Reflections About my Professional Identity, Professional Values and the Use of Social Media

As a health care professional, I am entrusted with caring for the public on a regular basis. With this responsibility, being professional both inside and outside of work is important, and this includes social media use. Before delving into how I want to present myself on social media, I will define what social media is. Social media is an internet-based tool where users share and consume information (Ventola, 2014). This information has a myriad of forms that can include images, videos, profile pages, and blogs to name a few (Ventola, 2014). This information serves many functions including social and professional networking, media sharing, and content production (Ventola, 2014). My professional identity and values that I present online correlate with the values of my profession and employer. Patient confidentiality is an ethical and legal obligation (IHA, 2011). This means that I cannot disclose any private information obtained through my employment with Interior Health Authority (IHA, 2011). This includes any information that could identify an Interior Health client and any information about a staff member that is not public (IHA, 2011). IHA also forbids any offensive or disrespectful comments online or otherwise, including comments about an individual’s race, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, political belief or religion (IHA, 2011).

Along with being an IHA employee, I am a member of the British Columbia Society of Respiratory Therapists (BCSRT) and the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists (CSRT). The CSRT code of ethics requires that RT’s continuously strive to deliver high quality care that is guided by an interest in the health and well-being of each patient (CSRT, 2018). RT’s must work within their scope and ability (CSRT, 2018). They also must conduct themselves with honesty, integrity, respect, and must be accountable for their actions (CSRT, 2018). These ethics align with my personal and professional values, and I will continuously work to uphold them inside and outside of work.

Social media has gained popularity in the past ten years and has had an immense impact on society. When used appropriately, it can be a powerful tool for health leaders around the world (Ventola, 2014). It has created global networks where information about public health issues can be spread quickly (Ventola, 2014). For example, the Centre of Disease Control (CDC) is active on twitter and tracks certain hashtags and tweets to help locate and monitor flu outbreaks, as well as other serious health threats, such as Legionnaires disease (Ventola, 2014). Because humans are social by nature, they can often be influenced by friends and social media (Ventola, 2014). This effect was demonstrated when Facebook introduced a way to post organ donor status (Ventola, 2014). It was reported by Donate Life America that only a week after this option on Facebook became available, online state organ donor registries increased by 23 times (Ventola, 2014). It was assumed that this increase was because of the effect the new feature on Facebook had (Ventola, 2014). People can use social media for connecting with people who have similar health issues (Ventola, 2014). For example, www.patientslikeme.com is a virtual community that people use to give and receive support and advice, as well as connect with resources they may not have otherwise been aware of (Ventola, 2014). Social media can be used for professional networking (Ventola, 2014). Health care professionals can create virtual communities for the purpose of discussing clinical topics, career strategies and sharing research (Ventola, 2014).

As an RT and Master of Health Studies student, I want to use social media to make positive impacts on health. Currently, as an acute care respiratory therapist, I work in the hospital and provide essential services for people who are often struggling to breathe. My position as a bedside RT is rewarding, challenging, and has taught me invaluable lessons about patient care. As I continue my education, I would like to use my experience to grow as a health care professional, educate people and impact health around the world. I once visited a third world country to teach doctors how to operate ventilators, and choose ventilation settings. As I explore the use of social media, I realize how far technology can allow this same type of education to reach when it is videoed live, for example. This is the sort of professional social media presence I would like to create as I gain knowledge that I can share during my professional education and career.

References

Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists. (2018). Retrieved September 25, 2018 from https://www.csrt.com/rt-profession/#codeofethics

Interior Health Authority. Social Media. (2011, March). Retrieved on September 30, 2018 from https://www.interiorhealth.ca/AboutUs/Policies/Documents/Social%20Media.pdf

Ventola, C. L. (2014). Social Media and Health Care Professionals: Benefits, Risks, and Best Practices. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 39(7), 491–520.