Social media can be a blessing and a curse. It serves as an emotional outlet and keeps long distance friends connected, but it can also be dangerous.
Of course, there are certain things you should never say to coworkers in the office, but this rule also extends to online communications. Healthcare professionals have been penalized or fired for inappropriate postings on social media. That’s why it’s important to carefully consider what you share on social media and the possible ramifications.
Protect your reputation online by avoiding these 5 things healthcare professionals should never post on social media.
1. Pictures of Patients – You may have bonded with your patient, but posting pictures or videos of them on social media is a huge no-no. You’re not only violating your patient’s privacy; you’re also putting your job at risk. If you need to share medical images for educational purposes, you should follow the proper procedure of obtaining consent. This means forget tweeting an image of an ongoing surgery. No one needs to see that.
2. Patient’s Status – There’s a huge difference between telling everyone on Facebook what you had for breakfast and giving a play by play of your patient’s medical status. Once again, this is a serious violation of a patient’s privacy and also illegal. So, do yourself a favor and stick to sharing baby photos and pictures of cats.
3. Bashing your workplace – Yes, not everyone is going to like where they work, but there is a time and a place for venting. You might need that hospital or facility for a future reference, so keep your negative feelings off of social media. Instead, talk to a friend, invest in a stress reliever or take your feelings out on an unsuspecting punching bag.
4. Party pictures – After a hectic week at the office, you may want to let your hair down and have some fun. There is nothing wrong with living a little, but be mindful of what you post on your social media accounts, especially when you’re looking for a new job. Hospitals and healthcare facilities will scan your social media, and those party pictures may hinder your efforts.
5. Trash-talking coworkers – No matter where you work, there will always be one person that will rub you the wrong way. But even if they’re extremely annoying, that does not mean you should criticize them on social media. Be careful of what you say on your social media accounts, as it could come back to haunt you in the future.
So remember, never post anything on the internet that you may regret sharing later. Once it’s out there, you can’t take it back.
