Professional boundaries in nursing are one of the most vital aspects which should be addressed within the scope of clinical practices. Professional boundaries allow for establishing good relationships with the patient, limiting the amount of the nurse’s emotional and physical interference with the patient’s life. The safe and patient-centered therapeutic space of the medical organization is established based on professional boundaries. These limitations allow clinicians and nurses to increase the quality of the treatment by focusing on medical-related issues. The establishment of the edges helps to eliminate the disturbance factors, which can significantly decrease the risk of medication errors.
Different strategies help to establish efficient relationships with patients and define professional boundaries as a nurse. The first one is related to avoiding physical contact unrelated to medical practices. This kind of boundary applies to any bodily contact, such as hugs, touches, and handshakes. Some patients seek such interactions considering nurses as the mediators advocating for patients. However, such actions violate the professional behaviors of the nurses and create unnecessary emotional connections, which can lead to adverse results (A Nurse’s Guide to professional boundaries, 2018). Another strategy is to establish the boundaries of the information provided. It includes a privacy rule which highlights that the nurse should guarantee the confidentiality offered by the patient information. Moreover, the nurse also should not share any personal information because it allocates unnecessary emotions, which can be destructive to the treatment process (Correll, 2021). The last strategy is related to the establishment of relationship boundaries. It protects the established medical relationship, which should not evolve feelings disturbing the emotional detachment and the objectivity which are the basis of the patient-nurse relationships.
References
Correll, R. (2021). Maintaining professional boundaries in nursing. Berxi.
National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2018). A nurses’ guide to professional boundaries. NCSBN Inc.