Essay NRS 451 VN Topic 1 Professionalism and Social Media final KR

NRS 451 VN Topic 1 Professionalism and Social Media final KR

NRS 451 VN Topic 1 Professionalism and Social Media final KR

NRS 451 VN Topic 1 Professionalism and Social Media final KR

Social media is everywhere in modern society. About 85% of the global population has a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account (Sunstein, 2018). For Nurses, social media facilitates daily conversations on optimal healthcare outcomes and mixed collaborative practices. However, as Balestra (2018) argues, caregivers who post inappropriate content may receive termination letters and malpractice claims from the Board of Nurses (BON). Further, Balestra (2018) contends that inappropriate use of social media for nurses may create legal problems which negatively impact their license and career. I very rarely post on social media. I mostly use social media platforms to send well wishes and condolences to friends, read top news stories and keep up with family and friends in different states. Therefore, I am more of a commentor than an initial poster. 

NRS 451 VN Topic 1 Professionalism and Social Media final KR

  I primarily engage with my colleagues, family, and friends via Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I am most active on Facebook and Twitter since I subscribe to pages that advance patient care practices. Since I rarely post, I do not violate the guidelines of professional nursing as stipulated by the American Nursing Association (ANA). According to ANA, the seventh and eleventh standards of healthcare practice stipulate that Registered Nurses should work ethically and communicate effectively on all engagement platforms (ANA, 2021). As far as ethics, I am supposed to safeguard confidential information and consult my patient before discussing it with my colleagues. However, after reviewing my recent activities on Facebook and Twitter, I discovered that I had made unprofessional comments under posts from other colleagues. To this end, my social media missteps may have consequences that affect my nursing license. Essay NRS 493 Topic 2 Capstone Project Selection and Approval KR

Although I did not initiate the posts, I engaged in negative talks about my workplace on Facebook and Twitter. For example, I was experiencing frustration related to a large number of new nurses and the lack of appropriate staff to train them safely and adequately. I also commented on the facility’s recent decision to accept late admissions that are, in my opinion, unsafe. My points were, “I am unhappy that we are currently accepting midnight admissions at my workplace, without proper medications to manage post-op pain and no prescriber medication review because of the late hour… I think my organization is unfair to the staff”. After that, I communicated with a former colleague on Facebook, and we both had a candid and transparent conversation that inadvertently portrayed negative perceptions of our workplaces. I never directly referred to my workplace by name or shared photos; had I done so, the facility and the BON could have reprimanded me. Generally, I regret these acts and vow to be more conscious of my social media interactions. 

NRS 451 VN Topic 1 Professionalism and Social Media final KR

My active talks on social media about staff shortage and unsafe admissions were uncensored since I did not name my facility. Such acts are unethical since they are against the standards of professional nursing. In the future, I should monitor my social media interactions to ensure they abide by the standards of ethical nursing practice. 

Reference

ANA. (2021). ANA Standards for Excellence. ANA. Retrieved 17 August 2021, from https://www.nursingworld.org/ana/about-ana/standards/. 

Balestra, M. (2018). Social media missteps could put your nursing license at risk. American Nurse. Retrieved 17 August 2021, from https://www.myamericannurse.com/social-media-nursing-license-risk/. 

Sunstein, C. (2018). Willingness to Pay to Use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and More: A National Survey. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3192498 

Essay NRS 451 VN Topic 1 Professionalism and Social Media final KR