Introduction
The nursing profession involves working with many patients and observing certain ethics and standards in the workplace. However, in some aspects of these professionals’ lives, these requirements and standards may exceed these limits. In the sphere of widespread distribution and use of social media, nurses’ personal lives are significantly exposed. It creates conditions under which any patient or co-worker can access the personal information of medical professionals.
Main Body
This issue may arise in posts or interactions in which people have engaged that might be seen as inappropriate based on the professional standards of nursing. The main issue in this context is the maintaining integrity of specialists and the need to follow specific standards both in professional and personal life. Therefore, nurses must maintain a behavior that aligns with the regulations that oversee the nursing profession, both during their professional duties and personal lives.
I am a member of several Facebook groups directly related to nursing. This allows me to participate in discussing topics of interest to me in the healthcare field and receive helpful information regarding treating a particular disease. However, these groups can also support each other and express complaints about management. I have engaged in venting about anything from short staffing to rude patients, management not caring, and other nurses being bullies.
On my social media account, images portray myself and my friends participating in exuberant social activities involving alcohol, creating an impression of festivity and intensity, even on the eve of a work shift. Furthermore, I have taken part in discussions where dissenting viewpoints were not met with agreement, leading to disputes related to subjects such as COVID-19 or other medical diagnoses.
Nurses are responsible for following specific standards of conduct and the standards governing the profession of nursing at work and in their private lives. This is primarily because these professionals face the need to maintain integrity and professionalism. These aspects directly affect the trust and confidence of patients in nurses. Discussing patients’ personal information in the online space or posting inappropriate photos can significantly reduce the level of these characteristics. Moreover, personal conduct can violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and be considered unethical or unprofessional (Gaia et al., 2020). This is because the disclosure of personal medical information of patients without their consent can harm them and reduce their trust and loyalty.
Several areas of my social media activity reflect Christian values. Hence, I often post posts that relate to loved ones who have passed, focusing on such values as family and the importance of spending time with them. In addition, I frequently share optimistic content on my social media platform, expressing gratitude for the blessings of each day and invoking divine appreciation. My online presence can be characterized by kindness and spirituality through various expressions. However, I believe that more attention should be paid to this aspect in priority to more personal content.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the profession of a nurse implies compliance with specific standards not only in the work environment but also in one’s personal life. In particular, this aspect concerns the presence on social media, which both colleagues and patients of specialists can access. Discussing the personal information of individuals or expressing a negative opinion about the place of work may adversely affect the trust, loyalty, and reputation of nurses. Therefore, there is a need to comply with specific frameworks to preserve these aspects.
Reference
Gaia, J., Wang, X., Yoo, C. W., & Sanders, G. L. (2020). Good news and bad news about incentives to violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): Scenario-based questionnaire study. Jmir Medical Informatics, 8(7), e15880. Web.