Social Media Plan

In thinking about an appropriate social media presence, I took many things into consideration.  The first being my own personal views on social media and my comfort level with having my personal life exposed on the internet and the second was my professional obligation to the public, my employer and the profession of nursing.I think that an appropriate social media presence maintains a professional profile, upholds the standards and code of ethics for the profession in which you work as well as the values, mission and vision of your employer.

To further look at my professional obligation to the public and my profession I decided to look into what the College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia (CRNNS) and the Canadian Nurses Associations viewpoints were on social media. The College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia has produced a document titled “Social Media Guidelines for Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners” which provided some insight into the appropriateness of using social media, some of the risks and benefits of its use as well as recommendations for use. CRNNS stressed the importance of maintaining professional boundaries and maintaining privacy and confidentiality when using social media outlets by:

• Understanding the standards, ethics and policies related to social media

• To not speak on behalf of the healthcare organization

• Keep work and personal social media separate

• Protect your identity

• Maintain a professional manner on social media sites

• Avoiding offering health related advice in response to questions or comments

• Never posting about work related events

These guidelines set forth by the college are a good starting point for developing my social media presence. (CRNNS, 2017) Through the Canadian Nurses Association I was able to find a document that they produced in 2012, and although slightly dated I found it very helpful especially for someone like myself who may not be using multiple social media sites.  This document provided and excellent description of different types of social media as well as discussion on multiple vignettes to look at the challenges and opportunities with the use of social media in healthcare.  I have provided a link to this document as I thought I may be helpful for some others as we wrap our heads around the challenges and opportunities that arise with social media.

References

Canadian Nurses Association. (2012). When Private Becomes Public: The Ethical Challenges and Opportunities of Social Media. Retrived from https://www.cna-aiic.ca/-/ media/cna/page-content/pdf-en/ethics_in_practice_feb_2012_e.pdf

College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia.  (2017).  Social Media Guidelines for Registered Nurses and  Nurse Practitioners.  Retrieved from https://crnns.ca/wp- content/uploads/2017/04/Social-Media-Guidelines-2017.pdf.