As a Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT) registered to practice with The College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario (CMLTO), I am bound by a set of professional obligations. These obligations are outlined in the CMLTO’s Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. As a self-regulated health professional, I also follow the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (Ontario).
As guidance documents, they outline my professional values as:
- Guide the professional practice of MLTs.
- Represent the minimum standards of professional behaviour and ethical conduct expected of all MLTs.
- Apply to MLTs at all times in all dimensions of professional practice, including technical and nontechnical fields such as education, administration, quality assurance, and research.
- Specify the minimum standards against which MLT’s performance will be judged when undertaking the activities required for safe and effective professional practice.
- Promote the continuing competence of MLTs by helping members identify opportunities for professional practice improvement.
The CMLTO recognizes that these are discrete activities, and can only guide practice. They specify that “MLTs must utilize a combination of their knowledge, skill, judgement and attitude to adjust to changing circumstances and evolving environments” (Standards of Practice, pg. 6).
In 2009, the Regulated Health Professions Statute Law Amendment Act, 2009 (Ontario) was released. This document requires “health colleges to work together to develop common standards of knowledge, skill and judgement in areas where their professions may provide the same or similar services”.
With this amendment, professions must work collaboratively with each other to further the interests of patient focused care. A recent example of this on my team was when we collaborated with an Obstetrician and nursing to find a solution to a patient who was at high risk for bleeding complications. She had a rare blood antibody and there was no compatible blood in Canada. The patient wanted to deliver at our hospital instead of a high-risk obstetrics centre. Together, with a high level of communication, we collaborated on a care plan and had a successful outcome.
As a professional, I am also obligated to my employer to conduct myself professionally. The Code of Conduct and Privacy at my hospital applies to all of my activities. It does not matter if I am at work or at home discussing my work on a personal social media account.
When I am on social media, I am representing myself as a person, an employee, and as a profession. I cannot say things that could be construed as medical advice (RHPA), negative towards my colleagues or employer, or reveal confidential health information of patients I may be caring for (Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 2019).
When I reviewed my social media presence with a google search, I was confident I would have minimal presence. I am not an active user on many platforms, and I changed my last name in 2017. This was essentially a fresh start of my searchability on the goggle search engine. I found nothing that would be considered unprofessional. A search of my maiden name also did not reveal anything that would be unprofessional, as old accounts had high security settings.
I am part of a workplace that does monitor their online profile with a program that combs the web looking for keywords about our hospital. I have, unfortunately, had to participate as a leader in a conversation with an employee about appropriate online conduct after they were flagged as saying something negative about the hospital.
My goal is to increase my professional presence online. I plan on presenting myself as a stronger advocate for my profession and present myself as knowledgeable about a range of health issues that would look attractive to future employers. Part of this social media plan is to ensure that I am ranked higher than other people with the same name so ensure that I am being found correctly. To do this, I am learning about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) through google.
As an update at the completion of my first Master’s course, when I review my professional presence online as well as my completed e-portfolio I can say that I have achieved my professional presence goal. I have an e-portfolio that contains numerous health topics that demonstrate that I have a breadth of knowledge of the health system outside of the lab. It also demonstrates that I understand where I as a laboratory leader sit within the health system. What I believe is evident in my professional portfolio is that I understand the importance of decision making and the impact of good – and bad – health policies.
Although I worked on understanding SEO, this e-portfolio is not (yet!) on the front page of the google search engine. From what I understand, my site does not have a lot of site authority yet and it will take time and consistency of content updates to slowly increase (Patel, n.d.). I am up for that challenge.
Ultimately, when I contribute to the conversation about a range of healthcare topics, I promote my profession. Lab Technologists have a unique knowledge that should be shared with other professionals, colleagues, patients, and friends. By showing pride for what I do and taking the time to promote quality and best practices, I support improved patient care and a better and more collaborate health system for all of us.
References
Are You Confident That Your Social Media Use Isn’t Breaching Hospital Policy? (2020). Michael Garron Hospital iCare. https://icare.tehn.ca/bulletin/are-you-confident-your-social-media-use-isn%E2%80%99t-breaching-hospital-policy
Code of Ethics. (2017) The College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario. http://www.cmlto.com/images/stories/About_CMLTO/cmlto_coe_sept_2017.pdf
Medical Laboratory Technology Act, 1991, S.O. 1991, c. 28 https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/91m28
Patel, N. (n.d.) SEO Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Guide for 2020. https://neilpatel.com/what-is-seo/
Privacy and social media in the workplace. (rev. August 2019.) Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/employers-and-employees/mobile-devices-and-online-services-at-work/02_05_d_41_sn/
Regulated Health Professionals Act, 1991, S.O., 1991, c. 18. https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/91r18
Regulated Health Professions Statute Law Amendment Act, 2009, S.O. 2009, c. 26 – Bill 179. https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/s09026
Standards of Practice. (2017) The College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario. http://www.cmlto.com/images/stories/About_CMLTO/cmlto_sop_sept_2017.pdf