This is why you should be careful what you post on facebook

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I saw a news item from the Kansas City area that four students were suspended because they took pictures posing with a placenta and posted them on facebook...As I mentioned 100 times in other threads, my particular schooled laid it right out there on the line that they would take disciplinary action, up to and including removing you from the program if you post inappropriate material...I really think you're playing with fire if you start to either 1) air your grievances or 2) post tasteless content on facebook.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Postpartum.

Just in case you didn't know there was a big discussion about it: Nursing student expelled for Facebook photo - Nursing for Nurses

But with any social networking site, you have to be careful what you post as it might come back to haunt you.

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I missed that one - sorry about that

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And that case is not about facebook. It is about having taken the pictures. 4 took pictures. Only one is confirmed to have put it on face book. All 4 suspended.

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what exactly is considered inappropriate? i take pictures of nursing school in general, but nothing graphic and no patients are involved. im just curious what would get you expelled because everything is so touchy now.

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Specializes in CNA.
what exactly is considered inappropriate?

It is exactly inappropriate for students to take pictures of donated human tissue they are working with in lab or while visiting other sites. Way. Out. Of. Bounds.

It doesn't matter if you post them on Facebook, on Myspace, on Yahoo, on Snapfish, on your bulletin board, your bedroom wall or anywhere else.

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what exactly is considered inappropriate? i take pictures of nursing school in general, but nothing graphic and no patients are involved. im just curious what would get you expelled because everything is so touchy now.

Things that would be inappropriate would include anything that misrepresents, compromises the integrity, disrespects the values of your school and the nursing field in general (there also self damaging things such as drug/alcohol abuse, etc - but that's a separate discussion)...your school's hand guide isn't going to just list specific items that could cause dismissal from the program because there are too many - it involves common sense on your part, which is why they generally add that as a blanket rule left to interpretation. Your chair person at orientation may do what ours did, which is to verbally give a few examples (and posting stuff on facebook was one of the things our chair person mentioned)...but you're not going to see a list of 'do not do's' written in text anywhere

I have actually seen one of the photos in question since I made the initial post and have to say, I can't see how any legal involvement will help. The girl is clearly posing with the placenta with a big grin on her face.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

There is another thread where this topic is highly debated.

Nursing student expelled for Facebook photo

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what exactly is considered inappropriate? i take pictures of nursing school in general, but nothing graphic and no patients are involved. im just curious what would get you expelled because everything is so touchy now.

In my area, it's almost to the point of not taking photos that might cast yourself in a bad light. For example: a girl in my program was suspended because she posted photos on Facebook of herself drinking and partying. The school said that it went against the values, morals, and guidelines of the nursing program. Many people were appalled that the school suspended her for doing what she wanted on her own time (she was 21, so it wasn't illegal). The school said that we CAN do whatever (legal) things we want on our own time, but that we should be able to use good judgment and know better than to post content like the above in the public eye - not only was she making herself look awful but the school as well.

So, think twice about what you take photos of and don't post anything other than wholesome, family photos on Facebook!

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Why in the world would you do such a thing in the first place? Much less post it on face book. Common sense and civility are lacking in too many these days.

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Some people are just weired....they want to take pictures of everything.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
In my area, it's almost to the point of not taking photos that might cast yourself in a bad light. For example: a girl in my program was suspended because she posted photos on Facebook of herself drinking and partying. The school said that it went against the values, morals, and guidelines of the nursing program. Many people were appalled that the school suspended her for doing what she wanted on her own time (she was 21, so it wasn't illegal). The school said that we CAN do whatever (legal) things we want on our own time, but that we should be able to use good judgment and know better than to post content like the above in the public eye - not only was she making herself look awful but the school as well.

So, think twice about what you take photos of and don't post anything other than wholesome, family photos on Facebook!

She is dumb for not keeping her stuff private in this day and age, but that is absurd on the schools part also and probably one I would legally fight. I mean I didn't see the pics to see exactly what she was doing, but if I got suspended for pictures of me maybe dancing with a drink in my hand or something I would fight it.

Unless she was doing something illegally, or wearing her school uniform while out or on school time I don't see how they have any place to discipline her on what "they feel" is appropriate. Unless it's in the handbook that her doing what she did is not allowed and will cause dismissal from the program. If that was the case than she agreed to the terms.

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