moved in with patient's son

Loo17 · Dec 16, 2014

This is a really one sided story (your perspective only). I am sure there are more details, many you probably do not know about. The relationship started after the patient died. It was her son not her husband. Im not sure there is anything wrong with this.

Why does this bother you enough to be considering reporting it?

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Dec 16, 2014

This is a difficult question to answer. If you met the son while taking care of his mother, then I would say it was perhaps not the greatest idea, however, what is done, is done.

Going forward, remember--you are only as good as your character and your integrity. Work and personal life are 2 different things. Sometimes we have to take a long hard look at ourselves to determine what need a relationship that begins because of interactions within your role at work are filling.

This kind of stuff happens every day. At the least, you do need to be able to separate work and home. You need to be certain that you are not in a relationship where you are a caretaker of a grieving, emotionally needy person. You also need to be mindful and careful that you are not in a relationship based on the care you provided and some sort of angel/hero worship--which is an impossible role to be 24/7-365.

It is also feasible that this person is just amazing, incredible, hot, and the chemistry undeniable. That you waited until such time as it was most appropriate to begin a relationship. Just be sure that you are not bragging it up at work. Should a co-worker, a supervisor, or someone else decide to start "looking into" this, and there was at any time some sort of breach (ie: you looked up and wrote down a cell number for him from the mother's contact information, for instance) then it could cost you a job. Or if the relationship goes south and all of a sudden a bunch of "accusations" are occurring (she took advantage of my fragile state!! She got my number from my mother's medical record! She was getting all into my mother's business!)then you may need to move on to another positon.

Medical assistants don't have licenses to uphold, however, they do have jobs that in this economy I would think would want to protect. And a character and professional integrity to keep intact. This has a potential to become messy, but keep your personal life to yourself at work, and going forward your work out of your personal life.

dishes, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2014

A therapeutic relationship is with the client and their family members, if a health care professional enters into a social relationship with a client's family member when the person is vulnerable and dependent (like after a death) then yes, it violates therapeutic boundaries.