Social media has become a popular way for people to engage with others, and is used by many individuals for personal or professional use (Anderson, 2012). Within the nursing profession, if used correctly, social media can be a valuable tool for learning purposes, keeping up to date with information and communicating with other healthcare professionals and users. This essay will define social media, and also provide two possible benefits and risks associated with the use of social media for a nurse. Additionally this essay will provide a few recommendations for nurses to maintain professionalism while online, to avoid any breaches either legally, ethically or professionally which could possibly lead to negative implications.
Social media is
One of the benefits for nurses using social media is social media’s ability to assist nurses with patient care. This is achieved by linking patients to online articles and videos regarding health conditions, disease prevention, lifestyle choices, support groups, exercise regimens and information regarding medical procedures or medications. This gives the patient the opportunity to access the information in their own time from wherever they may be, while also providing the patient with an active part in their healthcare. These links are not limited to only the patient, but the patient’s family or friends can also benefit from the links by obtaining an understanding of what is happening with their loved one. However, the nurse must ensure the links suggested and shared are from credible and trusted sources, this can be ensured by seeking advice from other healthcare professionals. Therefore also providing a learning platform for the nurse (Henderson, M., & Dahnke, M.,
Recommendations for social media use are available online through both the Nursing Council of New Zealand and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation websites, furthermore a printable version of these guidelines are available on the mentioned websites. The guidelines relate back to the code of conduct, principles and standards to provide recommendations to keep nurses safe while using social media and other electronic communications. One of the recommendations provided by the nursing council is, to maintain professional boundaries between nurses and patients online, an example of this is not making a patient a ‘friend’ on social media sites and keeping the context of the communication health related. Personal and professional lives must be separated and it is advised that nurses do not use social media to pursue or build relationships with former or current patients (Nursing council, 2012). Nurses are expected to maintain professional standards both offline and online and are advised to practice digital professionalism when using social media. This can be achieved by remaining mindful of who may be exposed to the content they post
Dr. Marry Marrow has syntheses her findings about Facebook and wrote, “Social media; staying connected.” She mentions that Facebook can bring happiness when you actively connected to our beloveds. Additionally, Facebook gives opportunities to health care as mean to communicate and to instruct communities (Marrow para 3). Social media like Facebook can enhance the relationships between us with organizations. Marry discloses, “There is a certain beauty of staying connected with loved ones and friends, favorite sports teams and performers via social media” (para 2). In other words, she presumes that affixing through Facebook gives off pleasure with one 's family, friends, sports team and performers. Moreover, she introduces that being active on Facebook can give you joyful moments and you won’t be lonely, and nurses can connect with their patients and embrace positive relationships with each
Out of all the duties of a nurse, one of the most important duties is how the nurse honors the trust of a patient by maintaining the patient’s privacy and safeguarding the patient’s information confidentially. Privacy is the ability of the patient to make the choices in how to handle information regarding him or herself that other individuals are not aware of. As an example, prior to releasing the patient’s private information, the nurse must notify the patient on how their information will be handled and get consent from the patient
Virginia Board of Nursing. (2012). Guidance on the Use of Social Media. In (Guidance Document 90-48). Retrieved from www.dhp.virginia.gov/nursing/guidelines/90-48_SocialMedia.doc
Professionalism and staying within professional boundaries is not only a critical part of maintaining your patient’s trust, but it is also a law that nurses must follow to remain practicing. Patients are vulnerable to the nurse in this position, so the nurse must be careful not to break this trust. Professional boundaries are the gap between the nurse’s professional position and the vulnerability of the patient. Nurses are required to abide by privacy standards to protect the patient and to practice a therapeutic relationship. A therapeutic relationship is the medium between under-involvement and over-involvement, and is the zone where nurses should remain. One reason why it is so important that nurses do not overstep their boundaries, is that nurses are respected, trusted, and valued by patients. It is important to keep this reputation to be successful in this field (Black, 2014).
Most patient portals are linked to one physician’s office, which means that most patients will have to log on to numerous medical providers portals. Lets take a family of three in consideration. They would have to log on the Pediatrician, the Gynecologist and the Family doctor patient portals to obtain their medical information. Although one of the benefits of Patient Portal is that patients can send questions by way of email. It may become a challenge deciphering what a patient is asking. There is also the risk of giving incorrect information in response to a patient’s question. Systems have to be set up using a delivery system that guarantees emails have been received, viewed and responded to. Another set of challenges is related to clinicians and staff who have concerns about managing online communication. Providers are concerned that e-mail and web would add to their workload rather than substitute for other tasks, and that many messages might not be clinically relevant. (Slabodkin, 2015) In addition, there is currently little consensus about the rules of patient-provider online interactions and the important role that can be played by staff in responding to certain types of messages. In general, patients are unaccustomed to online communication in clinic settings. Another important challenge is the growing digital gap in the community. Not everyone has a computer or even access to a computer. It’s hard to believe, but there is a
As health care providers, nurses strive to instill confidence in their patients and their loved ones. A nurse is respectful to their colleagues as well as their patients. Nurses promote patients’ independence, patients can be confident in the knowledge that a nurse will do what is best for them, respecting their privacy and dignity. This means that a nurse does not share the patient information for personal reasons nor does the nurse get involved in a patients personal relationship if it is not medically relevant (NCSBN, 2011).
According to the author, nursing practice needs to stay current with technological advances while keeping its identity as a patient focused profession. Nurses use technology to improve care from a patient?s perspective, both in quality of care and cost. At the same time, nurses must learn to balance technological knowledge with personal skills, thus providing optimum clinical care while maintaining a person-focused relationship with the patient.
Social media is affecting all spheres of life and no profession is left untouched by the impact of social media and nursing profession is no exception. Nobody can deny the benefits of social media for the profession of nursing yet its disadvantages for the registered nurses and student nurses during clinical practice cannot be ignored. “Social media can be defined as the constellation of internet-based tools that help a user to connect, collaborate, and communicate with others in real time” (Ressler & Glazer, 2010). Social media is growing at a very rapid rate and is now the mainstream communication method for most of the global population (http://www.internetworldstats.com/facebook.htm). It has brought a tremendous revolution in communication and disseminating information to nurses round the world.
Take Two Aspirin And Tweet Me In The Morning: How Twitter, Facebook, And Other Social Media Are Reshaping Health Care. Health Affairs, 28, :361-368. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.28.2.361 Metcalf, T., & Metcalf, G. (Eds.). (2008). Perspectives on Diseases and Disorders: Obesity.
Cambell, L. C., Ed.D, Eichhorn, K. C., PhD, Early, C., Caraccioli, P., & Greeley, A. E., .S.T. (2012). Applying the transtheoretical model to improve social media use in the health care industry. American Journal of Health Studies, 27(4), 236-244.
Nursing may be seen as very independent work even though there will be situations that will require others. Friendships may be formed; however, to have professional interactions is something that is not always followed. In terms of patient confidentiality, we may not realize that a HIPPA violation has occurred due to friendly conversation with coworkers. If a patient were to overhear their nurse discussing their information in an unprofessional manner then it may cause issues with a patient’s dignity and their rights. If a patient’s right is violated then it can lead to a patient’s mistrust in their caregiver, leading to mistrust in the facilities, and can end with a patient’s health being compromised. The patient is the reason for this career; if the needs of the patient are being unmet or violated then the purpose of our occupation will be unsuccessful and
Smart phones and social media in the health care field presents opportunities and growth advancement but also comes with many consequences and challenges. Health care organizations have regulated the use of smartphones and posting confidential information on social media such as HIPPA, which have laws intact if violated these laws may lead to termination or fines. The patient’s privacy and confidentiality is important when creating such policies, to maximize work efficiency and to create a safe environment. Furthermore, health care staff need to ensure that their patient care standards aren’t compromised by the use of these devices or social media postings.
When it comes to social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, nobody wants to think about the negative effects it has on patients. Brian Cayko, the director of clinical education in the respiratory care program at Great Falls College, Montana State University in Great Falls, Montana argues that social media makes it easier for patients. When a patient is not able to acquire care at the medical facility, they can get in touch with their respiratory therapist with the use of social media sites. Cayko also states that social media sites can be helpful as “educational resources, patient support and social and professional networking.” I think that Cayko knows that everyone must remember the negative things about social media and the internet, with the understanding that just because it’s on the web doesn’t mean that it is the truth. No, not everything is wrong with social media sites, I am involved in social media sites myself; however, personally I know that when it comes to an occupation especially in the medical field, you have to be more aware of the negatives than the
Upon the advent of social networking websites, an entirely new level of self-expression was formed. People instantly share updates on their lives with family, friends, and colleagues, reconnecting with those they had lost contact with. Social networking has now become an integral part of contemporary society – a modern analog for catching up with friends over slow, conventional methods or finding upcoming events in newspapers. However, along with this freedom of information, the danger of revealing too much personal information has become apparent. As such, online social media poses an imminent danger to society as it blurs the line between private and public information, creating an obsession with sharing one’s personal life online.
Schurgin O'Keefe, MD, G., & Clarke-Pearson, MD, K. (2011). The impact of social media on