Boundaries in the Nurse-Patient Relationship

Boundaries in the Nurse-Patient Relationship

  • Material- Physical property
  • Social- Culture and how individuals are expected to behave in social situations
  • Personal- “physical distance boundaries” and “emotional boundaries”
  • Professional- limit and outline expectations for appropriate professional relationships with patients. Concerns associated include:-
    • Self-disclosure
    • Gift-giving
    • Types of touch- Functional-professional, Social-polite, Friendship-warmth, Love-intimacy, Sexual arousal
    • Friendship or romantic association
  • Warning signs that indicate that professional boundaries of the nurse–patient relationship may be in jeopardy
    • Favoring one patient’s care over another’s
    • Keeping secrets with a patient
    • Changing dress style when working with a particular patient
    • Swapping patient assignments to care for a particular patient
    • Giving special attention or treatment to one patient over others
    • Spending free time with a patient
    • Frequently thinking about the patient when away from work
    • Sharing personal information or work concerns with the patient
    • Receiving of gifts or continued contact and communication with the patient after discharge

Share:

More Posts

Flu and Older Adults

Español Each year, millions of people suffer from seasonal influenza, which is often called the flu. Flu is a respiratory illness caused by viruses that

Handwashing Facts

WHAT TO KNOW Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water. CDC recommends cleaning hands in a