Saint Thomas University Ethical Issues Impacting Nurses Through Usage of Social Media Discussion

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Discussion # 1

Ethical Issues Impacting Nurses Through Usage of Social Media

As a nurse – a healthcare professional, I am very careful as to what I may post, like, and the things I may comment on while on social media. This is not just because I am aware that someone may take something I perceive as a joke, to be serious intent to harm or slander someone else. This stems from observing something so innocent as a smiley face emoji, being taken out of context as an assault. Social media is a world of variety of backgrounds, cultures, languages, all free to express. This is until someone is offended. It is so easy to block someone and move on with your day, but there are also other repercussions. Nurses on social media, are still nurses. Nurses hold a professional title and at all times have to uphold that image. The same professionalism displayed at work has to be the same on social media (Nelson & Staggers, 2018). Keeping your social media content and comments professional keeps the lines clean without smudge.

Besides maintaining professionalism inside and outside of the workplace, nurses have to be aware of their daily lives crossing over to their personal social media accounts accidentally. This accident can breech a patient’s confidentiality. A nurse may mention a certain situation that happened at work the other day. Though the patient’s name may not be mentioned or the patient’s exact diagnosis, there could be someone online that recognizes you from work because of your comment (Balestra, 2018). Now the private social media account you thought you had is not so private anymore. Someone you know professionally has recognized you speaking inappropriately and potential violating a patient’s privacy. Your privacy and your personal life is always at risk when you post things on social media but consider your license and think about if something you say is worth losing it.  As easy as it is for someone to recognize you online, it is also easy for you to recognize a patient. It is never okay to view a patient’s social media account. It is a violation of their personal life and outside of any care you are rendering.

Conclusion

Keeping in mind that social media posts do not go away. This may help a nurse remain professional online. Think about yourself as an administrator knowing someone outside of work and then having to interview them for a position at your job. You cannot help but take yourself out of the equation if you know your judgement could possibly be biased. It is hard to unsee something once it has already been seen. As nurses we may become numb to things that can hurt someone else because it is seen so often in our profession – personally I can find humor in many things others cannot. It is so easy to cross the line on social media that it is best to not ride the fine line. Do not speak of your patients on social media or how much you dislike your job today. Its okay to promote advocacy for certain topics, just make sure it’s not pertaining to an incident in your workplace that you just so happened to decide to comment on.

Discussion #2

Social networking enables rapid communication among nurses and provides convenient opportunities for professional development and education (Gelinas et al., 2017). There can be a rapid exchange of knowledge and interaction among registered nurses from across the world. Different points of view and ways to perform skills can be shared, and if necessary, practices changed at healthcare facilities. Social networking forums can also provide a much-needed outlet for stressed, overworked, and understaffed nurses to collaborate and commiserate with one another. It is a great way to boost morale among healthcare workers to know that there are others who are feeling the same way they are, and their feelings are validated.

However, there are ethical issues that may arise with any form of social networking. Patient privacy is a fundamental ethical principle in nursing. Nurses must adhere to patient privacy at all times and places, including social networking. HIPAA may easily be breached if nursing staff is not vigilant. Seemingly innocent pictures, videos and comments that may be thought of as “short-lived,” can be found online for years. It is important to understand that it takes very little time and effort to find posts and tweets that appeared to be private and not for the public to see. Nurses should evaluate each post, understanding that at any point in time, an employer, co-worker, or patient may be able to view their postings. Nurses must not post any identifiable information, such as names, addresses, pictures of patients, or specific situations and illnesses. It is imperative to know each organization’s own policies and procedures regarding social media in the workplace (Gelinas et al., 2017).

Social media also presents a wonderful opportunity for public education and healthcare advice. Healthcare advice and questions are transmitted quickly and almost instantly answered. Social media was a wonderful tool during the COVID pandemic to make the public aware of the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) guidance and changes regarding healthcare practices. Quickly the public knew to wear appropriate masks when out in public, to keep a social distance of six feet apart, to always properly wash or sanitize their hands, along with the other key recommendations by the CDC. The ever-changing signs and symptoms of COVID was also quickly made available on social media networks, inciting everyone to be more aware of their bodies and possible outbreaks.

However, along with these vital educational and informative posts, there were many uninformed and misguided individuals who would post information from what they assumed was a credible source, without doing any research regarding the validity of the source. Other friends of the initial poster would read this misinformation, also assume it was factual, and then post it to their platform and the misinformation would quickly be spread around to hundreds if not thousands of people (Gladsome et al., 2022). The ethical principle of non-maleficence, or do no harm, could be breached if misinformation is spread on social media. Non-maleficence is directly linked to patient safety and the misinformation could potentially harm the patient in irreparable ways. Instead of posting facts on social media, maybe we should be posting how to find credible sources to obtain information, post credible healthcare websites such as The Mayo Clinic, or how to adequately fact check an article.