Pondering who I am and what I want to portray...
As a registered nurse (RN), I feel I have an obligation to my patients, my employer, myself and to the profession as a whole to maintain a respectful and trustworthy identity. I have shied away from social media for variety of reasons, mostly related to time and privacy. I acknowledge the utility of social media mediums and am cautiously progressing to having an online presence.
My values as an RN are respecting human life, advocating for safety, honoring free will, and promoting each person to reach their greatest personal potential. To me, this translates into patient centered care, which encompasses the patient’s family and loved ones. I try to ensure patients understand their options and their role in their future. I want to empower people to take control of their outcomes and help guide them in the path they want to take. The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) provides a Code of Ethics for nurses. It is a powerful reflection of the obligations RNs have to their patients, coworkers, and themselves. The Code of Ethics extends to nurses who no longer work at the bedside, for it is their input into new policies, changing legislation, and progressing programs that makes our evolving healthcare system better for all.
The College of Nurses of Ontario and the Connecticut Department of Health regulate my profession in the province and state where I hold licenses. These entities provide the public with assurance registered nurses are in good standing and practicing within a defined scope of practice.
Beyond the basic defined role of a RN, in which I execute doctor’s orders and collaborate with other healthcare providers to make a plan of care for patients, I am also a teacher and an advocate. As a frontline care provider, I am in contact with people when they are at their most vulnerable. Being sick or undergoing a procedure can make people feel as though they are losing control. I have the opportunity to help turn the situation into one of empowerment. I do my best to treat the whole patient, not just the “diagnosis” for which they are in my care.
As I prepare myself for future positions in leadership, teaching, and reforming policies and legislation, I will undertake the task of “putting myself out there” on social media. LinkedIn profiles, Twitter accounts, and public advocacy are inevitable in this day and age. When using social media, I feel it is my duty and responsibility to maintain dignity and composure to represent fellow nurses, my employer, the nursing profession and myself. The health system I work for has a social media policy in place, in which there are clear guidelines to follow when posting online. In our Code of Ethics, there are provisions to protect the confidentiality of our patients when using social media. Social media is a powerful tool to advocate and promote justice and raise awareness for causes important to nursing. It must be used wisely so our voices may be heard in a constructive manner.
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