Excuse me while I adjust my privacy settings…

Professionalism and Social Media Assignment #1

A recent study in the BJM found that while social media can have perceived benefits for healthcare professionals such as staying in touch with family, staying connected and enhanced learning, it also comes with perceived risks such as blurred boundaries, fear of judgement, and a lack of clear guidelines on what is acceptable (Marshal et al., 2021).

Through my first few weeks as a Masters level student, in particular in completing project work that included a social media audit, my eyes have been opened to the messages I was portraying through my various social media platforms. On one hand, I have a professional LinkedIN profile that contains information I would feel comfortable with colleagues and my employer having visibility over, on the other hand, I realized that I had an old twitter account, as well as some public facebook posts that while not overtly inappropriate, are personal posts I would not be entirely comfortable with my clients and employers viewing.

Health professionals are held accountable if they post something on social media that is inappropriate or has potential to cause harm. A recent case surrounding three Nurses who have been vocal about Covid Restrictions (Butler, 2022), highlights the serious disciplinary actions that healthcare workers face when using social media to post their opinions. Even if not fired from their jobs, Healthcare workers face practice restrictions and in the words of one journalist, they risk being “under fire” as a result of what they post on social media (Antonacci, 2021; Nicholson, 2021).

As a health professional, and most recently as a Manager in healthcare, I would like my social media or online presence to reflect the values in which I currently hold. That is to say, I am serious about a supportive, kind, empathetic and empowering leadership style, I am mindful of the stressors and triggers in which the last 2 years have placed on health care workers, and I value inclusivity, diversity, and equity in the workplace. Though I also value freedom of speech and I tend to feel uneasy when there is evidence of censorship and a lack of transparency, I do think it is important to have guidelines and accountability for health professionals who maintain an online presence when it is reasonable that a member of the public could read what is posted, and be able to discern that the person posting is a Regulated Health Professional. I think that the same principles, ethics and “do no harm” approach that would apply in a face to face setting should apply when it comes to social media.

As a Registered Dietitian (RD) in Ontario, I belong to the College of Dietitians of Ontario (CDO). CDO is the Regulatory body in Ontario that is mandatory to belong to in order to use the title “Registered Dietitian” (College of Dietitians [CDO], n.d.). The College provides guidance around ethics and professionalism, including guidance around maintaining online professionalism. In an article published in the Winter/Spring 2016 CDO publication “Resume” called “Dietetic Practice and Online communications” (Chatalalsingh, 2016), it is suggested that for RDs who have an online presence, the expectation is that that they conduct themselves with the same professionalism they would in a face to face setting in the workplace. I think this is excellent advice to support decision making when I think about whether or not I should post something on one of my platforms. If I wouldn’t be comfortable sharing this with clients and colleagues, I should not share online. Now excuse me as I adjust my privacy settings…

References;

About Us. College of Dietitians - About Us. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://www.collegeofdietitians.org/about-us.aspx

Antonacci, J. P. (2021, November 25). Strauss under fire for comments on COVID-19 vaccine for kids. Simcoe Reformer. https://www.simcoereformer.ca/news/local-news/strauss-under-fire-for-comments-on-covid-19-vaccine-for-kids

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Butler, C. (2022, January 10). 3 Ontario nurses disciplined for social media posts related to pandemic launch $1M libel suit. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/ontario-nurses-pandemic-libel-suit-1.6307238

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Chatalalsingh, C. (2016). Professional Communications Online and on Social Media. Resume; College of Dietitians of Ontario. https://www.collegeofdietitians.org/resources/professional-practice/social-media/professionalcommunications.aspx

Marshal, M., Niranjan, V., Spain, E., MacDonagh, J., O'Doherty, J., O'Connor, R., & O'Regan, A. (2021). 'Doctors can't be doctors all of the time': a qualitative study of how general practitioners and medical students negotiate public-professional and private-personal realms using social media. BMJ open, 11(10), e047991. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047991

Nicholson, K. (2021, March 4). Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons cautions doctor after complaints about COVID-19 tweets. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/college-cautions-doctor-tweets-1.5936538

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