Today, millions of people use social media regularly and find it necessary and interesting to share personal information, judgments, and opinions. Many organizations and individuals address online services for professional needs and goals. Social media facilitates communication with colleagues in nursing but questions data content and quality. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (2021) imposes obligations on nurses to offer credible information to predict confusion about COVID-19, vaccination, and treatment. Nurses should lose their jobs and licenses if they post misleading information about COVID-19-related topics on social media.
The current pandemic has already spread across the globe and provoked serious health problems and deaths in people, regardless of their race, gender, and social income. People do not have enough reliable sources about the pandemic and address professionals for help and clarifications. Nurses are responsible for educating patients and their families, and many individuals define nursing awareness as critical for their lives. Therefore, when nurses post subjective or unverified information online, they put public health at risk and continue misleading populations by relying on their licenses, rights, and working privileges. Knowledge gaps or personal conclusions are dangerous during the pandemic, and the possibility of license termination seems to be an appropriate solution for nurses who neglect or abuse their powers.
Coronavirus disease challenges people, and social media is one of the available means to spread information about this condition in a short period. When nurses post incorrect information on social media, they question the level of their professionalism. The decision to fire nurses using their social media activities as a reason is correct. If nurses try to spread misleading data, they do not deserve their license. They need to learn their obligations in society and public health standards and avoid provocations related to unprofessional behaviors.
Reference
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2021). Policy statement: Dissemination of non-scientific and misleading COVID-19 information by nurses. NCSBN.