Warning to nurses using social media

NURSES in the Lothians have been warned over their use of social networking sites by their regulating body.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council said hundreds of thousands of members across the UK were registered on Facebook.

Bosses have warned that the existence of such sites has “fundamentally shifted our relationship with the internet” and nurses should be careful who they “befriend” and how much information they share.

In a memo to nurses, the organisation said: “There are dangers when the online activities of regulated professionals blur the boundary between their personal and professional lives.

“Users of social networking sites may feel they can behave in ways they would not consider acceptable in ‘real life’.

“The ease of posting can make it tempting to disclose information, opinions and images that might previously have been shared only with people close to us.”