Nearly half of midwives, nurses and health visitors state their profession on social media sites, a survey has revealed.
According to a
Nursing Times poll of 915 people, 46% said they identified themselves as their profession, while 86% identified themselves using their own name rather than a pseudonym. The majority, 92%, said they used security settings to protect the level of information about themselves from social media users, as recommended by the NMC.
Most respondents (70%) said they did not discuss work-related issues via social media. Of those who did, 55% used it to express views on nursing or health politics, 48% to discuss professional or clinical issues, 27% to express views or stories about their working life and 1% to pursue a romantic relationship with a colleague, found the survey.
Earlier this month, the
NMC issued advice on the use of social networking sites by midwives and nurses. The move was in response to a growing number of enquiries about online conduct and improper use of
Facebook in particular, which have already lead to a number of midwives and nurses being investigated and even struck off.
The NMC guidance on social media advises those who choose to identify themselves as a midwife or nurse on Facebook to ‘act responsibly at all times and uphold the reputation of your profession’.
