Nurses and midwives have been given a set of guidelines to help them steer clear of misconduct cases related to the inappropriate use of social network sites.

Many firms and organisations have noticed the popularity and ease of use of the likes of Facebook and Twitter and have opted to create a professional network for the benefit of the increasing number of Gen Y staff.

However, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has seen a notable rise in the number of people being found to be discussing privileged information over the internet – most of the time unwittingly.

Assistant director of professional and public communications at the NMC Andy Jaeger, told People Management magazine the new advice was being made available to the UK’s 660,000 registered nurses and midwives to stem the flow of misconduct cases.

“This guidance is about responsible use and encouraging employers to investigate issues proportionately and seriously, rather than issue blanket bans,” he told the publication.

Facebook is an increasingly powerful website, as it has more than 750 million active users.