tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652950132925204088.post1489896925955964904..comments2024-03-25T17:34:35.600+11:00Comments on Sarah Stewart: Social media policy for nurses and midwives in Australia - what do you think?Sarah Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480597227427423793noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652950132925204088.post-1391599434591684812013-05-25T20:14:47.544+10:002013-05-25T20:14:47.544+10:00Hi John, I agree with you. Basically, what AHPRA h...Hi John, I agree with you. Basically, what AHPRA have done since all the outrage last year is integrate a few comments about social media into their other policies and codes of practice, especially the advertising policy. And in the social media policy, they have said...go and look at our other policies, and ask your Board and professional body for advice. On one hand, I think...why bother...but on the other hand, this policy is so bland, I'm happy that it says something about nothing.Sarah Stewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00480597227427423793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652950132925204088.post-4533599764437092352013-05-21T12:38:48.624+10:002013-05-21T12:38:48.624+10:00Having waded through this rather lengthy consultat...Having waded through this rather lengthy consultation document I am inclined to agree with other commentators and ask, why have a social media policy? Afterall the context of the policy is this. Don't do anything that is unprofessional. Surely that should apply to professional using social media, hence it becomes common sense. At the same time I recognise the challenges for a national body, where their role is to provide an overarching policy rather than a set of user guidelines. As a national body their perspective is projected through a legislative lense.<br /><br />A challenge for many organisations seeking to implement social media policies is that the policy appears to be drawn up by people that do not appear to be regular users of social media. They display a clear lack of understanding of the practicalities as well as the open, transparent nature of social media. They continue to believe an adverse event can be legislated for.<br /><br />Experience shows that their needs to be some form of guidance document. The same experience shows that a guiding document is more value than a prescriptive one; simply due to the many variables associated with social media. These variables cannot be controlled or legislated for.<br /><br />At the heart of the discussion is the protection of patient confidentiality. The challenge is how to define this in an age of open communication. Maybe the social media policy might spend more time addressing this aspect and then leave it to the user to apply common sense and professional ethics to their activities online.<br /><br />John Coxon<br />www.johncoxon.com.auJohn Coxonhttp://www.johncoxon.com.aunoreply@blogger.com