How to ensure that you use social media responsibly

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Kunle Emmanuel
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How to ensure that you use social media responsibly

Unread post by Kunle Emmanuel »

We appreciate that if used responsibly and appropriately, social networking sites can offer potential benefits for nurses, midwives and students including:

• building and maintaining professional relationships

• establishing or accessing nursing and midwifery support networks and being able to discuss specific issues, interests, research and clinical experiences with other healthcare professionals globally

• being able to access resources for continuing professional development (CPD)

This document provides guidance for nurses and midwives on how to use social media and social networking sites responsibly and in line with the requirements of the Code.

The principles outlined in this guidance can also generally be applied to other kinds of online communication, such as personal websites and blogs, discussion boards and general content shared online, including text, photographs, images, video and audio files.

How the Code can be applied to social media use

The Code contains a series of statements that taken together signify what good nursing and midwifery practice looks like. It is important that you display a commitment to these standards including:

“Ensure that you use all forms of oral, written and digital communication (including social media and networking sites) responsibly”.

Nurses and midwives may put their registration at risk, and students may jeopardise their ability to join our register, if they act in any way that is unprofessional or unlawful on social media including (but not limited to):
  • sharing confidential information inappropriately
    posting pictures of patients and people receiving care without their consent
    bullying, intimidating or exploiting people
    building or pursing relationships with patients or service users
    stealing personal information or using someone else’s identity
    encouraging violence or self-harm
    inciting hatred or discrimination
This list is not intended to be exhaustive. We highlight the relationship between social media use and the Code in the next section.
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Re: How to ensure that you use social media responsibly

Unread post by Kunle Emmanuel »

Prioritise people

The Code emphasises the importance of putting the interests of people using or needing nursing or midwifery services first. You should always ensure that your behaviour on social media is in line with this.

“Treat people with kindness, respect and compassion.”

Do not post anything on social media that may be viewed as discriminatory, does not recognise individual choice and does not preserve the dignity of those receiving care. If you aware that another registrant has used social media in this way, you have a responsibility to raise and if necessary, escalate any concerns.

“Respect people’s right to privacy and confidentiality in all aspects of their care”

It is unacceptable for nurses and midwives to discuss matters related to the people in their care outside clinical settings. If you refer to your work or study on social media you need to ensure that you demonstrate respect and professionalism towards all your patients or service users by respecting their right to privacy and confidentiality regardless of whether you believe that there is a risk of identification.

Sharing confidential information online can have the potential to be more damaging than sharing it verbally due to the rate at which it can be shared and the size of the potential audience.

It is important to remember that although some information may not directly breach a patient’s right to confidentiality when anonymised; people may still be identifiable and this behaviour may be inappropriate. If you are aware that a colleague has breached confidentiality on social media, it might be helpful to refer to our guidance on raising concerns (NMC 2013) which

sets out your professional duty to report any concerns, which put the safety of people in your care or the public at risk, and the steps you should take to do this.

Practise effectively
“Practise in accordance with the best available evidence”

As a nurse or midwife, you have a responsibility to ensure that any information or advice that you provide via social media is evidence-based and correct to the best of your knowledge. You should not discuss anything that does not fall within your level of competence, and avoid making general comments that could be considered inaccurate.

“Work cooperatively in teams and respect your colleagues”

You must work cooperatively with your colleagues and this includes communicating in an appropriate way whenever you use social media.

Preserve safety
“Act without delay if you believe that there is a risk to patient safety or public protection”

Social media should not be used to harass, victimise or attempt to persuade someone not to raise his or her concerns.

Promote professionalism and trust
“Maintain objectivity and clear professional boundaries at all times with people in your care (including those who have formally been in your care), their families and carers.”

Nurses and midwives should avoid using social networks to build or pursue relationships with patients and service users as this can blur important professional boundaries. It is also important

to be aware that even without engaging with patients or service users on social media, they may still be able to access your information without engaging with you.

“Be honest and act with integrity in any financial dealings you have with people in your care, employers, insurers, professional bodies and anyone else you have a professional relationship with, including colleagues.”

As a nurse or midwife, you have a responsibility to ensure that you declare any conflict of interest around material that you post on social media including financial or commercial dealings.
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Re: How to ensure that you use social media responsibly

Unread post by Kunle Emmanuel »

Be informed
Make sure that you familiarise yourself with how individual social media applications work and be clear about the advantages and disadvantages.

Think before you post It is important to realise that even the strictest privacy settings have limitations. This is because, once something is on the internet, it can be copied and redistributed.

Protect your professionalism and your reputation
If you are unsure whether something you post online could compromise your professionalism or your reputation, you should think through what this information means for you in practice, and how it affects your responsibilities to abide by the Code. It is also important to consider who and what you associate with via social media. For example, acknowledging someone else’s post can imply that you endorse or support their point of view. You should also consider the possibility of other people mentioning you in inappropriate posts. If you have used social media for a number of years, it is important to consider, in relation to the Code, what has been posted online since signing up.

http://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/guidanc ... ce-online/
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Re: How to ensure that you use social media responsibly

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Re: How to ensure that you use social media responsibly

Unread post by Royston »

We can ensure by analyzing what we are doing right now. Like facebook social media needs to use for positive purposes. We can ensure by looking ourself that we are towards the successful way or not.

Regard: Sumera
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Re: How to ensure that you use social media responsibly

Unread post by Kunle Emmanuel »

Social Media Guidelines for Nurses
Social media use is ubiquitous, but inappropriate posts by nurses may result in licensure and legal repercussions.
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