Blending Social Media into Our Professional Lives

(Mulcahy, 2021)

Social media plays an important role in many aspects of one’s life, whether it be professionally or personally. One can use social media to connect with friends and family, establish network connections, gain influence or as a platform to start conversations. It is important to remain professional and respectful on social media, as anything you post publicly not only represents yourself personally but also your professional identity.

As a practicing Medical Radiation Technologist MRT(R) in Ontario we are governed by our regulatory body – the College of Medical Radiation and Imaging Technologists of Ontario (CMRITO). The college ensures that I am competent and held accountable for my actions.

(NPMC, 2021)

In my role as critical care radiographer, I work with a dynamic interprofessional team daily. This team consists of administrative staff, patient care attendants, registered nurses, and physicians. My core professional values include respect and civility, honesty, accountability, reliability, and a strong work ethic. It is important to understand and respect one another’s professional roles and responsibilities.

In 2020, Ontario introduced the COVID-19 pandemic pay initiative which caused a rift between many health professions. Most allied health professionals were excluded as they were not considered “front line”. Individuals then took to social media to voice their concerns and disappointment. This led to many negative exchanges between health care professionals at the workplace and online through social media. This has resulted in a lasting negative effect on our relationships with other healthcare professions. (OAMRS, 2020)

I believe it is important to be mindful of your professional identity in all settings. Professional identity is influenced by factors such as how we see ourselves, how we think others see us, and how we want to be seen by society (Neary, 2014). The professional identity that I would like to exhibit is that I have the knowledge, skills, judgement, and competence as a MRT to provide the best patient care possible. It is important that patients feel safe and know that they will be receiving the best diagnostic images when they come into my care.

As a healthcare professional, I am very mindful of my professional ethical standards in all my interactions whether it be in person or on social media. I am fully aware that what I post, comment, or share can reflect poorly on myself and my profession. However, health care professionals should be able to speak up freely on social media about their beliefs given that they convey their message in a respectful and professional manner. It is crucial to be mindful of what you post on the Internet as text can be misinterpreted.

There are ways to communicate respectfully, tastefully and in an understanding manner without offending others. It is sometimes through debates and hard conversations that we grow and learn to see things from other's perspectives. We as a group of health care professionals need to remember our common goal, which is to care for patients together.

References

Mulcahy, S. (2021). Texas Senate approves bills to stop social media companies from banning Texans for political views [Image]. Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/30/texas-soical-media-censorship/

Neary, S. (2014, June). Professional Identity: What I call myself defines who I am. CORE. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/46170813.pdf

NPMC. (2021). Cardiac Cath Labs [Image]. National Park Medical. https://nationalparkmedical.com/heart-and-vascular-center/cardiac-cath-labs

OAMRS. (2020). OAMRS Temporary Pandemic Pay (TPP) update [Image]. Facebook. https://m.facebook.com/OAMRS1/posts/3633175980100744:0#_=_