Watching a coworker fall in love with a psych pt

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Yikes:eek: I am actually a student, and just finished a wonderful psych rotation. A fellow student, I noticed was getting very personal with one of the pts. She would spend most of her time with him, only talk about him, started wearing low cut shirts (we did not have to wear scrubs) and tanning. They talked about personal things in her life. He complimented her a lot and I think she felt very flattered because she is a bigger girl and maybe not used to this kind of flattery. The pt was very charming and manipulative. I knew something was going on with her, and thought maybe a crush. I told my instructor but then the course was over and figured there was no need to worry about it any longer. I have found out that she is now dating this person! And planning to see him when he gets out. He is certified! I am concerned for her safety but am not very close with her so it is not like i can sit down and have a heart to heart talk with her. Although this pt is doing better and is very charming, he has no insight into his illness and will quit his meds when he is out. He is schizoaffective, bipolar, and has narcissistic personality disorder. He has multiple paranoid delusions and when off meds, even tried to strangle his mother and sister. I do not want to get her kicked out of the program by telling on her, but I am so worried for her safety. Ultimately she is going to wind up hurt in some way or another.

I think your friend needs psychotherapy, because she is not thinking clearly to date this patient, knowing his history.

i noticed that you said the instructor was informed. What happened on that end? I have a feeling she just has to learn the lesson on her own. If she is no longer providing care for the guy then she isn't violating any rules. (now what went on before that is different) if the instructor knows and nothing has been done then the issue is closed, and the student will just have to deal with this relationship that she has gotten herself into.

I work psych and these people learn as a survival skill to be very charming and manipulative//if you a vunerable yhou can easily fall for it....talk with her and try to get through to her...at least you will know that you tried and that is really all you can do

Specializes in Case Management, Life Care Planning.

In Ohio, this is bad, bad, bad. The nurse is to form a therapeutic relationship with the patient. Any physical or emotional involvement compromises this relationship and is a breach of professional responsibility. It is not uncommon for the nursing board here to censure or suspend a nurse who becomes involved with a patient who is under their care. As a side, it is also tremendously unprofessional and impairs the nurses ability to make decisions in regard to the patient. As Martha might say, this is not a good thing.

Ditto to what the above poster said, and when you are hospitalized with a psychiatric problem, you can also be the one that is being manipulated by someone from your medical team. So this has always been a big no-no.....

you can definitel be censured for this if you are licensed, what is the school doing about it? If nothing and they are aware, then they should also be held accountable. Especially if something happens to this student.

May, June, July Missouri State Board of Nursing newsletter (received today)

"Licensee, while on duty had sexual relations with a patient for whom she was providing home health services." Censured

Unreal.

I had a friend and co-worker who the management felt was getting too close to a patient. She swore to me that they were just old friends and that she would never have done anything with him. The managment pulled her from the unit, banned her from having contact with him and basically embarrassed her in front of the whole nursing department. She left the facility shortly after that. Go with your gut feeling, if you think that he is going to be off his meds and a danger to her then you want to at least talk to her. Maybe he is trying to get it together though. A nursing student may be more able to help him and keep him on his meds. To be honest it may turn out to be a disaster either way.

Specializes in private duty/home health, med/surg.

I just took a required training session on mental health patient rights, and this was one of the things we talked about. The instructor had a recent case of a young caretaker falling for a very charming, manipulative psych patient. She got in trouble because under Michigan's Recipient's Rights code, she was guilty of sexual abuse.

I have no idea what standards a student is held to. At the very least, it sounds like she is making a poor personal choice. Even if this relationship doesn't work out, there may be other patients down the line after she's licensed that she will allow herself to have inappropriate feelings for.

Specializes in ER/Trauma.

I have witnessed this situation on 2 occasions during my psych career, both ended with devastating results for nurse and pt. One pt ran away from the hosp, and the nurse allowed the pt to come to his house. Because pt was on voluntary commitment, they could not force her to return to treatment, however the nurse was terminated, brought up before BON, and had charges pressed against him when the former pt went off meds and filed rape and imprisionment/kidnapping charges. This RN eventually moved to another town as he was unable to work in any facility after that. (small town, everyone knew situation)

2nd situation involved a psych tech, who happened to be mom to one of my good friends. She fell in "love" with one of the male pts on the unit she was assigned to. Whne he was discharged, she left her husband and moved the former pt in with her. They eventually married, however he is non compliant with meds, manic depressive and when off meds, becomes a danger. She no longer works at hosp, resigned before the DON could begin a termination proceeding. I cannot tell you how shattered this family is, even years after the fact. The woman routinely has police at her residence for domestic abuse issues, yet does not leave as she feels responsible for him. The daughter (my freind) has nothing to do with mom anymore because of the votililty of the situation. The current husband accuses any family or friends of "being against him and turning her against him" as well. HE is a master manipulator, and sadly, with her years of experience, she does not see it.

Not sure any of this helps you in your decision, but you asked if anyone had first hand experience in the situation. I side with the other posters who advise you should report this to your instructor right away. In engaging in an inappropriate relationship, she is demostrating poor judgment before she even becomes a licensed professional. As far as the pt goes, this is not a theraputic intervention or environment, and can do MUCH more harm than good.

Good Luck and let us know how this turns out?

+ Add a Comment