Uh, what?

LikeTheDeadSea, MSN, RN · Sep 17, 2018

People should definitely know that messenger/text is not the right place to discuss anything about students.

I'd discuss it with the staff member before going to the principal to get a better understanding of why this occurred the way it did. I know I've talked to newer staff members before about professional behavior and they literally just didn't have a clue until it was (gently) pointed out.

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2018

If this happens again, I'd say "this is my personal FB account, any school issues need to be addressed at my school email XYZ." Then ask the teacher to send the same info to your work email. Then LikeTheDeadSea makes a great point about talking to the teacher first. If it is a pattern after discussion, then I link in the higher ups.

But sometimes I find some teachers are so very smart and knowledgeable about their subject area and lack common sense in other areas :).

Supernrse01, BSN · Sep 17, 2018

If a co-worker messages me via a social media forum concerning something work related, they do not get a response from me. There is a time and a place where such things can be discussed, and that is definitely not it.

kidzcare · Sep 17, 2018

All of the above and adding that messenger is not a secure platform to be discussing private student info. Not cool, Teacher. Not cool.

UrbanHealthRN, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2018

Yeah, I'd be tempted to just not reply- that's totally unprofessional to be cutting into your day off, on a social media app, with sensitive information about a student. I'd follow-up the next morning and explain that I need that info to be shared during school time through school-approved communication.

Also, unless this student mentioned all of this on Friday afternoon to the teacher, why did it take so long for you to find this out? Like you said, it's up to you to make the health decisions, not the teachers. This should be passed on to you ASAP so you can figure out what to do.

Cattz, ADN · Sep 17, 2018

I wouldn't answer and I would tell/show the Principal. This is clearly not ok on many levels. I would call mom and talk to the student the first chance I had to find out more info.

allnurses Guide · Sep 17, 2018

I am wondering if the teacher is now feeling some kind of push-back from the student's parents and thus is looking for further info to get themselves out of a pickle of some kind. Thus the delay and the attempt to communicate via FB.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2018

This is a good argument for not being friends with coworkers on facebook. I am not friends with anyone I currently work with and only added people from my last job after I'd given my notice. There is a time, place and avenue for discussing issues related to work and facebook messenger on your day off is none of those.

Amethya · Sep 18, 2018

I agree with all before posts, but I also wanted to add, that it sounded like this kid was pulling things out their butt as excuses why they didn't do their work. If they have NO medication or NO medical history on any of the following and they been there for years, then there's something going on and I seriously doubt they have something.

Now if the parent calls you and says kid does have these diagnoses and here's the paperwork, then it's a different story. I always say, I only accept things in this nature from the direct source, parent or physician, not children or siblings.

halohg, RN · Sep 19, 2018

Can I ask you are you Facebook friends with the teacher as well or did she cyber stalk you down and send you a message via messenger? Because for a moment I am going to assume you are Facebook friends and possibly messenger has been used in the past. IF this is the case than remember mixing social media with professional relationships is a tricky one and one that should be almost always avoided. I personally would not have accepted the message and followed up with a work email requesting a face to face chat. I also am also very suspect of anything that comes out of the mouth of babes, they tend to be poor historians and leave out way to many real facts as well as confuse definitions of words. Good luck

KeeperOfTheIceRN, ADN · Sep 19, 2018

Can I ask you are you Facebook friends with the teacher as well or did she cyber stalk you down and send you a message via messenger? Because for a moment I am going to assume you are Facebook friends and possibly messenger has been used in the past. IF this is the case than remember mixing social media with professional relationships is a tricky one and one that should be almost always avoided. I personally would not have accepted the message and followed up with a work email requesting a face to face chat. I also am also very suspect of anything that comes out of the mouth of babes, they tend to be poor historians and leave out way to many real facts as well as confuse definitions of words. Good luck

We were FB "friends" (acquaintances is probably more accurate) to begin with, however, the only thing that had ever been sent via messenger was when she sent me info on restaurants giving treats away for Teacher appreciation week. Nothing related to school, students, or work at all was ever sent before. I responded vaguely to begin with and then realized this wasn't appropriate and shut the convo down.

Thanks for the feedback everyone! If it happens again, I'll most definitely remind her of the appropriate ways to do this and go from there. I also tend to be suspect of what kids say for the same reasons mentioned above! So I'm certainly going to take that into consideration when I'm hearing it from a second hand source! I think I was just shocked that she actually attempted to address this via FB!