Analyzing the Influence of Social Media on Nursing Practice Ethics

This essay examines the influence of social media on nursing practice, highlighting both its potential benefits and risks. It discusses the ethical responsibilities of nurses when using social media, emphasizing the importance of maintaining patient privacy and adhering to professional standards. The essay also addresses the potential consequences of inappropriate social media use, such as job termination and legal repercussions, referencing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Furthermore, it explores how social media can be used to improve nursing care in remote areas by connecting nurses with the latest innovations and best practices. The essay concludes by advocating for the responsible use of social media in nursing to enhance patient care while avoiding professional and ethical pitfalls. Desklib provides access to similar essays and study resources for nursing students.

Running head: INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN NURSING PRACTICE
INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN NURSING PRACTICE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA NURSING PRACTICE
Introduction
Recently development of nursing strategies is directly proportional to the ethical use
of social media, which facilitates advance health care and the best practices globally.
However improper using of social media in nursing care management can create a big trouble
for the registered nurses.
Discussion
Question- 1
I am a nurse at a medium size hospital in the central part of US. Recently I was
transferred in to a regional small area as a nurse manager of critical care unit. Here I heard
certain unauthentic conversation between local nurses, which made me feel that it was the
high time for requirement of social media in all over the world.
Question- 2
Nurses have responsibilities to uphold a logical and valuable behavior when they use
social media for attending classes, seminars, meetings, group discussions and other major and
minor events. Because, social media have given various opportunities to take part on those
events comfortably in an active manner. As a nurse one should have the recent and updated
information about the utilizations of social media in the health caring practice. These types of
social media include Facebook, Tweeter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Linkedin and You Tube. All
these things facilitate conversions with colleagues about advancing health care and about the
best practice of patient centered care. Social media proves that they can improve quality and
safety of entire health care delivery by accessing information (Ferguson, 2013). Patient also
can show the detailed information about any disease through any medical blogs. Hence, using

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of social media in patient centered approach should not be detrimental potentially, which can
negatively affect the nursing professional.
Question- 3
Now in appropriate use of social media may create huge problems for nurses, which
can affect their job profiles and careers. It results job termination, malpractice claims and
disciplinary action from the Board of Nursing (BON). Now it should be memorized that this
professional standards are the similar in online as any other circumstances. Individual nurse
should approach all social media posts with chariness, where closer examination will be
required for few high risk areas (Ventola, 2014).
Here is a example of breaching of patient privacy and confidentiality, which has
shown that certain registered staffs had done an illegal videotaping and photography of their
colleague who was in labor. They allegedly taunted the lady, posting pictures included of her
vaginal area on Facebook and WhatsApp. That was considered as a unethical and
unprofessional work by the “Health Insurance Probability and Accountanility Act” (HIPAA),
in which patient’s privacy was disclosed (Henderson & Dahnke, 2015). As a result BON
cancelled the nursing license of those registered staffs. Also posting of workplaces photo,
taking pictures of a man in electrocardiogram and posting it on the Facebook or Instagram are
also unethical which is indicated by HIPPA.
Question 4
My social media activities reflect mainly on the remote areas. This type of regions
generally situated so far from the central part of the nation. It can be said that the people from
that regions do not get any patient centered care due to lack of knowledge in ethical nursing
and caring management (Kung & Oh, 2014). Now, as nurse when I has worked at that place I
used to belief in the extended use of social media. Social media will help those undeveloped

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regional nurse to connect globally with latest innovation. They can be informed about the
latest nursing therapies and new generation medicines. Also, I motivated my colleagues for
using facebook and WhatsApp for video chatting with the nurse working in the hospital of
the central regions of US.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that individual should enjoy the benefits of social media except
risking of the loss of individual’s license and profession.

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References
Ferguson, C. (2013). It's time for the nursing profession to leverage social media. Journal of
Advanced Nursing, 69(4), 745-747.
Henderson, M., & Dahnke, M. D. (2015). The ethical use of social media in nursing
practice. Medsurg Nursing, 24(1), 62.
Kung, Y. M., & Oh, S. (2014). Characteristics of nurses who use social media. CIN:
Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 32(2), 64-72.
Ventola, C. L. (2014). Social media and health care professionals: benefits, risks, and best
practices. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 39(7), 491.