Unethical behavior

[kirkwoodnurse]

As a 26 year veteran, I am experiencing something new in my career...a co-worker who had (and continues to have ) a sexual affair with the father (married to the mother) of a set of twins in my NICU. This relationship was ongoing throughout the babies hospital course and even though my NM now knows about it, she says "the couple was having marraige difficulties anyway" and "what do you want me to do, punish her forever !" Our very large, hotsy totsy hospital says there is nothing they can do for this poor Mother who is now raising 2 premie boys. My NM thought the rest of her staff was "OK" with the affair because she has not heard anyone talking about it !! Well, HER staff is NOT OK with it ! WE are repulsed, furious,embarassed and want this RN dismissed ! The NM says the Board of Nursing is involved but I do not believe her. Any superior suggestions ?????:

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

It doesnt matter if we agree with it or not, nurses are held by high standards not only by the public but also by the board of nursing.

Yes, we have high professional standards to maintain. But we're not cergy. Nurses have affairs, cheat on their husbands and wives, break up marriages every day.

I think BON's should stay out of people's bedrooms, unless of course sexual exploitation occurred.

Please note I'm not condoning the behavior, just trying to stay objective.

[leslie :-D]

Could be true.

However, it takes two to tango. The unanswered question is what the scumbag man was thinking. Was he vulnerable and taken advantage of by an evil seductress nurse? Or was he a man with his brains in his member.

i'm not even thinking of the man's motives.

i'm focusing on the professional codes of conduct that we as nurses, are bound to.

that's what we agreed to when we became licensed.

she crossed the line-no grey areas there.

leslie

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

i'm not even thinking of the man's motives.

i'm focusing on the professional codes of conduct that we as nurses, are bound to.

that's what we agreed to when we became licensed.

she crossed the line-no grey areas there.

leslie

Just to let you know I read your post. I don't have anything further comments. :)

[Ann RN]

in pa, the bon could suspend/remove a nursing license for what they consider "crimes of moral turpitude".

moral turpitude

moral turpitude is conduct for which the professional standards and practices commission (commission) may impose discipline on a professional educator as stated in 5(a)(11) of act 141 of 1973 (p.l. 397). under the power given by 5(a)(11), the commission adopted chapter 237 of 22 pa code to define terms, one of which is moral turpitude.

moral turpitude is defined for the purposes of discipline imposed upon a professional educator by the commission in 22 pa code 237.9. it includes the following:

(1) that element and personal misconduct in the private and social duties which a person owes to his fellow human beings or to society in general, which characterizes the act done as an act of baseness, vileness or depravity, and contrary to the accepted and customary rule of right and duty between two human beings.

(2) conduct done knowingly contrary to justice, honesty or good morals.

(3) intentional, knowing or reckless conduct causing bodily injury to another or intentional, knowing or reckless conduct which, by physical menace, put another in fear of imminent serious bodily injury.

the determination of whether a crime or misdemeanor involves moral turpitude is considered in 22 pa code 237.9(b) and ©.

[leslie :-D]

per http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/regs/244cmr009.pdf

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT FOR NURSES

23. Sexual Contact: A nurse licensed by the Board shall not have sexual contact with any patient with whom he or she has a nurse/patient relationship or with any former patient who may be vulnerable by virtue of emotional status, age, illness or cognitive ability.

24. Professional Boundaries: A nurse licensed by the Board shall establish and observe professional boundaries with respect to any patient with whom he or she has a nurse/patient relationship. A licensed nurse shall continue to observe professional boundaries with his or her former patients who may be vulnerable by virtue of emotional status, age, illness or cognitive ability.

25. Relationship Affecting Professional Judgment: A nurse licensed by the Board shall not initiate or maintain a nurse/patient relationship that is likely to adversely affect the nurse's professional judgment.

[ArmyMSN]

In Texas, this is considered Unprofessional Conduct and can be reported to the Board of Nursing.

Texas Administrative Code

TITLE 22 EXAMINING BOARDS

PART 11 BOARD OF NURSE EXAMINERS

CHAPTER 217 LICENSURE, PEER ASSISTANCE AND PRACTICE

RULE 217.12 Unprofessional Conduct

Violating professional boundaries of the nurse/client relationship including but not limited to physical, sexual, emotional or financial exploitation of the client or the client's significant other(s);

Exactly! I'm proud of the Texas BONE. Good for them. This clearly is a case of oversteping the boundaries of the patient/nurse relationship. The father/mother/neonates are all the clients.

[lannisz]

1) The nurse should have at the very least been temporarily assigned to a different unit while that family was in the NICU - if the supervisor knew about the affair.

2) All I can say is KARMA ...it's a good thing...the evil deeds done will come back to haunt this nurse and that "husband"

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

This is distrubing; either i'm too tired to find it, or i just can't find squat about this on the VABON's website. Surely they would have something about boundaries of the nurse/pt. relationship. :stone

[RebeccaJeanRN]

We can't do a darn thing about our 'patients' values and morals. They come from all kinds of backgrounds and with all kinds of ethical standards - or none!- and this guy is obviously a less than stellar example of fatherhood. But for a professional nurse to be working with the mother, and caring for her preemies, and yet carrying on with the father- all of whom can be considered her current and active 'patients'...well, it comes does seem to not only be repugnant, but to cross 'professional boundries'. We are, and should, be expected to conduct ourselves in a manner which could not be construed as sexual exploitation (ie. taking advantage of an extraordinarily stressed family with whom you have a current professional nursing relationship). Therefore I am betting that if this affair started AFTER this family was in this nurse's care, that her employer & BON (per posts above) might actually have legitimate interest and recourse. But if I were a co-worker, I would just try to keep my nose out of things (unless I observed something concretely substandard in her visible practice).

[Narnia456]

Back when I was growing up, (many moons ago!) there was talk of suing for "alienation of affection" anyone ever hear of that?

[CHATSDALE]

we had a case when a cabg pts wife was by his beside, her and their children, taking care of everything he needed and he wound up with a cna

i guess he was due for a mid-life crisis and the cabg put it into overdrive

wife asked that cna be given another assignment but you can't put the genie back in the bottle

he came by the floor some time later with a black shirt open half way down his chest and a big gold necklace along with that ugly scar

he had left his wife, did not wind up with the cna who wound up in prison in a non medical offense

i would say that all men are dogs but my son's dog would bite me

but this is a private manner...getting rid of a guy like this is the best thing that could happen to this wife

[TrudyRN]

Best to keep out of it.

I'm not sure what the nurse's sex life has to do with her work.

Sin, yes, but the answer is prayer, not public meddling by coworkers.