The Pharmaceutical Journal 1 original paper (Vol 289) August 2012 www.pjonline.com Students want more guidelines on Facebook and online professionalism JULIE PRESCOTT, SARAH WILSON and GORDON BECKET “The internet blurs the line between what is personal and what is professional, as well as between self-disclosure and transparency” 1 THE younger generation is growing up online and leaving a digital footprint. 2 This digital footprint may consist of information and behaviour individuals would not openly share as professionals. There have been reports in recent years in the US, the UK and across Europe of students being disciplined or dismissed as a result of posts on Facebook. 3 There have also been reports of doctors being declined for positions due to information employers have found on Facebook. 4 Discussion about the ethics of using social networking sites (SNSs) has started to appear in the lay and academic literature. Research on medical student’s use of SNSs tends to suggest that students do not alter their default privacy settings and therefore their Facebook accounts are accessible to the public. Recently, Finn et al found medical students struggle with negotiating their personal and professional identities both on and offline. 5 Research suggests there is a need for students in the professions to be more aware of the potential consequences of making information visible and accessible to the public, and how to be more professional online. 6 Many students who use Facebook have been found to show little concern about privacy despite knowledge of the privacy settings available. 7 There have been a number of recent studies conducted in the area of student doctors’ use of SNSs, with many concluding that there is a need for clearer guidelines about online professional behaviour. 2,8,9 These studies also suggest a need for more education for student professionals with regard to e-professionalism, and the impact images and information placed on SNSs such as Facebook can have on their professional reputation and identity. It is also suggested that creating unprofessional content online can reflect poorly on a profession itself. 8 With regard to pharmacy students there is a paucity of research in the area of online professionalism and social networking sites. Cain 10 puts forward the notion of e- professionalism and asks whether pharmacy schools in the US should be educating students on the issue of social networking and their future careers as professionals. Pharmacy organisations are increasingly using social networking sites with the aim of improving both communication and the dissemination of information. 11 For example the American Pharmacists Association launched a Facebook group in 2008 and to date has over 13,000 followers. The issue of e-professionalism will continue in the digital age as professionals and student professionals increasingly continue to communicate via online networks. This online communication blurs the boundaries between public and private life. In the US Cain et al 9 developed a 13-item questionnaire for pharmacy students. The study found that students were opposed to authority figures’ use of Facebook for judgements on character and professionalism. Interestingly, more than half of the pharmacy students in a US study intended to make changes to their online posting behaviour after receiving an e-professionalism education session, highlighting the potential benefits of educating professional students on the issue. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of Facebook use and attitudes towards online professionalism and guidance by pharmacy students at one university in the UK. Methods An anonymised online survey was devised and emailed to 350 pharmacy students at a UK university. No incentives were offered for the completion of the survey. Question topics included the use of Facebook, privacy settings and online professional behaviours. Results were analysed by SPSS (version 19). Ethical approval was received from the University of Central Lancashire research ethics committee. Results In total, 91 students completed the survey (a response rate of 26 per cent). Most participants were female (69 per cent), which reflects the general population of the cohort group and most were in the 21–24 years (42 per cent) and 18–20 years age ranges (36 per Aim To investigate pharmacy students’ use of, and attitudes towards, Facebook and professionalism. Design A quantitative, online anonymous survey Subjects and setting 91 pharmacy students at a UK university completed the online survey Results Most students completing the survey were female and most had a Facebook account which they logged onto daily. Results suggest pharmacy students need and want more guidance on online professionalism. Conclusion Although the sample size of the study is small, the findings are nevertheless interesting and insightful and warrant further investigation. The findings indicate that there is a need for students to be more aware of online professionalism, and that they require clear guidelines on online professionalism. These issues may best be dealt with through their undergraduate education in order to prepare students for their careers as healthcare providers. ABSTRACT About the authors Julie Prescott, PhD, is research associate, Sarah Wilson, PhD is lecturer in social pharmacy and Gordon Becket is professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Central Lancashire School of Pharmacy. Correspondence to: Julie Prescott (email jprescott@uclan.ac.uk)