In 2005, when I graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with my Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, social media was not even on the radar for health professionals. It was more possible to lead separate professional and private lives. I recall, in my first position as a Public Health Dietitian, in Red Deer, AB, wondering if patients might see me at the grocery store, and be looking in my grocery cart, judging its contents. I was not concerned about them knowing my political, religious, or other views by searching me online. Now, in 2022, deciding on and creating a professional identity is an important activity for any health professional. Stukus et al. shares that health professionals themselves can benefit from connecting with each other online, and “can serve as credible sources of evidence-based information and provide a vetted landing spot for those seeking health information online.”
Innovation is a core value for me, being on the leading edge of knowledge translation, social media can be a valuable platform for doing this. As an employee of Alberta Health Services, if I am using social media within my role, there are specific guidance documents available on the public site such as the Code of Conduct, Conflict of Interest Bylaw, and Social Media Policy. Outside of work hours, I am still a health professional, and a Registered Dietitian. I have a professional obligation to abide by the guidelines set out by the College of Dietitians of Alberta. The practice guidelines for Registered Dietitians in Alberta states “assume all online content is public and accessible to anyone. If you wouldn’t post something on the wall of your cubicle at work, do not post it anywhere online” (Social Media Practice Guidelines, 2013). This statement rings true as a way of visualizing how to ensure content you post online is appropriate in the following ways: supports professional integrity, protects patients and your employer/organization's privacy and confidentiality, and maintains professional boundaries (Social Media Practice Guidelines, 2022). Membership in the College protects the public, as RD’s must be competent in jurisprudence, ethics, and professional practice standards. I have maintained my registration in the College of Dietitians of Alberta despite having a non-traditional role outside of “nutrition services” for over a decade. It is important to me to have this connection to my professional organization, for many reasons, upholding integrity, gaining support to maintain professional practice standards, and agility to return to the field of dietetics at any time in the future.
Throughout my career, I have worked with a variety of multi-disciplinary teams to provide patient-centred care or implement evidence based strategies in a variety of settings such as: long term care, community programs with at-risk clients, disease specific clinics (HIV/Aids), health promotion with school communities, and public health departments. I am not only a Registered Dietitian, but also an educator, a facilitator, a health promotion specialist and a quality improvement/program evaluation consultant. I value each experience and learning opportunity I have had from working alongside other health professionals, who have included: Doctors, Medical Students, Midwives, Researchers, Nurses, Multi-cultural Support Workers, Social Workers, Microbiologists, Communicable Disease Specialists, Public Health Leaders, Psychology experts, Neurobiology researchers etc.
As I embark on a new chapter in my career, and begin a Master's education, I am eager to demonstrate a digital presence with integrity and leadership. I want to fill my “online grocery cart” with items that showcase my professional values, share quality health information, avoid biases and promote equity.
References:
Social Media Practice Guidelines. (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://collegeofdietitians.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Social-Media-Practice-Guidelines-CDA-2013.pdf
Social Media Practice Guidelines. (2022, November). College of Dietitians of Alberta. Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://collegeofdietitians.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Social-Media-Practice-Guidelines-November-2020.pdf
Stukus, D. R., Patrick, M. D., & Nuss, K. E. (2019). Social Media for Medical Professionals: Strategies for Successfully Engaging in an Online World. Springer.
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