Risk managers may need to counsel nursing staff on how they could expose themselves to professional consequences if they spread health misinformation online, particularly with much attention on what people post regarding COVID-19.
Nurses who post misinformation could be subject to disciplinary action from their nursing boards, in addition to other results, says Georgia Reiner, MS, CPHRM, risk specialist for the Nurses Service Organization in the Healthcare Division of Aon’s Affinity Insurance Services in Philadelphia.
“When you are online, it’s easy to see how objective facts tend to be less influential than something that appeals to your emotions and your personal beliefs. This allows relatively small groups to shape the conversation around public health issues like COVID, vaccines, and masking,” Reiner says. “We’ve noticed that nurses, like everyone else, are vulnerable to these influences, and we’ve seen nurses numbering among those who are using social media and other types of public forums to share misinformation about issues related to COVID.”
However, unlike most other people online, nurses must provide information to the public that meets professional standards, Reiner says. Nurses tend to be among the most trusted professionals of any type, and those who use their credentials to position themselves as a trustworthy source of health information are obligated to share information that is truthful and backed by scientific research.
“Failure to do so is an ethical failure and can damage public trust. In the case of misinformation about COVID, it can be harmful to society as a whole,” she says.
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) recently made clear nurses are accountable for information they provide to the public. That means nurses who spread misinformation could be subject to discipline by their state boards. (The NCSBN statement can be found here.)
A state board of nursing may respond to misinformation with statements of concern, fines, probation, or suspension or revocation of the nurse’s license.
“Depending on the gravity of the situation, nurses could be placing their careers in jeopardy by posting misinformation online,” Reiner says.
Hospitals and other nurse employers also may discipline nurses for distributing health misinformation, subject to their policies and procedures related to the use of social media and other forms of distribution, Reiner says. That is especially true if the nurse is using his or her credentials as an employee of the hospital to spread misinformation.
“If the nurse identifies as an employee of the organization, that can, in turn, damage the public’s trust in the employer as well,” Reiner says. “In addition to warning employees about these consequences, they can help educate them about how to spot misinformation and avoid sharing it online.”
Employees may defend themselves by saying they are using social media on their own time, but their nursing licensure and their status as employees of the hospital create an obligation that is not held by other private citizens.
“The nursing license alone creates an expectation that you will not communicate incorrect health information, but when you share your credentials, and even your employer, then that activity clearly becomes the purview of your employer as well,” Reiner says. “As far as your online presence being your personal business, that stops when you bring in your credentials and your workplace.”
SOURCE
- Georgia Reiner, Risk Specialist, Nurses Service Organization, Healthcare Division, Aon’s Affinity Insurance Services, Philadelphia. Phone: (215) 293-1178. Email: georgia.reiner@aon.com.