The Guardian recently published an article that follows up from freedom of information requests it sent to the 25 biggest NHS trusts (devised by number of employees). The responses collected show that between 2008 / 09 and October 2011, 72 separate actions were taken by 16 different trusts against members of staff who were found to have used social media in an inappropriate way.
Facebook comments, photos posted and discussions were found to be common forms of inappropriate use of social media, with examples given including comments that related directly to patient care, a manager and a confidential employment issue. Several of the trusts were unable to provide specific details of the outcomes of each action because the information was not stored centrally, but there have been warnings and some dismissals.
Last year I published a guide for nurses on using social media safely, and while the NMC will probably be reviewing their guidance in conjunction with the forthcoming code review, I think common sense must prevail. There are some simple things you can do to make your facebook profile more private, but you also need to think before you post. Think about the NMC code, it’s requirements and whether or not what you’re about to post could be construed in a way that is contrary to those requirements. If you are in any doubt at all, just think… is it worth risking everything you’ve worked so hard for?
