| Course | NUR 307 Exploring Information Technology for Professional Practice |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 7 |
| Paper type | Short paper on social media and professional practice |
| Length | About 1,060 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Southern New Hampshire University |
| Program | RN to BSN |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for NUR 307 Module 7
Forty Thousand Views From the Nurses' Station: Social Media, Privacy and Professional Boundaries
[Student Name]
Southern New Hampshire University
NUR 307: Exploring Information Technology for Professional Practice
Module Seven Short Paper
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The organization, setting and figures below are a composite written as a model document. No real employer, client, colleague or patient is described.
Forty Thousand Views From the Nurses' Station: Social Media, Privacy and Professional Boundaries
Social media gives nurses a public voice that did not exist a generation ago. Nurses use it to teach, to recruit, to share the realities of the job and to find support after hard shifts. The same tools can expose patients and damage trust in a few seconds. This paper analyzes a composite case in which a pediatric nurse posted a short video filmed at the nurses' station. It argues that the problem was not the nurse's wish to share a light moment but the place it was filmed and the assumption that a post seen by strangers could not identify anyone, and that a simple set of questions before posting would have prevented it.
The Case
At 3 a.m. on a quiet night, a composite nurse on a pediatric medical unit filmed a 20-second dance video with a coworker at the nurses' station, set to a popular song, and posted it to a public account with the caption night shift vibes. The video was shared widely and reached about 40,000 views in two days. Nobody's face except the two nurses appeared. However, the patient assignment whiteboard was visible behind them, showing room numbers and first initials, and a parent in pajamas could be seen for a second walking toward a room. A different parent recognized the unit, saw the whiteboard and complained to the hospital, asking whether her child's information was online.
What the Video Disclosed
The nurses did not intend to share patient information, but the video did. First initials and room numbers on a pediatric unit, together with the hospital's identity, can be enough for family members, neighbors or classmates to identify a child. The parent in the background was recognizable to anyone who knew her. The current social media guide from the national council of nursing regulators (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2024) tells nurses not to post information that may lead to the identification of a patient, that limiting access through privacy settings is not sufficient to ensure privacy and that nurses must not take photos or videos of patients on personal devices. The guide also notes that posted content can be discoverable in legal proceedings even after it is deleted. By that standard, the video was a privacy breach even though no name was shown.
Professional Boundaries and Public Trust
Privacy is not the only issue. The profession's code of ethics holds that nurses practice in ways that sustain the public's trust and that their obligations extend to the integrity of the profession (American Nurses Association, 2025). A parent sitting with a sick child at 3 a.m. may reasonably wonder whether the nurses at the station are watching the monitors or their phones. The video did not show neglect; the unit was calm and the nurses were on a break. But the public cannot see that context, and a post that makes a pediatric unit look like a set for entertainment can undermine the confidence families need to have in the people caring for their children.
Consequences
The consequences in cases like this range widely. Many hospitals prohibit filming in patient care areas and would treat the post as a policy violation, with outcomes from coaching to termination depending on the policy and the harm. Because the video may have exposed patient information, the hospital's privacy office would need to investigate whether a reportable breach occurred and notify families if required. Boards of nursing can also discipline nurses for privacy violations or unprofessional conduct, and the NCSBN guide warns that a nurse's online behavior can be reported to the board. For the nurse in this case, the most likely outcome is a policy consequence and required privacy training, but the risk was far larger than the reward of a popular video.
The Benefits Worth Keeping
The lesson is not that nurses should stay off social media. Barry and Hardiker (2012) describe social media as a way for nurses to share knowledge, build professional networks across borders and engage the public in health, and many nurses use it well: explaining vaccines, showing what nursing work involves, supporting new graduates or advocating for staffing and patient safety. The NCSBN guide itself recognizes that nurses can share workplace experiences, including emotionally difficult ones, as long as patients cannot be identified. The same nurse could have posted a video filmed at home about what night shift feels like, or a message thanking coworkers, without any of the risks in this case.
A Test Before Posting
Four questions would have prevented this post. Where am I? Anything filmed in a patient care area, including a break room with a view of the hallway, can capture patient information. What is in the background? Whiteboards, screens, charts, wristbands and people walking by all count. Could anyone recognize a patient, a family member or a situation, even without a name? If the answer is maybe, do not post. Would I be comfortable if the patient's family, my manager and my board of nursing all saw this? If not, the post belongs in a private conversation or nowhere.
What the Unit Should Change
Individual judgment is only part of the answer. The unit can reduce risk by redesigning the assignment whiteboard so that patient initials face away from the hallway and are not legible from a distance, by stating plainly in orientation that personal phones may not record anything in patient care areas, and by showing staff real examples of how background details identify people. A short annual refresher built around cases like this one is likely to be remembered longer than a policy signature. Managers who respond to incidents with education as well as discipline also make it more likely that staff will report their own mistakes quickly, which limits harm.
Conclusion
The nurse in this case wanted to share a light moment from a hard job, a wish most nurses understand. The mistake was filming it in a place where patient information was on the wall and families were in the hallway, and assuming that a public audience of strangers could not identify anyone. Social media can serve nurses and the public well, but only when the setting, the background and the audience are considered before the post, not after the complaint.
References
American Nurses Association. (2025). Code of ethics for nurses. https://codeofethics.ana.org/
Barry, J., & Hardiker, N. R. (2012). Advancing nursing practice through social media: A global perspective. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 17(3), Manuscript 5. https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol17No03Man05
National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2024). A nurse's guide to the use of social media. https://www.ncsbn.org/public-files/NCSBN_SocialMedia.pdf
What the NUR 307 Module 7 instructions ask for
The Module 7 short paper in NUR 307 commonly addresses professional, legal and ethical issues in nurses' use of technology, and social media is a frequent focus. Prompts typically ask you to analyze a scenario or a real policy, explain the privacy and confidentiality rules that apply, discuss professional boundaries and the effect on public trust, identify possible consequences and recommend practices for nurses or organizations. Some sections ask you to review your employer's social media policy or a board of nursing statement. Expect around three to four pages with sources that include regulatory or professional guidance. A specific case, real or composite, makes the analysis more concrete than a general essay about social media risks.
How this NUR 307 Module 7 short paper example is built
This example analyzes a composite pediatric nurse's dance video filmed at the nurses' station and posted publicly. It identifies what the video disclosed, patient initials and room numbers on a whiteboard and a recognizable parent, and applies the national nursing regulators' current social media guide to show why that counts as a privacy breach. It then addresses professional boundaries and public trust with the code of ethics, describes the range of possible consequences without overstating them, recognizes the benefits of nurses on social media with a supporting source, and ends with a four-question test to use before posting from work. All three sources are real and paraphrased.
Where the NUR 307 Module 7 rubric puts the points
Instructors typically grade this paper on the analysis of the scenario, the accuracy of privacy and legal content, the discussion of professional and ethical issues, the recommendations and the writing and APA mechanics. Accuracy matters: graders look for guidance reported correctly from sources such as the board of nursing organization and the professional code, not general statements about HIPAA. The ethics criterion rewards analysis of trust and boundaries, not just rule violations. Recommendations score well when they are practical and could change a nurse's behavior. A balanced view that recognizes legitimate uses of social media usually earns more credit than an entirely negative one, because the course asks nurses to use technology well, not avoid it.
NUR 307 Module 7 help: the mistakes that cost points
Papers on this topic most often stumble by offering a general warning about social media with no specific case and no precise guidance. Another is assuming that removing a name or using privacy settings is enough, when regulators say it is not. Some papers exaggerate consequences, for example claiming automatic license loss, which weakens credibility. Others condemn all social media use, ignoring its value for education and advocacy. Analyze one post in detail, cite current guidance accurately, separate privacy from professionalism, describe consequences with appropriate uncertainty and end with a test or checklist a nurse could actually use tonight before tapping post. Short, memorable questions work better than a long list of rules.
Get NUR 307 Module 7 written to your instructions
Describe the scenario, policy or post your prompt asks you to analyze and attach the Module 7 rubric. A paper applying current regulatory and ethical guidance to that case is delivered in 24 to 48 hours, and the first one costs nothing. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Southern New Hampshire University document.
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NUR 307 Module 7 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NUR 307 Module 7 short paper sample?
The whole paper is available free on this page: a composite nurse's video filmed at the nurses' station, analyzed for privacy, trust and consequences with current regulatory guidance, plus a four-question test before posting and three references. A version on another scenario can be ordered.
Can nurses post about work on social media?
Yes, within limits. Current regulator guidance allows nurses to share workplace experiences as long as no information could identify a patient, and it prohibits patient photos or videos on personal devices.
Are privacy settings enough to protect patient information online?
No. The national guide for nurses states that limiting access through privacy settings is not sufficient, because posts can be shared, captured and even discovered in legal proceedings after deletion.
What are the consequences of a social media privacy breach for a nurse?
They range from employer discipline and required training to termination, breach notification by the organization and, in some cases, action by the board of nursing, depending on the harm and the policies involved.
Which sources should a NUR 307 social media paper cite?
The current NCSBN guide to social media, the ANA Code of Ethics, your employer's policy if allowed, and at least one scholarly article on nurses' use of social media.