Abstract
With 48% of the world using social media daily, it has grown to create a large community all over the world (Smith, 2014). Employers are using social media as a tool to screen candidates during the hiring process, this makes it critical to utilize social media to benefit your professional presence. Ideally your social media presence is an extension of your professional image. This can be accomplished by considering the values rooted in the professional resources for your career.
Me as a Professional
Professional identity can be defined by the values, beliefs and experiences that have constructed an individual professionally (Slay & Smith, 2010). It can be defined as the professional standards one sets for themselves in order to further enhance and regulate their work habits (Sevens, 2018). Developing and maintaining a professional image is critical to success both within the workforce and in daily life. Values such as equality and respect for example, are beneficial in all situations. Personal experiences and interactions with others outside of work can influence your daily life professionally. Although you may allow your work habits to speak for themselves, it is known that 37% of employers now use social media to get a personal insight during the hiring process (Smith, 2014). With the rise of social media, your personal and professional life have become connected. Your personal social medial presence can impact you professionally, employers are utilizing social media to screen their candidates. The lines of appropriateness are slowly blurring as we become more immersed in the social media culture, our professional values are easily conveyed through how we conduct ourselves online. Healthcare workers deal with sensitive information regularly and therefore must abide by strict policies and ethical standards. It is critical for social media users to consider privacy and confidentiality polices when posting online. As employers and coworkers can view your social media it is necessary to refrain from posting offensive or controversial content that can reflect negatively on you. It is important to consider how the post may affect your professional persona and if it may negatively impact the public. Catering your social media to benefit you professionally while still being personal is an important skill to develop.
Professional values such as respect, responsibility and integrity are important to be exemplified by a professional team in order to provide quality patient care. To ensure these and many more traits are carried forward, professional governing bodies are put into place. My primary role in the Canadian Health System is as an Ultrasound Technologist, also known as a Sonographer. We are required to provide imaging that may be crucial to the diagnosis of a patient (Sonography Canada, 2019). The profession is user dependent, the skill set required to effectively provide accurate imaging takes time to develop and requires an extensive knowledge base. However, only recently did Ontario regulate diagnostic medical sonographers under the College of Medical Radiation and Imaging Technologists of Ontario (CMRITO, 2020). Regulating the profession through a Code of Ethics and other general practice polices has established a higher standard of imaging leading to better overall patient care. CMRITO began regulating Sonographers on January 1st 2019, prior to that Sonography Canada was the governing body that provided technologists with the credentials required to practice in Canada. Sonography Canada protects the technologist as well as the patient, this was accomplished by providing best practice standards and holding technologist responsible for their scanning skills. (Sonography Canada, 2019). Ultrasound is an integral part of Canada’s healthcare system and as a member of these governing bodies I am legally allowed to practice my profession. Working in healthcare requires interprofessional collaboration to ensure the highest quality of care for the patient. Specifically, for sonographers we work closely with other medical professions such as radiologists, nurses, and medical radiation technologists. These interprofessional interactions further the importance of maintaining a professional image and adhering to best practice standards.
Working in healthcare requires a level of professionalism, whether it be through direct interaction with the patient or working with collogues from other professions, your actions are held to a certain standard. As social media continues to grow, we are witnessing our professional and personal life becoming connected. Therefore, it is important to establish an appropriate presence on and off social media that accurately reflects both your personality and the values endorsed by your profession.
References
College of Medical Radiation Technologists of Ontario (2019). About CMRTO & MRTs. Retrieved from https://www.cmrto.org/who-we-are/about-cmrto-mrts/
College of Medical Radiation Technologists of Ontario (2018). Standards of Practice. Retrieved from https://www.cmrto.org/resources/publications/standards-of-practice
Managing Personal vs. Professional Identity on Social Media. (2019, June 21). Retrieved from https://online.queens.edu/online-programs/macomm/resources/managing-personal-vs-professional-identity-on-social-media
Role of a Sonographer. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sonographycanada.ca/about- sonography/role-of-a-sonographer
Sevens, T. (2018). Do sonographers have a professional identity? Imaging & Therapy Practice, 28–31.
Slay, H. S., & Smith, D. A. (2010). Professional identity construction: Using narrative to understand the negotiation of professional and stigmatized cultural identities. Human Relations, 64(1), 85–107. doi: 10.1177/0018726710384290
Smith, J. (2014, April 15). How Social Media Can Help (Or Hurt) You In Your Job Search. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/04/16/how-social-media-can-help-or-hurt-your-job-search/#30c9f77d7ae2
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