Question

You have recently been promoted to charge nurse for the day shift in your department. As a result of this promotion, your former peers are now reporting directly to you. You have been working in your setting for five years and consider many of these peers to be your friends. The way that one of your friends posts on social media sites has always bothered you. Many times, her comments are inappropriate, discussing her negative feelings about “ignorant superiors” and “annoying patients.” You also know that she frequently accesses these sites for extended periods of time while patients are waiting to be helped. Now that she reports directly to you, how do you address this? If your workplace does not have a formal policy on social media use, how can you adapt her behaviors to align with the expectations of nursing professionalism?

Answer 1

The role of charge nurse is very responsible in ensuring that all things related to patient care are appropriate and done to satisfy the patient by quality care.

Who ever is in this position should take decision and provide guidance which is non partial.

The better way to address this when the workplace has no formal policy and make her behavior adjustment are

• Her performance can be first assessed and then it can be discussed with her .This can provide her an opportunity to make herself corrected and work efficiently.
• Inform about the chance of cyber hacking and defaming the organization by criticizing the staffs openly with or without solid reasons.Doing so can make her to be subjected for disciplinary actions
• Inform her strictly as per the HIPAA protocol patient related information should be avoided in social media, doing so can lead to liability.
• If patients comes across it they can sue the concerned professional for invading privacy and breach of confidentiality under law.