Just under half of nurses, those in nurse manager jobs, health visitors and midwives are stating their profession on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, reports Nursing Times.

According to a survey of 915 people by the website, 46 per cent identified their occupations on social media platforms; while 86 per cent identified themselves by their own name, rather than using a pen name.

A massive 92 per cent said they used security settings to protect their information to some degree on social networks - a tactic recommended by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents - 70 per cent - said they neglected to discuss "nursing or work-related issues" on their profiles. 55 per cent use it to discuss the politics of nursing/health, 48 per cent use it to discuss "professional and clinical practice issues", 27 per cent used it to express views or stories about their working lives and one per cent attempted to pursue a romantic embrace with a colleague.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council has suggested that those who utilise social media have a responsibility to "uphold the reputation of your profession...at all times".

Prof Dickon Weir-Hughes, chief executive of the NMC, told onlinesocialmedia.net about their policy on social media: "I would advise nurses and midwives to exercise caution when using social networking sites. They could risk their registration if they share sensitive information, make inappropriate comments or befriend patients online."