Venting on social media could put your nursing license at risk

It seems like almost every week there is another case in the news about a celebrity who has found themselves in hot water with an ill-advised social media post. While some discard such incidents as foolish mistakes, others find their careers irrevocably damaged.

If you work as a nurse, your posts and tweets are unlikely to reach such a broad audience, and you probably do not have the same lucrative contracts to lose. Yet, you could lose the one thing that you need to earn a living: your nursing license. Indiscretion in your personal life could adversely affect your professional life.

Remember that social media makes your so-called private life public. As a medical professional, there are two areas you need to take great care with:

• Patient privacy and confidentiality: This is a requirement of your job. No patient wants photos of them on your social media feed. Nor do they want you to discuss their case in public if someone could identify them by the details you provide.
• Professional conduct: While many people think of social media as a place to share social aspects of your life with your family and friends, as a medical professional, it’s important to bear in mind how your posts could impact your career. For instance, posting a picture of yourself enjoying a cocktail over your lunch break could be used against you if you are ever accused of being drunk on the job. Similarly, posting threatening comments about a coworker – even just to blow off steam – could cause you real problems later on.

Nursing is a respected profession. To maintain your license, you must avoid doing anything that could reduce people’s respect for the profession. To defend your right to work as a nurse in Florida, you will need the help of an attorney experienced in professional license defense. A moment’s indiscretion should not cost you your career.