Does Social Media Have the Potential to Influence (Negatively Affect)  Your Professional License?

Published on by Melissa

The answer is yes.  In today’s digital world, licensed professionals, including those in healthcare, are likely to have some connection to social media.

However, licensed professionals, especially those in healthcare, must be mindful that their social media activities can lead to disciplinary actions.  If you are using social media platforms as a healthcare professional, keeping certain best practices in mind to protect your license is vital.

How Social Media Can Affect Your License

  • Posting private health information about patients. This includes posting selfies you take at work that might have patient information in the background. 
  • Filming yourself doing procedures without patients consent
  • Documenting errors and mistakes in posts, videos or pictures
  • Use of unprofessional language. This could include posts where you are still wearing your work clothes that show your employer but it is after hours. 

Tips For Social Media Use

  • Keep work and personal accounts separate
  • Don’t respond to patients posts
  • Remain professional

Always remember that what you say and do online can and often will be made public.

Disclaimer: This web site is addressed to those who hold professional licenses issued by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and by similar licensing agencies in other states. Suggestions herein are, in most circumstances, valid for any type investigation, whether administrative, criminal, or civil. However, it should be noted that in some other states, one who holds a professional license may be required to submit to an investigative interview as a condition of being licensed. Whatever the circumstances, a licensed professional who becomes the subject of an investigation would be wise to immediately retain legal counsel. No content, whole or in part, is to be considered as “legal advice,” and by reading this document, no attorney-client relationship is formed with the Crick Walanka Law Group, Ltd.
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