VetNurse, the Professional Community

RE: VetNurse, the Professional Community

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 06:44:19 GMT

[quote userid="60272" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/vetnurse-site-support/32029/vetnurse-the-professional-community/176327#176327"]I think my issue is that I grew up in the age of relative online anonymity, so it's difficult to let go of.[/quote]

I know what you mean - and I think you make some very important points. And in fact, you did make me think, part of my job should be to try and warn members when I think they have written something which might land them in hot water with the College. Actually, I have not yet heard of it happening to a vet nurse, but I have heard of at least two vets being hauled over the coals by the College (completely inappropriately, to my mind) as a result of opinions they expressed online.

Still it is very rare, and in both the cases I know of, you could argue that the vets in question should have been more guarded in what they shared online!

[quote userid="60272" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/vetnurse-site-support/32029/vetnurse-the-professional-community/176327#176327"]I like the guidelines you've given your daughter, that's exactly what everyone should be taught before they're ever let loose on the internet.[/quote]

Thanks, actually, I forgot the other thing about point 4, which is not just about future employers. It's that once you've published something online, you can't take it back. So it's not just employers; if you write something hurtful about someone, you can't ever take it back!

Anyway, as I said, not going to make it obligatory except for our experts. Still, I'm glad I made a strong enough case for you to share your real name, Katherine, and nice to meet you!

RE: VetNurse, the Professional Community

Cyonica — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 14:08:08 GMT

I like the guidelines you've given your daughter, that's exactly what everyone should be taught before they're ever let loose on the internet. I do totally agree with everything you've said, especially in the context of a professional forum. I think my issue is that I grew up in the age of relative online anonymity, so it's difficult to let go of.

RE: VetNurse, the Professional Community

Arlo Guthrie — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 07:41:41 GMT

[quote userid="60272" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/vetnurse-site-support/32029/vetnurse-the-professional-community/176325#176325"]These days with the RCVS trying to police our online activities[/quote]

Hmm - yes I am aware of a couple of instances of this (and if I am honest, I think it is very wrong of the College). And yes, I can sympathise with this worry:

[quote userid="60272" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/vetnurse-site-support/32029/vetnurse-the-professional-community/176325#176325"]and with the internet being so widely used that your past, present and future bosses, colleagues and clients can all potentially see everything you post[/quote]

But I think the answer to that is to self moderate what you post carefully.

That is something I have been drilling into my 13 year old daughter for a long time. The rules I've given her are:

assume what you see on the Internet is false (and that people are not necessarily who they say they are) until you have been able to validate it from more than one trustworthy source.
Never communicate with someone digitally (email, forums etc) when you are angry. It's not the right medium for that. Pick up the telephone instead.
Never share a photo of any part of your anatomy online unless you would be happy for it to be shared with the whole school, because it will be.
Remember that whatever you post online is there forever, so don't post anything which might reflect badly to a future employer.

We've had to think particularly hard about the last one, because it turns out my daughter seems to be able to sing (!) and she's started getting some publicity for a song she put online to raise money for charity.

Anyway, the point is that we all self-moderate offline and we all need to do so online too. I think that instead of obscuring your name, you should be self moderating and in some cases NOT saying what you really think, because the Internet is not always the right place to do that.

I try and put myself in your shoes. A nurse with a regulator and future employers to think about. I would be very happy to ask clinical questions. You could argue they might expose a lack of knowledge to a future employer, but equally you could argue they show a thirst for knowledge. Personally I would be more impressed by someone who asked than someone who didn't.

I would ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS be friendly and helpful online. I think that counts for a lot more to a future employer than pretty much anything else. You just don't want to like the look of a future employee at interview and then find they are the most awful opinionated harridan online!

If I did have a strong opinion, and really felt the need to express it, I would generally water it down for the Internet!

That all said, I'm not going to make it obligatory to show your name (except for experts in the expert forums, who must).

[quote userid="60272" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/vetnurse-site-support/32029/vetnurse-the-professional-community/176325#176325"]I really like having a space that's just for nurses and I'm sure the vets feel the same about vetsurgeon.org, but would there be any place for a crossover forum of some sort where nurses and vets can both post?[/quote]

Something I have thought about a lot over the years, and whilst I agree there is a lot to learn from each other, on balance I think VS and VN need to have their very different identities/communities, and I haven't yet found a way of setting up a forum for both which doesn't have to sit on one site or the other (which stops the idea working well).

RE: VetNurse, the Professional Community

Cyonica — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 19:38:19 GMT

I agree with the above, although I'll have a very hard time convincing myself to break with anonymity! These days with the RCVS trying to police our online activities and with the internet being so widely used that your past, present and future bosses, colleagues and clients can all potentially see everything you post, I feel uncomfortable being totally honest about my opinion on certain things when I'm associated with my real name. That being said, I do like the idea of a professional forum where you know who you're talking to and what their credentials are. I'm uncomfortable on Facebook because I feel obliged to put a disclaimer by all of my posts stating that I'm a nurse. I don't want to invalidate myself if I know what I'm talking about, but I also don't want anyone mistaking me for an expert because I've confidently stated something and they don't know I'm not.

I really like having a space that's just for nurses and I'm sure the vets feel the same about vetsurgeon.org, but would there be any place for a crossover forum of some sort where nurses and vets can both post? There are groups like VVUK on Facebook, which I enjoy participating in as it makes me feel more like a part of the wider veterinary community, and I learn a lot from groups that are aimed at vets. I don't know if the vets would think they'd get any value out of it, but I think they'd be wrong to assume that and also I think that it helps bring the professions together when we participate in discussions as a group. I wonder if the expert forums could be accessible to both, since only experts can reply to them? There's already been plenty said in the wound forum here that I know would be as valuable to vets as it is to us.