The Idea of an Essay, Volume 2

104 to copy and paste the information (Anderson 39). Therefore, it is extremely easy for material only intended for specific audiences to spread. For example, in 2009 a group of nurses violated confidentiality laws after posting information about their patients on Facebook in order to prepare their coworkers for the next rotation. Although these women only intended to share information with the group, others were able to access the information, and the hospital reprimanded the nurses for their actions (Dimick). Thesemythswield evenmore damagewhen coupledwith the high prevalence of mobile phones, which accommodate nurses with easy access to social media. Approximately 350 million individuals access Facebook from their mobile devices, providing access to web pages in a matter of seconds (Boultin 8). Unfortunately, this does not allow much time for nurses to think through the consequences their actions may bring. When nurses act according to these false beliefs, devastating consequences can result. In 2010, the NCSBN conducted a study which confirmed the abundance of social media-related offenses in the medical community. When NCSBN questioned forty-six boards of nursing about the occurace of offenses related to social media, thirty-six claimed they “had received complaints about nurses who had violated patients’ privacy by using social networking sites” (Hillman 48). In one example, a nursing student received harsh punishment after handling social media improperly. While on her pediatrics rotation, she snapped a photo of her young patient who was battling leukemia. Including his room number in the image, she posted the picture to her Facebook page. Consequently, the school expelled the student for the way she violated HIPAA and placed the hospital in jeopardy (NCSBN 5). A second example involved a nurse in Wyoming who posted a picture of a patient’s x-ray to her Facebook page. Amused at the foreign object stuck in the man’s rectum, the nurse acted immaturely and unprofessionally and compromised the security of the hospital (Freeman 49). In the United States today, social media heavily impacts the realm of healthcare. When used appropriately, it can promote emotional health among nurses who experience a high rate of emotional burnout. In order to maintain holistic health, nurses must discover ways to reduce stress and process complex emotions. Positive interactions among coworkers can effectively address