The Idea of an Essay, Volume 2

105 symptoms of burnout. Additionally, nurses can journal online in order to meet personal needs and untangle their thoughts. Although social media can provide tools to improve health, these benefits are speculative and difficult to prove. Unfortunately, they dwindle further in light of the immense consequences that social media can spawn. In recent years, its presence has degraded the competence and security of the medical field, causing confidential and private information concerning patients to leak out. Problems arise when nurses believe the myths surrounding social media and lack wisdom and discernment in posting information. The presence of mobile devices complicates this problem, as access to social media is always at a nurse’s fingertips. Nurses sometimes violate HIPAA laws through the use of sites such as Facebook, leading to a loss in jobs, violations of the law, and even imprisonment. Clearly, the risks presented by social media erode the security of the medical field and negate the benefits. When nurses breach confidentiality, they commit a serious offense against the patient and the hospital in which they work. This is unacceptable in the medical field; not only does it violate defy the law, but it disrespects the patient whose trust has been violated. Serving and caring in hospitals all over the country, nurses owe a great deal of respect for the patients under their management, simply because the man or woman bears the image of God and carry great worth in his sight. Expected to care for men and women of all ages with compassion and competence, nurses must continuously strive to provide the privacy their patients deserve. Mother Teresa elegantly encapsulated the essence of nursing when she stated, “It is not how much you do but how much love you put in the doing” (Mother Teresa). Protecting patient confidentiality essentially displays the respect that a nurse holds for her patient. It is a shame that many view the interactions on Facebook as more important than the patient lying in the next room. Nurses should never sacrifice the protection of a patient for a cheap laugh but instead find constructive methods of dealing with stress. In the medical field, nurses must strive to honor and protect those in their care, understanding the responsibility they bear to the patient, their family, the hospital and ultimately to God.