Facebook privacy settings strike again.
Dr. Amy Dunbar, an OB/GYN at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis, is under scrutiny for complaining about a chronically tardy patient on her Facebook wall. Dunbar posted:
So I have a patient who has chosen to either no-show or be late (sometimes hours) for all of her prenatal visits, ultrasounds, and NSTs. She is now three hours late for her induction. May I show up late for her delivery?
Daaaaang.
The post began circulating on the popular Mercy Moms To Be Facebook page, and moms to be (and moms) (and other people) were outraged.
According to The Daily Dot, the hospital has reprimanded Dunbar, calling the doctor’s comments “definitely inappropriate.” They’re now reviewing her Facebook posts to see if she revealed any personal medical history, or violated any privacy regulations.
Here’s the thing, doctors and nurses are allowed to vent about their work situations, and dealing with difficult patients is probably a huge part of that. Who knows why Dunbar’s patient was routinely late — maybe that’s something Dunbar should’ve discussed with her before posting on Facebook? — but the point is, it’s exasperating when people are always tardy for the party. Especially if that party is mandatory for the person who has to pull a baby out of your vagina.
However, being so public about her frustration wasn’t Dunbar’s best idea. If she’d posted to a private Facebook feed, this would be an entirely different situation. As long as medical professionals aren’t revealing client names or confidential information, shouldn’t they be allowed to let off steam? Or is this entirely unacceptable, and Dunbar deserves to lose her job?