There are certainly benefits, both personal and professional, to connecting to others online. In today’s digital world, healthcare providers, like myself, have the opportunity to network, blog, teach, learn, post, and connect with others through social media sites such as Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, Linkedin and more. But along with the benefits of fast, effective and convenient communication platforms, there are also risks that must be carefully navigated.
In my role as a registered psychiatric nurse (RPN) on the Institutional Mental Health Team (IMHT) at the Correctional Service of Canada, I work on a daily basis with interdisciplinary professionals. These professionals include, but are not limited to, psychologists, psychiatrists, GPs, RNs, OTs, RSWs, clinical counselors and that just covers our department! Daily, I communicate with many other non-health staff including institutional and/or community parole officers, correctional officers, management teams, advocates, sheriffs, lawyers, administrative staff and more. Plans of care are created, often in crisis situations, to ensure the safety and security of the inmates in the institution. The goal is collaborative, seamless, patient-centered care to improve the physical and mental health outcomes of the offenders we work with. The keys to accomplishing this are appreciation of the expertise that each profession contributes, constant communication and detailed documentation.
Most employers now have a policy on social media usage regarding expectations of their staffs' online conduct.
Social media usage posters can be seen hanging in many break rooms these days. Above my department’s communal printer is the poster pictured below, listing the “Dos and Don’ts of Social Media Participation”. There are stories that circulate about nurses who have lost their job, and their professional reputation, for inappropriate Facebook posts or Twitter rants, breaching patient confidentiality or for just ‘liking’ another user's inappropriate post or comment ("Nurse who “vented” online" n.d.). The stories generate much discussion about rights of an individual, on their own time vs rights of an employer to hold their employees to standards both within and outside of the workplace. The simple truth is that employers have policies regarding staff use of social media in terms of privacy/confidentiality, boundaries, accountability, integrity, and professional image and that employees accept these terms as a condition of their employment.
Other guiding policy information regarding social media use can be found through the professional organizations that you belong to.
My Professional Organizations :
As a Registered Psychiatric Nurse working in British Columbia, I am a member of the British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP) and The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) union.
The BCCNP is the regulatory body, empowered by the provincial government’s Health Professions Act (1996), that ensures public safety in healthcare by requiring that all nurses meet minimum qualifications in order to hold a nursing licence and be employed in BC. The college is involved with certification of nursing education programs and collaborates with other professional bodies in healthcare to promote collaboration in all aspects of healthcare. The BCCNP requires that all nurses complete an annual self audit to ensure that the nurse can provide competent and ethical care, within their scope of practice, prior to the renewal of their nursing licence each year. The college is also responsible for investigating complaints and any associated disciplinary procedures. BCCNP also provides resources to nurses and clearly explains the competencies expected of them. Tools for completion on annual self audits, learning plan templates, and educational resources are available on their website. ("About BCCNP" 2019).
Upon accepting my current position as an RPN with Corrections Service Canada, I became a public servant or Government of Canada employee, and a member another professional body: PIPSC. The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada is the largest union in Canada. Like most unions, PIPSC bargains collective agreements, provides stewards to support staff involved in grievances or legal issues related to their work, and generally supports its member's rights in the workplace (PIPSC, 2019).
To acquire more information about the risks of social media usage, I turned to British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP) website. BCCNP explains “the complaints we receive about nurses’ use of social media and technology relate to boundaries, privacy and confidentiality, professional integrity, and public trust. The issue is not social media or communication technology itself, but how it’s used—personally and professionally.” (British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals, 2019).
In reviewing the policies published by my licencing body and my employer, I feel comfortable with my social media presence. My participation on social media is minimal and I keep separate accounts for personal and professional uses. I am aware that content posted online is online forever, and I wouldn’t post anything that I wouldn’t want my mother, my children or my boss to see. As healthcare workers, the public put their trust in us. They trust that we have integrity and that we will respect their right to privacy, never breach confidentiality, and be respectful and respectable individuals. Healthcare professionals are expected to maintain this standard of behaviour both on and off the clock.
An appropriate social media presence is one that conforms to your professional ethical standards. If you are a professional, you are expected to maintain that image in person and online. I don’t believe that as a healthcare professional one is obligated to maintain an online presence. While there are benefits, such as disseminating information, resource sharing, starting a discussion on a topic that you feel passionate about and networking with other professionals, these things are not front and center in my role as a primary care provider. I do feel that nurses have an obligation to speak up if they see an injustice occurring in front of them, the same way they are obligated to stop at the scene of an accident.
The bottom line is that, as healthcare providers, we are responsible for our image are and held to high standards, so think before you blog, post, tweet or snapchat because the internet is forever.
References:
13_Phunkod. Young man using smart phone,Social media concept (n.d.) Retrieved January 19, 2019 from https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-man-
British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals (2019). About BCCNP. Retrieved January 19, 2019 from https://www.bccnp.ca/Pages/Default.aspx
Collection of Well Known Social Media Brands Printed on Paper (2013). Retrieved January 19, 2019 from https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/kiev-ukraine- august-26-2013-collection-193013642?src=Rc-OBvUz04K2aNbGphJZPg-1-39
[Laptop woman happy giving thumbs up success sign sitting at computer PC with excited face expression. Beautiful smiling cheerful multiracial Asian Caucasian student girl on white background]. Retrieved January 17, 2019 from
Nurse who “vented” online found guilty of professional misconduct. (n.d.). Retrieved Retrieved January 19, 2019 from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ saskatchewan/srna-discipline-social-media-nurse-saskatchewan-1.3880351
Province of British Columbia (1996). Health Professions Act. Retrieved January 19, 2019 from http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/00_96183_01
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (n.d.) Retrieved January 19, 2019 from https://www.pipsc.ca/
[Untitled Social Media Image] (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2019 from https://www. morocco worldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Promote-Your-Brand-On- Social-Media.jpg
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