Social Technologies in the Workplace - Essay Example

"Social Technologies in the Workplace" is a wonderful example of a paper on care.
With the introduction of computers and the internet in the recent past, social media has currently become a part of our lives. People have been able to share their opinions, views, and also connect with friends and acquaintances through social media. However, the use of social media has negatively affected our workplaces as people spend a lot of time on these sites rather than spend time to conduct their obligations (Hader, 2009). This paper addresses possible social, ethical, and legal ramifications of social technologies through analyzing a case scenario.

Social, ethical, and legal ramifications

In our case scenario, I have recently been promoted to charge nurse, and one of my friends posts inappropriate comments discussing negative feelings about ignorant superiors and annoying patients. Such behavior may have social, ethical, and legal ramifications. According to Cronquist and Spector (2011), "Confidential information should be shared only when one has the patients' informed consent, when disclosure is legally required, or when a failure to disclose could result in significant harm" (p. 38). Therefore, discussing issues relating to the patients is in violation of their privacy as they have a right to be treated with decorum and deference. It is important to note that the relationship between a nurse and patients is very important and it operates on the basis of trust. If the patients in our case scenario happen to find their information on social sites shared by a nurse, then this trust would be broken. As a result, communication would be affected and this translates to poor services.

Cronquist and Spector (2011) notes that there are boards of nurses that are given the responsibility to investigate issues concerning misconduct in nursing. In our case, sharing private information with third parties could lead to punitive action taken against the nurse in the form of fines or even revocation of nursing license (Cronquist and Spector, 2011). There are also rules that protect patients against breaches of confidentiality. If the nurse could be found guilty of sharing confidential patients information with third parties, then criminal punishment in the form of fines and even incarceration could be bestowed on her. Similarly, disciplinary action could also be taken against the nurse for inappropriately discussing issues relating to the workplace i.e. ignorant bosses (Cronquist and Spector, 2011).

Policy in my workplace

In my workplace, there is a policy that deals with the use of social technologies and it states that social sites must not be used during working hours unless it involves networking with other medical specialists in the organization in terms of asking for opinions to deal with a specific issue or to give feedback. This policy has been effective in my organization in that nurses and other medical personnel have been able to exchange ideas regarding specific care practices and also give feedback on these care practices. This policy has transformed social networking into an educational platform through which nurses and other medical personnel learn and share information and as a result, has tremendously improved care outcomes. The incidence of medical errors has also decreased significantly as nurses are able to seek professional opinions on how to address difficult issues.

In conclusion, being sensitive to patients' information is imperative for the maintenance of a trustworthy relationship between the nurse and the patients. Patients are more likely to withhold sensitive information in the course of care if they feel that the nurse or medical practitioner might breach confidentiality. This can increase medical errors as partial information relating to a patient's medical history is collected. Discussing work issues inappropriately and breaching patients' confidentiality can lead to punishments or disciplinary actions.