy, not you.

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Specializes in Oncology.
This person is clearly an idiot. If you unfriended him/her, he/she shouldn't be able to see your posts any longer. From what you shared, it doesn't sound like race was discussed at all so the threat is baseless.

In the event that this person contacts your employer (which I highly doubt and I more doubt that your employer would take a complaint from some random person on facebook seriously), you'd have a defamation case on your hands.

I also defriend people when they spew homophobic nonsense on Facebook.

Whether a person can see your status updates and comments on them after you unfriend them depends on privacy settings. Make sure you unfriend AND block the person.

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Just a word of advice, OP. Never put your place of employment on social media. Go and take it off. Literally now. When you list your place of employment, it can be used against you should you enjoy lively political debate--regardless of the subject matter. But highly unlikely that your anti-bigotry stance would count. (Eh,unless you work for a religious organization hospital--even then, a stretch...) Do not discuss you are a nurse, do not discuss your place of employment. Ever.

That blurs the lines between personal and professional. This person sounds like they were just plain nuts. What you believe or think in your personal life should not have anything to do with your employment. So keep the 2 very separate.

Unlikely to change the minds of anyone who is that crazy with their views, I can and do unfriend anyone who writes discriminatory nonsense on my page of social media. But then again, anyone who knows me personally knows better.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Here's a suggestion: as a rule, why not make it your goal to ENJOY social media and stay off hot-button topics like politics, religion or race? It will save you a lot of headaches and annoyance. Seriously, just stop. You are not changing minds and you are just risk getting hot under the collar over a subject that may be best left alone.

Why not stick to positive/fun topics or memes and use the media to communicate with people you love and care about, and leave all the negative stuff out?

Trust me, you will enjoy outlets like FB and Twitter if you leave the hot issues alone. Heck, you might even lower your blood pressure and extend your life! Life is short, after all.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

I hate people more and more everyday....

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Specializes in ICU.

I block people all of the time on Facebook. Here is just some of the stuff I have encountered. I posted about my boyfriend playing catch in the yard with my son. It touched my heart as no one has ever done that before. I think I even specified baseball. It just made me happy that day. A friend to offense to my comment. He took it as no one has ever played with my son before. Well, yeah, lots of people play with him. Never catch with a baseball. My boyfriend bought him a glove and everything. I just shook my head at this guy's interpretation.

I think I said one day, I'm over the drama. Nothing else. One girl at nursing school thought it was directed at her and just totally went off on me. I've blocked pretty much everyone from school now. I also never post anything that names my school or that I'm even in clinical right now. I post nothing related to that. I've seen people post stuff about specific instructors and what happened in class that day. You will never see me post anything like that.

People on Facebook seem to think everything pertains to them. My friends list has been pared down signifigantly. Just pretty much my family and close friends anymore. I live far away from my family so it's how I see updates on everyone. And I make sure all of my stuff is private and I block anyone who can cause trouble.

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Specializes in Mental Health Nursing.

Ahh the social media era. A friend of mine insulted her unit/hospital on facebook because she was sick of always working short. She was suspended without pay for a month while the investigation ensued. Social media is nothing to joke around with.

However, I think you're fine, OP. The problems only come if you clearly do something illegal, unethical, or illustrate your job in an unprofessional light. You took a political stance and you're allowed to be human. It has NOTHING to do with your job.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

I know of a hospital that fired several nurses over a similar situation. A pediatric nurse had posted something general (not HIPPA violating) about how these days babies are being "saved" more and more prematurely, and of course they often have major health issues.

A former NICU mom (from another state, who did not personally know the poster) saw the comments and interpreted them as being somehow negative towards NICU babies and their families, and posted a screen shot of the conversation thread to the hospitals facebook page. Every nurse who appeared in the conversation lost their jobs.

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People on Facebook seem to think everything pertains to them. My friends list has been pared down signifigantly. Just pretty much my family and close friends anymore. I live far away from my family so it's how I see updates on everyone. And I make sure all of my stuff is private and I block anyone who can cause trouble.

Exactly! It's gotten to the point where everyone wants to throw a tantrum over something, and you know if it were a real life conversation they'd be embarrassed of themselves. I'm down to just family and friends now, and the list is getting smaller every time I delete someone for having a hissy fit over something. You post "I like sandwiches" and someone throws a fit about how a sandwich traumatized them once and how dare you trigger people who are upset by sandwiches or sandwiches are un-American and you're a socialist, or you must be against people who don't like sandwiches and wish they would die in agony you horrible monster you. It's just too much.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

And the above is why you don't post stuff on social media especially if

they know where you work and your name is on there.

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For the record, I would never post anything about my job on social media.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
For the record, I would never post anything about my job on social media.

It sounded like you said you were a nurse in the OP, right?

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