Anything you say can be used against you

Actually, anything you say or write can be used against you. Keep this in mind when dealing with patients, employers, adverse parties and the Board. What may seem like a simple phone call may be tape recorded and used against you later. Most people, including businesses and the Board, have caller ID, so those anonymous calls are not so anonymous. A letter or note or email to a "friend" may haunt you later. Some of the most damaging information used against a nurse came from "friends."

Online chat rooms, myspace accounts, forums, etc. are other places where you must be careful. For example, I have seen posts by nurses who were bragging about substance abuse or venting about inappropriate care of patients online. I have figured out who certain nurses are by reading their posts and if I can figure it out, the Board or opposing attorneys may also be able to determine identities. I have heard the Board chastise a nurse for inappropriate and inaccurate comments made online.