Social Media & Professionalism: How to find a good balance.

Social Media has become a powerful tool to share information, perspectives, and opinions on various topics both professionally and personally. An appropriate social media presence really varies on the individual but, whether one’s social media presence is large or small it has to be respectful and mindful of others. Currently I work as a Radiation Therapist in Alberta. I do have a full Professional License through the Alberta College of Medical Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technologists (ACMDTT) and I am accountable for all actions I take and professional decisions I make. Due to my chosen career I do consider my profession when I post on social media as I am careful not to portray myself, my colleagues, or my profession in a negative light. It is my responsibility to represent myself and my profession in a well-respected manner. As of right now I have a limited social media presence as I find it can be impersonal and easy to misinterpret tones of posts. Moving forward I would like to develop a more involved presence on social media with the intent to share reliable factual sources of information. In addition, with my current job as a Radiation Therapist interprofessional collaboration is very prevalent. Cancer patients require a diverse team of healthcare professionals during their treatments. On a day to day basis I interact with Medical Dosimetrists, Radiation Oncologists, Occupational & Physio Therapists, Dieticians, Speech Pathologists, and Nurses. Each of these professionals play an important role with patients receiving radiation treatments and the side effects that come along with it. My relationship with varying professions is strong as we all have the same goal of providing the best possible care to our patients. Considering being more active on social media may help me to build more interprofessional relationships with healthcare professionals from across the country and possibly around the world. I am going to fill my social media pages with accounts from organizations and various healthcare professionals in hopes to learn and spark interesting thought-provoking conversations. I am excited to see what I will learn and what relationships will form through having a more active professional social media presence.