With recent media and congressional attention being paid to instances of social media abuse of nursing and assisted living residents, we wanted to remind you about the Virginia Board of Nursing’s Guidance on Appropriate Social Media Use (90-48).

The guidance document applies to all practitioners regulated by the Board, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nurse aides and registered medication aides.  The guidance covers important issues related to patient privacy and confidentiality.

The guidance outlines possible consequences of inappropriate social media use in the nursing care setting, including civil and criminal penalties, as well as disciplinary action by the Board.  The document also offers advice on how to avoid problems with social media use in health care settings and notes that practitioners should not take photos or videos of residents or patients on personal devices, including cell phones and that patient-related images should not be transmitted by way of any electronic media.