The surge of social media communication doesn't show any signs of slowing down.  More and more registered nurses are using it on a daily basis for professional and personal connections.  However, as its usage increases, so does the chance of blurring the lines between personal post and professional representation.  We found these great tips on social media use for nurses posted on reputation.com and thought we would share:

• Confidentiality is king when it comes to your patients.
• Show off your skills on professional social networking websites. 
• Remember that you also represent your employer.

While most nurses know that posting about patients is unacceptable, they must also be mindful about posting about colleagues.  As we indicated in our previous newsletter, lateral violence (nurse bullying) affects up to 65% of all practicing nurses and does include cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is defined as disruptive behaviors of intimidation and bullying perpetuated via the Internet.  Even if the posts are created during off working hours and regarded as "innocent" by the poster, they can be detrimental to a cohesive healthcare delivery team and may result in sanctions against the nurse. 

For additional information, please click on The National Council of State Boards of Nursing social media guidelines video to the right or download their free White Paper: A Nurse's Guide to the Use of Social Media. Finally, working in healthcare brings great personal rewards, but also some limitations due to the sensitivity of the work. 

Finally, nursetogether.com provides a good rule of thumb for nurses using social media; "The bottom line for all nurses using social networking is, if you have a social media presence, keep it separate from your profession, keep it positive, and most importantly, keep it patient-free!"

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