Ethics and professional conduct
Privacy, boundaries, speech, advertising and AI online, and what U.S. boards expect when a post goes wrong
U.S. licensed health professionals: physicians and residents, PAs, nurse practitioners and other APRNs, RNs and LPN/LVNs, pharmacists, dentists and dental hygienists, therapists and other licensees.
Structured learning and a written reflection to show insight after a complaint, an investigation or a board inquiry.
Focused learning on a core standard of practice, with a certificate and reflection for your portfolio.
This course looks closely at how U.S. licensees can use social media, messaging and other online tools safely and professionally. It covers HIPAA de-identification and authorization for clinical images and testimonials, searching for patients online, professional accounts and direct messages, workplace group chats, health information and misinformation, workplace speech under the National Labor Relations Act, advertising and endorsements under FTC rules, online reviews, giving advice across state lines, filming at work, generative AI, impersonation and harassment.
It is written for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and other APRNs, registered and practical nurses, pharmacists, dentists and dental hygienists, therapists and other licensed health professionals, whether they post as individuals, run a practice account or build a public audience. It is also useful for anyone responding to an employer or board concern about online conduct.
In the United States, online conduct is judged under several layers at once: state practice acts and board rules, national guidance from the AMA, FSMB and NCSBN, federal privacy, consumer protection and labor law, and employer policy. One post can lead to employment action, a board investigation and federal enforcement at the same time. This course gives you the specific rules, realistic cases from across the country and a practical plan so that your online presence supports your practice rather than putting your license at risk.
10 sections · 25 lessons · 3 hours · 20-question final assessment
Final assessment
20scenario-based questions
Certificate of completion
Certificate of completion. Not CE or CME credit unless accepted by your board.
The course includes a structured reflective account template: guided prompts to record what you learned, how you will apply it and how the change will show in your practice. It gives you written evidence of insight after a concern, and a ready record for your learning portfolio.
Write it in your own words and leave out anything that could identify a patient, a colleague or a case. If you have an open complaint or case, talk to your adviser before reflecting on it in writing.
Not necessarily. Tattoos, rare conditions, dates, locations and background details can still identify a patient. The course applies HIPAA de-identification standards to posts, case discussions and images, and explains when a written HIPAA authorization is required and what it must contain.
Some speech is protected, including certain discussions with coworkers about working conditions under the National Labor Relations Act. But boards and employers can act on posts that breach privacy, harass, mislead the public or show unprofessional conduct. The course explains where those lines usually fall.
Yes. FTC rules on endorsements, testimonials, health claims and consumer reviews apply to practice marketing and influencer activity, including disclosure of paid relationships. The course explains those rules alongside state advertising restrictions and professional guidance from the AMA, FSMB and NCSBN.
Remove or secure the content, record what was posted and when, notify the people you need to (your employer, insurer or counsel where appropriate) and avoid public arguments. The course gives a structured response for the first 48 hours and explains how to prepare a credible response if a board gets involved.
$89 for three online hours, using realistic cases from across the country. Checks along the way and a final 20 questions at 80%; passing gives a certificate and a reflection that becomes your personal social media plan. Access starts immediately, and no CE credit is claimed.
Every legal and regulatory point comes from primary sources: state practice acts and board rules, federal law and national professional codes of ethics. Anything we cannot confirm is left out.
Lessons, scenarios and assessment questions are written by us for each edition separately, then checked for accuracy, teaching quality and fair assessment before publication.
When a code, standard or law changes, the affected courses are reviewed and updated. Reported errors in legal or regulatory facts are corrected first.
Crossings, violations and sexual misconduct; chaperones, gifts, treating family and social media, using AMA, FSMB, NCSBN and AAPA guidance.
HIPAA for licensees, not just employees: TPO, minimum necessary, duty to protect, 42 CFR Part 2, patient access rights and breach notification.
How boards judge professionalism: unprofessional conduct, disruptive behavior, impairment, reporting duties, online statements and honest license renewals.
