Nurses and Social Media: Regulatory Concerns and Guidelines

Social media possess tremendous potential for strengthening professional relationships and providing valuable information to health care consumers. However, the inappropriate use of social media by nurses is causing concern among educators, employers, and regulators, and nursing organizations are beginning to develop guidelines. When using social media, nurses must protect the patient's rights to privacy and confidentiality and consider the potential effects of their communications on their patients, their employers, their profession, and themselves. This article describes the professional, ethical, and legal implications of using social media inappropriately and provides guidelines from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing for using them appropriately.