Social media has become a part of our lives for better or worse. It’s great that we can get immediate access to information, make social connections with like-minded people, and share ideas so easily.
However, there are also risks to posting on social media. Your professionalism doesn’t stop at the end of your shift. Posting online can be problematic when it comes to patient perception and confidentiality, agency reputation, and personal career. It can build trust or destroy it.
With social media being so public and permanent, a single post can spread far beyond what you intended. Once the statement, picture, or video is out there, it’s not coming back.
The public needs to trust EMS. That trust can be shaken fast if someone sees an EMT or Paramedic posting things that look unprofessional, disrespectful, or careless. Even something “just meant for friends” can get screenshots and be shared. Suddenly, it’s not a private moment anymore; it’s a headline. Every time an EMS provider makes the news for an online mistake, it affects how the public sees all of us.
HIPAA is a law that protects patient privacy, and it’s important to note that HIPAA violations don’t require intent. An accidental disclosure is still a disclosure that can lead to investigations, fines, and state decertification. You don’t have to post a name or a face to violate patient privacy.
Sometimes, even details like location, time, age, and the nature of a call can be enough for people to identify a patient or incident. A post starting with, “You won’t believe the call we had today” is already headed in the wrong direction.
Even when you are off duty, anything you post can reflect your service. This is especially true if you are in uniform, displaying a service logo, or your profile lists your service; local people may just know which service you are with. Just one inappropriate post can tarnish the entire department’s reputation.
Future employers, background checks, legal investigators, and even state licensing boards can, and do, look at online profiles. Social media is part of your professional identity, whether you intend it to be or not.
Best practices to keep you out of trouble online include:
Think before you post. Ask yourself, “Would I be comfortable with my chief, my family, or the patient seeing this?” If the answer is no, or even “maybe not”, don’t post it. When in doubt, leave it out. No one ever got fired for not posting something.
Avoid posting anything about calls. Save patient care for the debrief room, not a chat forum. If you need to talk about a tough call, use approved methods in person within a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) process, or a designated peer support person in your service.
Don’t rely on privacy settings; they can change without notice, and screenshots don’t care about privacy settings.
Know and follow your service’s social media protocols
Have separate accounts for professional networking and personal use.
Avoid tagging yourself on inappropriate posts of others
Even if you don’t post inappropriately, your behavior can still end up online. Virtually everyone has a smartphone these days. When you are out on a call or in public, just assume you are being photographed, recorded, or captured on video. Always be professional.
References:
Farnan JM, Snyder Sulmasy L, Worster BK, et al. Online medical professionalism: patient and public relationships: policy statement from the American College of Physicians and the Federation of State Medical Boards. Ann Intern Med. 2013;158(8):620-627. https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/professional-guidelines-social-media-use-starting-point/2015-05 Accessed November 24, 2025,
The HIPAA Journal https://www.hipaajournal.com/hipaa-social-media/#:~:text=Employees%20of%20covered%20entities%20and,been%20acquired%20by%20their%20employer. Accessed November 24, 2025.
