Social media is a fantastic way to stay connected, informed, and seen. In fact, over the past year, it was one of few social outlets, period. And while just about everyone feels the urge to vent about their professional woes at some point, well…we’ve all read a cringey post or two that definitely crosses the line. You might be asking yourself just where that line is drawn for nurses—our jobs are high-stress by definition, and the emotional toll our days can take on us prompt many to take to the social platform airways to debrief. Yet, it’s also true that we are bound by a little thing called HIPAA. Which, though designed to protect patient’s privacy, should probably be thought of by nurses in this context: Hey! Instead of Posting, Act Appropriately. 

With cancel culture, putting people on blast, and a whole slew of trolls and internet vigilantes poised over their keyboards, it’s just not worth putting your job—or licensure—in jeopardy for a few minutes of “hit post” decompression. To that end, today we come to you with a checklist of sorts—everything you need to consider before you hit post.

Social Don’ts:

• Don’t leave breadcrumbs. Even if you don’t completely go off the rails and say, post a picture of a patient’s identifying details, it’s completely possible to inadvertently post enough information across a few different posts that allows anyone the wherewithal to connect a few dots. For example, you may have in your bio that you work at Utopia Hospital. Perhaps you also have several pictures sprinkled in your feed that show your badge, and your department—the OR. Then one day you post a vent about a tricky patient who had a rough transition out of anesthesia. Even without naming them, nor the precise details of the incident, you’ve still broadcast enough info that it may be possible to identify them. Or at least, that’s how the lawyers will see it. Besides losing your job, and possibly your license, you may be facing a fine up to $50k!

• Don’t complain about your workplace, or co-workers. This may go without saying, but we’re gonna say it anyways—it WILL get back to them. And not only will that be a terrible, horrible, no-good conversation with HR, but if they do let you go, future employers won’t enjoy seeing how you’ve badmouthed your previous employer either. 

• Don’t friend patients. Yes, even if they try and friend you first. The one caveat to this is if someone who was a friend becomes your patient. In that case, you must refrain from discussing anything about their health online, even through private messages. What can seem like consent from them may not be viewed as such should it come to litigation for any reason.

• Don’t post pics from your workplace. Selfies with your beloved co-workers, tiktok dances, and videos of break room fiestas might seem like good bonding, but there’s always a chance that the camera picks up on something unintended. Like, patient information, or uncapped needles, or a bed railing left down, or, or, or.  Make yourself familiar with your workplaces guidelines on this. It may be permissible to post pics from certain areas, but it’s probably wise to play it safe here and just wait for after-hours photo ops instead.

• Don’t disparage nursing, or nurses. Venting is one thing, going off about the nation’s most trusted profession is quite another. Keep your professional wits about you, especially after the year we’ve all had!

Social Do’s:

• Do give your bio a once-over with a discerning eye. If you are a frequent poster, or have listed your place of employment online, you may want to add some kind of disclaimer to your personal info. Something to the effect of: “The opinions, thoughts, and views expressed are mine alone and do not speak for my employer.”

• Do keep up-to-date with your employer’s policy on social media posting. Typically the guidelines are very clear about what is permissible—and what isn’t.

• Do consider locking down your profiles’ privacy settings. Again, this depends on how frequently and about which subjects you post. And even if you do make things uber-private, understand that really, nothing should be considered private once you put in out there.

• Do uphold your professionalism, even behind the keyboard. If you wouldn’t discuss certain topics at work—like politics, religion, etc.—as they apply in a nursing context, you probably shouldn’t be posting about them online, either. There are SO many examples of nurses getting terminated over the past year after making their (very unpopular, and often abhorrent) views public. Whether over polarizing topics like BLM, masks, vaccines, there’s a stark difference in making an empathetic and supportive post, and a divisive and provoking one. (If you’re not sure of the difference, consider asking someone you know who might have an opposing view if your post is offensive.) This goes for negatively commenting on other people’s posts as well.  There’s nothing worse than posting something in the heat of the moment, deleting it later when you come to your senses, and forgetting these two words: “screen shot.”

We hope these guidelines help you to be a more savvy social media user!