As the coronavirus pandemic persists Interior Health appears to be keeping its staff on a short leash when it comes to social media.
Castanet News has been contacted by multiple nurses who say they have been reprimanded for social media posts associated with COVID-19.
“Interior Health has a very strict social media policy on a good day, let alone when there is a pandemic,” said an Okanagan registered nurse, who Castanet is keeping anonymous.
“I am increasingly concerned at the level that we as staff members are being censored,” the nurse said, explaining she received a “severe reprimand” after sharing a post on Instagram that urged the public to take the pandemic seriously.
“I would like Kelowna and British Columbia to know what is going on in this pandemic, to implore people to take our leaders seriously. But we, as nurses, and other medical staff can't, because we basically have a gag order from Interior Health,” the nurse told Castanet.
“It concerns me that we do not have a right to free speech, even though they say we do. Even if we follow the guidelines, we still are talked to,” the nurse continued. “We have to be careful what we mention to our friends and family.”
The nurse tells Castanet she and her coworkers have always upheld patient confidentiality while using social media, with the recent reprimands all associated with the pandemic.
“We literally are not allowed to talk about it. It is frustrating, and it doesn't feel right,” the nurse said, adding she is "personally familiar" with others in the same situation.
Castanet has also been contacted independently by two other Interior Health employees over the past three weeks with similar complaints, although they were unwilling to go on the record.
Interior Health spokesperson Susan Duncan said it could not comment on any particular incident without the name of the employee, adding they have not brought in any new policies regarding “an employee’s right to participate in public discussion.”
“Like many organizations, IH has a policy governing media relations and speaking on behalf of the health authority,” Duncan said. “These are long standing policies that are provided to every employee upon hire. Those policies indicate that employees are free to comment on public issues, but not make comments on behalf of Interior Health or enter into public debate regarding Interior Health policies.”
The nurse that was reprimanded provided Castanet with a copy of Interior Health’s social media policy which is in line with Duncan’s statements.
“But what they’re not going to share with you, is that people who are posting WITHIN these guidelines, as I did, are still facing reprimand,” the nurse said. “I just feel it’s so wrong. We are people too, going through this pandemic too. We should be able to tell our story in a way that doesn’t jeopardize our professionalism or the safety/confidentiality of our patients.”
Duncan, meanwhile, says they are encouraging the public to rely on provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry as their primary source of information during the pandemic.
