Am I in violation of code of ethics?

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Apr 1, 2015

Thank you. That makes the picture much clearer.

I do hope you'll take what has been said to you into consideration and learn how to set (and abide by) professional boundaries. I can't overemphasize how crucial it is that you understand why you mustn't take clients into your home, buy them things, take them places etc. The members here have given you some excellent advice. Please take it in the manner in which it has been offered; your career going forward may depend on it.

Nursey916 · Apr 1, 2015

No offense to you, but we are on a blog. I do not have to lie to you or be untruthful to make myself appear a certain way. When I say I did not know, I mean that I did not know. It definitely is something I wondered about but like I said I never even received a policies and procedures handbook from my job and I'm a very unseasoned nurse who has very little experience in the field and was in school 8 years ago. Please be kind.

Nursey916 · Apr 1, 2015

Thank you so very much for the kind and non judge mental comments and advice! I will definitely be making some major changes!! And that comment below was addressed to "newboy" not you :)

BrandonLPN, LPN · Apr 1, 2015

I'm not trying to be rude, but even if you weren't a nurse, taking clients into your home to live with you for any period of time would still be unprofessional and extremely ill-advised. Apart from everything else, it is dangerous. If you were an unlicensed caregiver working at this daycare center, all of this would still be inappropriate. If any of your non-nurse co workers are engaging in these activities, they'd be well-advised to stop, too.

Krzysztof · Apr 1, 2015

First, I have not read the entirety of this thread and its replies. Of those I HAVE read, I cannot disagree. However, I DID want to take a moment to say that I UNDERSTAND your actions and admire your level of humanitarian compassion. I am not unlike you. I find it very, VERY difficult to disengage. Is this unhealthy? Perhaps. But it is not far from what I would HOPE my family and friends find from strangers after I'm gone. I'm neither robot nor corporate shill. (To those offended: I'm not referring to YOU. I'm referring to someone else LIKE you.)

Again, I understand what other contributors are saying - and I do not disagree. Just know that you are NOT "bad" or "stupid" for doing what you've done. It may have been "unwise" from many angles - true. But once all is said and done, and we're all worm food and our human-borne occupational "licenses" have become potting soil for future turnip plants, you MAY have made a real difference in someone's life experience. AGAIN - I don't say what you've done is RIGHT. I'm conflicted about posting this reply - but I often do think beyond our prescribed earthly "jobs" at times. I may well think differently tomorrow. Today, I say screw it - you may have helped someone. For those who disagree, fine.

Nursey916 · Apr 1, 2015

Thank you for your kind reply. I would hope that at the end of the day whether I'm in violations of professional or ethical standards that people would understand how much I truly love my members. I hope i hAve made a difference in the lives of these people. I'm a true believer in a higher power and karma and I know that I've always had the best of intentions.

allnurses Guide · Apr 1, 2015

Thinking that patient boundaries are something you would find in a Policy and Procedure Manual or as part of orientation sounds all wrong even if you were a nurse for 5 minutes 20 years ago. Are you saying you don't remember the ethics section of your nursing program? In any case this should help you:

ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses With Interpretive Statements

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Apr 1, 2015

I can get my license taken for taking someone into my home out of the kindness of my heart? I know as a nurse we have professional boundaries to uphold but part of why I got into the profession is because I love helping people. I never had any ill intentions or ulterior motives doing any of the things I've done. The Bon wouldn't understand that?

No, the BON would NOT understand that. As a person, you may be kind and have an open heart and mind and feel so much sympathy for the people you have grown close to.

However, as a nurse, you are there to meet immediate needs of the nursing variety, advocate with other disciplines to meet needs, and refer to outside agencies. And to report abuse.

I am also curious that if the clients are in adult daycare because they have been referred by their case managers/social services as part of a discharge plan from a facility/acute care, whatever. If so, they have social services in place. So you would have a referral person to contact with issues as they come up.

Finally, you had claimed OP that this is not a "real" nursing job. What is your title? Are you considered a nurse, or an assistant, or what? If you are not working as a nurse, you may want to put your license on inactive at present (after checking what that would entail to quickly activate it should you need to for a future job) just because until you learn how to ethically set boundaries, your license may be at risk even if you are not working as a nurse.

Know all of your resources, and use them. If the clients don't have clothes, do a clothing drive. If the clients need shelter, call the local women's hotline and have someone come see the client.

Intent is not something one can initially see. And is subjective. Being kind to your clients doesn't equate a friendship or family. It takes one third cousin twice removed to come crawling out of the woodwork to put your professional life into a tailspin. Or one irate and irrational husband. Or a family member to notice all those "nice new clothes" and game over. There is more than one relative who is most concerned with the social security check they get each month--and will do just about anything to keep their family under their control. You need to be mindful of other's views of your intent.

I suggest that you seek counseling to really find out why it is you attach to people that are in your nursing care. I would research other outlets for your intentions. There are some church groups who have people who take others into their home, do charitable works, and overall helping on the level in which you are describing. That has not a thing to do with your job. Because your personal life is your life, and your job is your job. And the two are separate.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Apr 1, 2015

All the staff members have done things individually for the members. We have bought people car batteries, paid their electric bill, etc etc. Every single member at one point has had something they needed done for them. There has been no favoritism.

And that defeats the purpose of what you all are doing. Social services has many, many outlets to help the people under your care. To start personally doing multiple favors is just not a client/nurse relationship. Huge conflict of interest, and a state licensing board would have a field day with all of this.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Apr 1, 2015

And that defeats the purpose of what you all are doing. Social services has many, many outlets to help the people under your care. To start personally doing multiple favors is just not a client/nurse relationship. Huge conflict of interest, and a state licensing board would have a field day with all of this.

Also worth mentioning is that County and State social services are budgeted, with the general understanding of the number of people needing services as well as the types of services needed.

If there is a facility that has its' staff members providing these services themselves, there will NEVER be enough funding to cover the expenses, even partially, because these clients have never accessed them. If allotments aren't used, they evaporate.

This isn't to say that every want and need are met simply by asking the government agencies that handle it, it DOES mean that you will never have the funding needed if the true numbers (and needs) are never known by those agencies.

RescueNinjaKy · Apr 1, 2015

I want to point out that just about must nurses have the best intentions for their patients. We all care in our our ways and want to make a difference, the only thing is we are doing all that while following procedures, and professional boundaries.

Here's a harsh way to look at it: your intentions and good Will means absolutely nothing, all that matters is how your actions come across, and they come across as violating the nurse to patient boundaries. I can have the best intentions for my patient who smokes so I steal all his cigarettes and destroy them but hey I'm still gonna get in trouble for stealing and destroying his personal belongings.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Apr 1, 2015

I can't read all the comments but I will agree with most of them. I can't even fathom bringing a patient to my house. Have I felt bad for one? Yes? But have I ever wanted to bring one to my house? Oh hell no!

I want to leave work at work. I have never wanted to even friend request a patient. There's a line that as nurses we should never cross. You have crossed that line many, many times.

If someone didn't have clothes, was being abused or didn't have a place to go I would direct them to social services or I would contact APS. That is their job, to get those people what they need. You worked hard in school to get your license, why throw it away by doing stuff like that? The board won't look at you as you just trying to be nice.

There's a line that you should never cross & you should've been taught that in nursing school, even if your job/boss never tells you. Even common sense should tell you.