Which action on social media could lead to disciplinary action?

• A. Posting identifiable patient information.
• B. Posting generic health tips for the public.
• C. Sharing non-identifying professional achievements.
• D. Commenting on personal opinions unrelated to care.

Answer: (A)

Protecting patient privacy is a fundamental duty in nursing. Posting identifiable patient information on social media clearly violates confidentiality requirements and professional standards, and it can trigger disciplinary action by the board. This includes names, faces, photos, dates of birth, medical record numbers, or any detail that could identify a patient, even in a story or example. The Florida Nurse Practice Act and board rules treat breaches of confidentiality as serious misconduct, with possible consequences such as license suspension or revocation, fines, or mandated remedial education.

Providing generic health tips for the public doesn’t reveal patient identities and is generally permissible if accurate and not misleading. Sharing non-identifying professional achievements is also usually acceptable. Commenting on personal opinions unrelated to care can raise professionalism concerns, but it does not inherently constitute a privacy violation.

So, the action most likely to lead to disciplinary action is posting identifiable patient information.