Being A Mindful Healthcare Professional On Social Media

It is highly important to maintain professionalism online and be mindful when engaging on social media.

Social media can cause potential problems for healthcare professionals and even case disciplinary actions by an employer. At times the nursing board of your state may even step in if certain HIPAA regulations are violated on social media. Read more about how social media can work for you and not agast you as a professional in the healthcare industry. 

Social media channels continue to emerge and are an ever-growing stream of communication tools online. From Facebook to LinkedIn, there are countless opportunities to connect professionally and personally with others. (LinkedIn alone has more than 575 million users!) Social media networks often are used in a fun and useful way to catch up with friends and family.  These online outlets are also becoming an important tool for employees and employers. 

As professionals in healthcare, using social media to learn what’s new in nursing education, patient care, and more is becoming even more common. Social media is being used as a networking tool, learning valuable information, and searching for job opportunities.

A great way to use social media is to showcase skill sets and expertise. Professionals can connect and interact with each other searching and sharing new career opportunities.

Having a Facebook and Linkedin profile for our personal life is great, but you can also use it to create new career opportunities, It is important to understand the difference when it comes to using social media both personally and professionally, the rules are not the same. It is extremely imperative for healthcare professionals to maintain professionalism. Something that may seem harmless as a post or picture can give away confidential information. This is why recognizing situations that could be social media concerns for healthcare professionals and avoiding them.

Being Mindful

When it comes to social media a great statement to keep in mind is, “think before you speak”. To avoid costly social media situations as a healthcare professional, a great tactic is to stop and think before you post or share online. Everything you do online is available to everyone to read and share. That is why when you post something you keep in mind that you’re not only representing yourself but colleagues, employers, and the profession.

Read more about some great tips on being mindful when using social media channels as a healthcare professional.

• Learn about your employer’s social media policies.
• Never talk or share information about patients.
• Ask before you share anything that has your coworkers in it.
• Be mindful of any pictures and what is included in them. (papers with confidential information on it)
• NEVER share confidential information!
• Be professional online with every encounter.
• When commenting about your workplace, coworkers or boss be mindful.
• Consider ethical issues when posting content.
• Always be aware of all HIPAA violations.
• When being friends or “friending” patients after discharge be cautious

Always be mindful of the differences between your personal and professional lives, including your online relationships. Ultimately, you’re responsible for setting and keeping to the boundaries between the two.

For more information about RN, CNA’s, and other healthcare job opportunities visit here.