In the video, an employee also said, Betty, your mamas stupid. Two employees told officials at the facility that they believed their actions were funny, the paper said, and they were both fired. 38.5% said that they would use it for calling or checking/sending emails and texts. The video was reported to the director of nursing by another employee, and the nursing assistant removed the video from Facebook. How it became public:News story, government inspection report. Mandatory training Of these 33 BONs, 26 reported taking disciplinary action based on the . Nursing in the Workforce: The Importance of Nurse Burnout Prevention, The Benefits of a Nurse Mentorship Program for New Nurses. For example, throughout the week nurses often follow . There are many examples of nurses being fired for social media use, but Katie's story is . Emilys school expelled her from the nursing program. But the goal isnt to form a close personal connection. A staff member brought it to the attention of the facilitys executive director, who suspended the two housekeepers pending an investigation. The termination of this employee is consistent with our zero tolerance policy relating to actions contrary our code of conduct. During interviews with inspectors, the two residents did not voice concerns about the incident. Or even worse, maybe a patient is in the background as you snapped the image. Residents are not at risk. One photo showed a resident sitting down with a sad emoji covering the residents face and a caption that read, Stayed up all nighhhht. Epub 2021 Mar 17. The residents leg was visible in the video. J Adv Nurs. The administrator said she was told the pictures included a bathroom, no naked residents and a resident laughing. The bathroom photo showed what looked like a bowel movement on the floor. Inappropriate Social Media Posts by Nursing Home Workers, Detailed. Depending on the state or jurisdiction, some boards have specific laws that address the nurse's inappropriate use of social media. Facility: Nevins Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre, Description: While talking to a friend on FaceTime, the live video chatting service from Apple, a nurse pointed the camera at a resident. Just 20 percent of the 1,921 nurses . Likewise, if the person already works for them, theyll lose faith that the person is a trustworthy professional. As far as Im concerned, the whole thing is pretty ridiculous. Nurses in a school program or already in the field must remember to use social media appropriately. Social media allows for the sharing and transferring of . Do not post inappropriate photos, negative comments about colleagues or employers. Bad Blood: Can a Family Member Violate HIPAA? The American Journal of Nursing and the American Nurses Association also have Twitter accounts. In addition to promoting their value within the workplace, nurses can also use social media to promote their outside, health-related endeavors and interests. In this case it was a very minor technicality., How it became public:Government inspection report, news report, Description:A nursing assistant took a photo of a residents inner thighs and genitals while the resident sat on the toilet and shared it via Snapchat with a former employee. How it became public: Government Inspection Report. Use caution when connecting with patients or former patients via social media. We do not generally permit translation of our stories into another language. The homes policy allows family members to take photos of a resident (so long as no other residents are in view) but staff members are not permitted to do so. Description: A video of a resident identified as having dementia was posted on an employees social media website without the permission of the resident or family. A systemic breakdown in implementing the facility abuse policy was identified, inspectors wrote. The worker no longer provides care at our facility and all of our staff have received social media, confidentiality and privacy retraining. S***. The homes lawyer, Frederick Frankel told the TV station that we are trying to take every step possible to protect the privacy of our residents. In April 2017, the assistant agreed to plead guilty and receive 180 days of home detention and one year of probation, according to the Northwest Indiana Times. The director of nursing said she did not send her home because she didnt know the identity of the residents on the video and didnt feel it was abuse. The nursing assistant subsequently resigned. The nursing assistant was immediately fired, and the director of nursing re-educated staff on the facilitys policy banning staff from taking pictures or videos of residents, and on the requirement that all violations of the policy be reported the same day. A nurse's personal social media site should: It doesnt seem harmful if its on your personal account and has nothing to do with your job. And such a defenseless resident., Facility: LifeHOUSE Vista Healthcare Center. Epub 2016 May 10. The home also re-educated staff about its cellphone policy and further restricted their use in resident care areas. One nursing assistant said pictures and videos were sent on many occasions. While you might have interesting experiences or want to inform others about what you dealt with, its best to not share any stories. In a health facility, youre surrounded by sensitive information. A post you see on their page may depict unhealthy behavior or reckless decisions. Implications for nursing and health policy: The employee admitted to posting the photo and said she would take it down. Etactics makes efforts to assure all information provided is up-to-date. You cant use our work to populate a website designed to improve rankings on search engines or solely to gain revenue from network-based advertisements. Although she no longer works fulltime as a Clinical Educator, she has maintained an active status as a Nursing Journalist & consultant during the last few years, writing and collaborating with nurses around the globe. The facility declined a request for comment. Nurs Ethics. government site. Inspectors said the home did not report the incident as required to the state and did not thoroughly investigate it. Unfortunately, nurse distractions and interruptions contribute to up to half of medication errors. I didnt want anyone to think that Im a pervert. The residents daughter told inspectors, It made me sick to know that this happened to my mother. While it can be useful to know what outside experience might be impacting their health, this leads to crossing boundaries. They wont want to risk hiring someone that might offend and drive away clients. Stephanie Chedid, the facilitys CEO, declined to comment on any changes the facility made to avoid similar incidents in the future, saying such steps were internal information. Chedid said the facility has taken every step to ensure our community can be a safe and private environment for our residents and guests., Description: Three personal care assistants were fired after an employee took a photo of a resident on the toilet and posted it on Snapchat. Here are some ideas of posts that could cause problems for employees: 1. You might also decide to use an account for your practice instead of specific to yourself as a doctor. The pediatric ICU/ER nurse worked at Texas Children's Hospital and posted a series of comments on . But it can still hurt your reputation as a professional. **Type of facility:** Nursing home Officials at the home did not return calls and emails seeking comment. **Type of facility:**Nursing home The nursing assistant told inspectors that she posted the picture because the resident had on a nice hat, and she had her hair done, so they took a picture together in the dining room. The video was posted on Facebook by a user the facility could not identify. Its even harder for health workers to focus since they work long shifts, meaning more time without checking their devices. Nobody in an agency capacity has even seen the picture nor can they see the picture, so how can you write a deficiency let alone a fine when there isnt a picture to substantiate the accusation? Wolf said she was recently informed that CMS was withdrawing the immediate jeopardy designation and cutting the fine in half. **State:** IN In a letter to Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the home said, This event was deeply disturbing to us as it is contrary to our values, training, rules and culture at Bristol Court. The home said as soon as it verified the events, it terminated the assistant. It also makes others less likely to trust a practice when they see staff posting stories of someones health. One video showed the resident kicking his legs in the air, yelling, and on the video it stated his name and said it was after his happy medications. In the othervideo, he was just lying there while the aide asked him whats wrong. Here are situations of inappropriate use of social media in healthcare that your practice needs to avoid. But its so necessary that they stay focused when lives are on the line so that they dont make a mistake. A spokesperson at the facility told the Ames Tribune at the time that the woman is no longer an employee. There was no resident or family complaint; when the post was discovered by another staff member, we self-reported the incident as a cautionary measure. She was terminated. (2015) Unprofessional behaviour on social media by medical students. A program director confirmed to inspectors that he had not received the residents authorization before posting the information. Walters, who was hired this year, also declined to comment on the outcome of the facilitys internal investigation, saying only that staff had been retrained on the cellphone policy. As explained by EveryNurse, nurses should not use social media to: Complain about or comment on any aspect of their patients Description: A nursing assistant was fired after sharing a photo on Snapchat of an elderly and incapacitated resident with his pants down and feces on his legs, shirt and left hand. Ms N could not get the toddler off her mind after she arrived home from her job as a nurse . In a statement, Golden Living Chief Privacy Officer and Assistant General Counsel Erin Pope said, While social media has offered many the opportunity to share meaningful moments about patients and residents with their authorization, social media can create challenges in the healthcare setting. Thats fine, as long as there is no patient information and it remains on a professional level. Revoked license **How it became public:** [*Government inspection report*](https://www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/inspectionreportdetail.aspx?ID=225296&SURVEYDATE=01/14/2016&INSPTYPE=CMPL) Description: An unknown person entered a residents room and filmed the resident calling out for help. Other instances of information sharing should only occur with a patients informed consent. The assistants said they took and shared the photographs as a means of keeping track of one another. The director of nursing services said it was brought to my attention by (staff) that on (another staffs social media website) posted something that said this is why I love my job and then there were peoples feet but no faces and (Resident #3) was singing. Particularly charged comments, such as those about alcohol, sex, drugs, or race, could lead to unprofessional behavior charges, according to American Nurse Today. NCSBN has developed guidelines for nurses and nursing students for using social media responsibly. She said she was not aware that a person could not do such a thing without the residents consent. Read more about this incident. . Description: Two housekeepers filmed themselves dancing and singing a rap song with a resident and uploaded it to Facebook without the residents permission. Epub 2014 Aug 4. When we learned about this issue last year, we took immediate steps to notify the police, along with other state authorities. The student, Emily, took a photo of her pediatric leukemia patient and posted it on Facebook. Once youre away from work, you might want to share a crazy story about your day with your followers (like if a celebrity checked in). This causes harm to patients, the practice, and the employee who caused the violation. The home did not return multiple calls seeking comment. The homes interim administrator said she has no knowledge of the incident and declined comment. He also said, the incident was, in a way, funny. Staff members were re-educated about the importance of reporting allegations of abuse. The facilitys staff was reeducated on the use of technology. In a statement to ProPublica, Brookdale Senior Living Inc. said, As soon as we were made aware of the situation, we immediately responded and terminated the associates involved. Description:Police arrested a medical assistant for posting video on Snapchat of two residents having sex. A video showed a different resident walking while wearing undergarments on the outside of sweat pants. Posted By HIPAA Journal on Sep 13, 2018. While neither employee self-reported their involvement, the sites administration promptly reported the issue to CMS after becoming aware of the situation. A nursing assistant, who was alleged to have sent the picture, denied it, but days later, admitted to taking Snapchat pictures of residents of the facility. She stated she wanted to capture the goofy side of the resident during care. She also said she now felt bad, adding, I dont always make the best choices. A second assistant who was in the room said she felt stuck between saying something, and her friends. The third assistant said the video shocked her and she should have reported that her colleague had her phone out during resident care. Get our investigations delivered to your inbox with the Big Story newsletter. Uplift the nursing profession. Connecting with them on these platforms opens up the opportunity for people to overshare. Is this the best you have? before using an explicit word, which was censored in the government inspection report. It provided written reminders to all staff about its policies and procedures. Sahir Doshi contributed research to this report. Nurses are welcome to use social media personally, with many potential benefits for both the individual nurses and the nursing community. Social media use is ubiquitous, but inappropriate posts by nurses have resulted in licensure and legal repercussions. Comments they make could be so bad that they dont get hired in the first place. The executive director told inspectors she was unsure if the incident constituted abuse. The video shows a staff member kicking the residents wheelchair and the resident kicking back, with laughter in the background. An aide received a text from a friend who received the Snaps and questioned their appropriateness. An inspection found that the facility didnt submit a report of abuse in a timely way, as required. Social media risks to patient information. The employee was asked to come in and meet with the administrator but never came back to work. FOIA Even seemingly harmless posts can violate a patient's right to privacy and confidentiality, with severe consequences. The Kindred organization takes its responsibility seriously and conducts regular training and reminders to ensure that the policy is clearly understood by individual employees., Facility: Riverside North Enrichment Community. She was terminated. In an interview with inspectors, the assistant revealed she knew it was wrong and abusive towards the resident. Facility: Meadowbrook Behavioral Health Center. , Description: Two employees posted at least one inappropriate photo on a social media website. We cooperated fully with the authorities and completed our own internal investigation, which resulted in the termination of the employee in accordance with our policies and procedures. A report was filed with the state police. The assistant said the photograph and post were immediately deleted when he was notified by staff at the facility. Taking a prudent approach to social media can help nurses . Familiarize yourself with the nurse practice act or nursing regulations specific to each state in which you practice. Description:A housekeeper recorded an exposed resident with dementia who had her hands down her underwear and shared it on Snapchat with three coworkers and a former colleague. The employees admitted taking photos and sharing them with one another and with friends. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate nurses' ability to evaluate ethical violations to hypothetical case studies involving social media use. Description:A licensed nurse repeatedly encouraged a cognitively impaired resident sitting in the homes dining room to make a sexual gesture mimicking oral sex. Description: A nursing assistant posted a photograph of two residents in the facility dining room. The resident, who was moderately cognitively impaired but required little regular assistance, told facility administrators that he was aware he was being filmed and was not upset about the incident. Description: A picture of a sleeping resident was shared to Snapchat without permission. Maybe you think that posting these in a private group or sending it to just one person is acceptable. Im not even going to sit here and getting (sic) into a debate about this at all. The private citizen took screenshots of the photos and reported them to the home. It came when emergency room nurse Katie Duke was fired for posting a photo to Instagram. Unable to load your collection due to an error, Unable to load your delegates due to an error. A home official declined to comment, referring a call to its parent organization, which did not return calls. Companies would be less likely to hire someone who posts these things. Its best not to creep on their profiles either. Inappropriate use of social media necessitates health institutes, academic institutes, nurses and educators to consider occupational ethical principles while creating a policy and guide on the usage of social media. Nurses are encouraged to use journaling and reflective practice for professional . The assistant was suspended and later terminated. (2017) Relationship between sociotropy, autonomy, personality traits, interpersonal sensitivity and Facebook addiction in nursing students. Yes, employers look up prospective employees before hiring them. Hold the profession accountable. **Social media site:**Snapchat, **Date:** March 2016 Nursing policymakers, educators, administrators and clinicians need to cooperate in the development of ethical awareness and creation of solutions to violations, the preparation of guidelines for social media use. The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals fined the facility \$1,000 for the incident but did not pursue criminal charges because the residents genitals were not exposed. That way, theres no blurriness with the relationship they have with you. If something like that were to happen at a building I manage, I would take every exhaustive effort to ensure [residents] safety. Facility: Greenfield Health and Rehabilitation Center, Description: A nurse aide took photos of an incontinent residents genitals covered in fecal matter and shared them with another staff member on Snapchat. Any website our stories appear on must include a prominent and effective way to contact you. Key points of these guidelines are summarized, along with dramatization of potential scenarios of inappropriate social media use. Description: A nursing assistant was accused of taking a photo of a female resident with Alzheimers disease on the toilet with her private parts exposed, drawing on a picture of a penis with the caption limp dick and sharing it on Snapchat. In hospitals specifically, 78.1% of registered nurses use a personal device at work. Login to all social media sites in which you engage. Nurses must uphold strong moral and ethical standardsand that applies to social media. Complete the form to download the brochure. **State:** MA Chen XL, Fei Huang F, Zhang J, Li J, Ye BY, Chen YX, Zhang YH, Li F, Yu CF, Zhang JP. How could you do this? Crossing these boundaries threatens patient trust. Nurses and other healthcare professionals need to be aware of how the HIPAA law extends to social media (in addition to the usual concerns people should have about their public social media profiles). Newly Obtained Uvalde 911 Calls Shed More Light on Botched Police Response, That Cardboard Box in Your Home Is Fueling Election Denial, What Fortune 500 Companies Said After Jan. 6 vs. What They Did, How the Biden Administration Caved to Republicans on Fighting Election Disinformation, Ohio Lawmakers Seek Strict Rules for Clean Energy Lending, Senator Seeks Antitrust Review of Apartment Price-Setting Software, If youre republishing online, you must link to the URL of this story on propublica.org, include all of the links from our story, including our newsletter sign up language and link, and use our. People will try to get you to do this so they dont need to set up a visit. At the time of the incident, an aide was washing the resident in bed following an incontinence episode. Created in 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) gave patients greater rights over their health information and . Another assistant was at home looking at Facebook and saw the video and texted the first one to inform her that she could get in a lot of trouble and needed to remove the video right away. The staffer who took the video said she had the familys permission. The employee was suspended but law enforcement was not notified. Below are details of 65 incidents since 2012 in which workers at nursing homes and assisted-living centers shared photos or . Similar to sharing information, sharing photographs of patients is also generally not allowed, even if the patient is not named. According to WNDU TV, the video depicted an 85-year-old dementia patient naked in the shower while the staff sprayed her with water. Dont! as the employees laughed. Don't post ANYTHING about a patient. 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