giving your email to a patient, yes or no?

[Sterren]

I had a patient recently that I really connected with. After we discharged her, I wondered how she was doing and wished I'd given her my email address or something so that if she were comfortable with it, she could update me on how things were going for her.

I wondered, though, about the ethics of doing something like this? Is it okay to share your email address with a patient? This is the first time I've ever been tempted to do so, she was just such a great person and going through something really hard. For her part she asked if it was possible for me to float to the unit I discharged her to, so I could continue to be her nurse, and she asked me to come and visit her while she was still hospitalized. So I believe that the connection/bonding/whatever term you want to use went both ways.

Thoughts?

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

No way would I give my e-mail out...but keep in mind, I'm also in psych :)

If I happen to see them out and about and they acknowledge me first (for the sake of their privacy, I won't ever go up to them), then I'll ask them how they are. And we often have patients call the unit to let us know how they're doing...or they'll just show up and be admitted again. But that is all: the relationship ends when he/she is discharged.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

There is a reason that our nametags no longer carry our last names.

I wish that were the case where I work!

Anyway, I did give my email out once. A patient I had was a retired nurse, and also a former clinical instructor in the hospital setting. She'd actually written some articles and some funny essays about her work and wanted to share them with me once she was home and had access to her computer files.

It was my work email, and guess what...she never did contact me.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

99% of the time I would not even consider giving a way for a client to contact me on a personal level. There have been rare moments when I have had a special connection with a client that it crossed my mind to pursue a friendship/relationship. However, I couldn't/woundn't do it. I have always let it go.

[jerenemarie]

My feelings on sharing e-mail with patients...one word, no. I feel work is work & home is home. I recently had a message on my home phone from an out of town family member who was wondering how her mom was doing. I did not call her back from my home but I did talk to the staff member who gave out my home number & informed her giving out personal numbers to anyone is a big No-No. We all need our down time at home, we need to keep our work & private life separate, I feel!

Thanks,

Jerenemarie