@ Karin RN I agree with you 100%. Common sense is a requirement.

Common sense:
Do not take pictures of your patients (and post them)
Do not post about an open case of your patient(hearing, lawsuits)
Do not post identification like true name, hospital ,room number, date of birth . . .

Some nurses take it too seriously. They say never blog about work, patients . . . even if the story is fictionalized and you alter identification . . . if you don't want to risk your job. Come on. Seriously, is there any part of HIPAA regulation that bans blogging? And so, if I post about these instead--what I eat, how much I exercise, what homework my children are working on--on my nursing blog, will any nurses out there read my blog?

@ Kristen I think it's all a matter of how it's said (typed). We have to make sure our 'details' are not rich enough. I relate it to how you would conduct yourself if you were talking with a co-worker in the elevator of the hospital. You know what you cannot say and cannot share within an earshot of the public.

@ Mike I agree.

I am a bit surprised that these folks did not think it was going to turn out poorly for them for taking these photos.

I have a question for you then = I am a blogger in this realm and I also agree with the issues of confidentiality and privacy. So what exactly are your recommendations for sharing information about health related matters? I know as an academic, we are always asked to 'cloak' sites and people, but inevitably if the detail is rich enough, people will make the connections or come to some conclusion, right or wrong. How do you navigate these kinds of waters in the work you do?

@ GeekRN Absolutely. I think we all want to share our 'cool' stuff, but know better.

@ GroundedFitness I would agree with you 100%. Especially when false information is posted.

Its hard sometimes. i have to be very careful about what I say, cause if someone takes me talking about a fitness subject as me advocating it, i could get in trouble through my certification.

so many times i read things i know for a fact arent true. it makes me mad- not that they posted it, but that people might believe it.

Kelly Turner
www.groundedfitness.com

So many times I've wanted to post a picture of a cool ORIF in progress, but knew it would only mean trouble for me...