Social Media and Professionalism: Putting it All Together

At first glance combining social media and professionalism seems to be something to avoid. When one thinks of a social media presence it's easy to imagine selfies, political opinions, and maybe a few slightly inappropriate pictures of a weekend party. This image does not co-exist with what most would consider as a professional image. However, the exercise of examining my social media presence and also defining my professional role helped me to see that maybe there is an opportunity to link these two seemingly opposite terms.

When I searched for myself online I did not find anything of relevance despite having both a Facebook and an Instagram account, although both account settings are listed as ‘private’. On these two platforms I generally post pictures of my family and use it as a means to keep in touch with extended family and friends. Currently I try to refrain from commenting on political issues, especially those that deal with the current state of the healthcare system in Manitoba. However, I am beginning to see that there may be value in having a professional social media presence.

As a nurse in Manitoba I am a member of the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba (CRNM) which is our regulating body. The mission of CRNM (2018) is “to protect the public through quality registered nursing regulation”. When a decision is made on a complaint against a member, CRNM posts these decisions publicly on its website. It was easy to find that there were multiple complaints made regarding the inappropriate use of social media amongst its members, and this may be the reason most nurse professionals are hesitant to link any personal social media accounts with their professional image.

My professional identity has evolved over the years. This comes with age, experience, and the role that I've possessed within the healthcare system. As a nursing student and novice nurse there was not much thought put into the image I was putting out into the world, and this was also before the advent of social media. Once sites like Facebook began to gain popularity it didn’t take long to realize that the image I portrayed of myself reflected the image of my profession. In my current role as an educator with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) Surgery Program I work very closely with multidisciplinary teams which include nurses, physicians, anesthesiologist, and at times members of various other disciplines. My role requires a great deal of collaboration with these disciplines as well as collaboration with other programs within the health region and the province. Maintaining a professional image is important in order to maintain the respect of my colleagues.

Other ways I have maintained my professionalism is through being a member of various organizations including: the Operating Room Nurses Association of Canada (ORNAC), the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), and the Canadian Association of Medical Device Reprocessing (CAMDR). These associations are platforms for networking with professionals across Canada and the United States, and they also advocate for patient safety. Both ORNAC and AORN have Facebook accounts to promote their organizations.

Finally, when putting this all together, I have realized that although it is a benefit to have a professional image online, it is also important to separate this from a personal image. Social media platforms can be used to promote professional organizations, patient safety and advocacy groups, and current evidence based research on relevant health topics. All of these are relevant when acting as a patient advocate, and also can promote the role of our profession. As a result I have created my own ePortfolio to reflect the professional image I would like to portray.

Reference

College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba. About the College. Retrieved May 26, 2018 https://www.crnm.mb.ca