Nurse/Patient relationship

Nurses Professionalism

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I am a female nurse and happily married, who took care of a female patient recently. We talked about art and showed our art to each other during a slow period on the floor. I received a thank you note from her today thanking me for the care I gave her.  She said she was interested in the art I did and would like to know more about it and would I be interested in getting together over a cup of coffee. Seems innocent enough but I just don’t know if it is the right thing to do. 

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
22 hours ago, InToTheWoodsRN said:

I am a female nurse and happily married, who took care of a female patient recently. We talked about art and showed our art to each other during a slow period on the floor. I received a thank you note from her today thanking me for the care I gave her.  She said she was interested in the art I did and would like to know more about it and would I be interested in getting together over a cup of coffee. Seems innocent enough but I just don’t know if it is the right thing to do. 

You thinking correctly!

 

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Specializes in All areas of Critical Care, ED, PACU, Pre-Op, BH,.

Don't cross the boundaries. 

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Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.

Same advice here.

I've had an invitiation to coffee (totally innocent) and a dinner invitation (not so innocent I suspected). In both cases I politely explained that my professional code doesn't allow me to cross that red line regardless of how much I might get on with a patient. A patient must remain a patient. You've had too much access to confidential information at a time when she was vulnerable . You were in a position of relative power. That makes it too unusual and uncomfortable for a friendship. 

And if the day comes when she's back in your care, then you're really in trouble.

Sad to give up the possibility of a potentially nice friendship, but it's something we all have to do. When we're at work, we're kind, pleasant and sociable. But we're not socialising.  

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Specializes in All areas of Critical Care, ED, PACU, Pre-Op, BH,.

Wow this going out with a patient, no matter how innocent it may seem?  Crosses boundaries big time!

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Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.

Others have stated the same, but resist any temptation to create a social relationship with a one-time patient.

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