Nurse having personal relationship with patient

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My friend being a quad and having a HH nurse is also having a personal relationship with her when shes off the clock. Can that get her in trouble??

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Specializes in tele, stepdown/PCU, med/surg.

What if she's ever called into court and asked why she did a certain nursing action? She's gonna have a VERY difficult time proving that she is "objective" in providing nursing care.

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Specializes in cardiac/critical care/ informatics.

It is very unethical, and it is taught in nursing that it is wrong. Just like it is wrong for a doctor to have a relationship with a patient. Most facilities have a policy against it, and probably she would be fired for it.

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Specializes in Cardiac/Telemetry.
My friend being a quad and having a HH nurse is also having a personal relationship with her when shes off the clock. Can that get her in trouble??

I don't it's appropriate. However, things happen in life that we just can't stop. I'm not condoning it b/c it is taught in nursing school that it is wrong and "frowned upon", but there are things happen, especially when it pertains to things about love.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Only.

Its not unethical, but it is looked down upon.

I do peds home health, and I have good relationships with all of my kids and their parents, and the parents talk about things with me that are personal, and I just listen and give advice.

a lot of home health patients dont get out a lot as well, and its so easy to become attached to a nurse, or someone who is always there to help you.

I do know there are certain things people do in my company that wouldnt be considered 'right'. Some nurses have watched the patient longer so that the parents can go out to dinner, and they do so off the clock. Its expecially true when the patient is a chronically sick kid, and its very hard to find someone to babysit. Thats the nurses choice..and I cant say that I disagree with that choice..

Its just my 2 cents..theres a fine line between it all.

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I am a parapaligic...and I have been a few relationships with some of my nurses and I thought nothing with it....jb

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From my own experience : Never in my wildest imaginations did I expect to have a personal relationship with a patient. It just wasn't an "accepted" practice --- actually, very much frowned upon. However, I never in my wildest imaginations expected to find myself single at the ripe old age of 45 either !! As fate would have it, a newly widowed pt. ( I was working in an office setting ) caught me off guard one day by asking me out to dinner.

It was at that dinner, over 6 yrs. ago, that I met my soul mate -- my best friend & now husband. Saying yes to that dinner changed my life forever -- for the better.

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Specializes in Ortho/Neuro.

If they want to pursue this relationship, she needs to resign her position as his nurse.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Soon as i read the title, the word "NO" came to mind.

She either needs to quit her job, or quit the relationship, to have both is inappropriate.

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It is unethical. The nurse is crossing boundaries, companies will fire them over it and the state board of nursing will reprimand them. When establishing a nurse/patient relationship, most patients are considered to be in a position of vulnerability and the nurse is often seen in a position of power. This relationship is to provide for the patient's needs, not the nurse's.

Of course you have to use common sense too but in the case of a home health nurse it is definately inappropriate. I am also certain that the ANA addresses professional boundaries.

This most often happens with long term nurse/patient relationships such as dialysis and home health nursing but also can occur in any setting such as a mental health unit. Showing concern and offering help is much different however you still need to make sure extra efforts are not taken the wrong way.

If the relationship does turn bad then the nurse is held responsible for the emotional harm done to the patient.

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No. As others have said, she cannot be objective in giving care. She may become so busy being a friend that she does not do her job as a nurse.

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If they want to pursue this relationship she needs to resign her position as his nurse.[/quote']

So if she resigns as his nurse and still works for the same company, it would be ok then?

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