Patient asking for phone number to keep in touch, what do you say?
Updated:
Published
What Members Are Saying (AI-Generated Summary)
Members are sharing their experiences and opinions on whether it is appropriate to give out personal contact information to patients or their families. The general consensus is that it is not recommended, with some members sharing stories of boundary-crossing situations and emphasizing the importance of maintaining a professional relationship. Some members have made exceptions in specific cases, such as staying in touch with families through email or receiving updates from former patients.
A patient that my coworker cared for frequently was being discharged. The patient asked for her name and phone number to keep in touch. And so she did. I wouldn't feel comfortable at all with that. I've noticed patients tend to want to keep in contact with the staff on how they are coming along. Sometimes the patients leave their address and phone numbers behind to keep in touch. Sometimes they ask their nurse for their specific name and contact number.
I was doing a makeup clinical time at the county jail. I had an inmate ask for my phone number. I told him I didn't have a pen to write it down. OMG, he actually bought it. Then he said "Well, I'll give you mine" (At the jail? Are you kidding?) I said again "I don't have a pen to write it down." Took a minute, but the light bulb went on.
Hi Everyone!I guess I'm the only guilty one on the board. I was doing home visits and one of my patients was a little old man who had basal cell carcinoma on the face, he had radical surgery where he almost looked like half of his face was some sort of gory Halloween mask. He and his wife lived in an indpendent care facility, anyway they were so happy with me that they wanted no one else to be his nurse but me. I am such a softie for the elderly. Anyhow they would actually cry and tell me about how some of the nurses were butal. I did give them my pager number, they weren't pestering or anything. If anything it was probably an umbilical cord sort of thing for them.I did break the rule of ethics with one of my patients. Someone here earlier posted that they would only do it if God Himself showed up in person. Weeellll...if you believe in prayer, I had ended a realtionship that was the best I had, when my ex and I were separated. This wonderful man (yup a doc) and I got along so beautifully, he was respectful, loving, understanding, etc., etc. Anyhow out of guilt about not having my kids grow up with their dad I got back together with their dad. BIG MISTAKE!To make a long story short I prayed literally for years almost daily that if God ever gave me a second chance, and send me someone else that I could love and love me back I would never let go. Lo and behold one of my home visit patients was the ONE he sent. It started with giving him my pager number, then it turned to cell phone, then... we just were a couple. My sister reamed me up and down when I first told her my patient was going to cook dinner for me. I still laugh about that. She gave me the whole shpeel about crossing the patient/nurse line of ethics, blah, blah, blah. The love of my life and I have been together thru hell and back since 2001, we've been engaged and God willing will be married 2010. BTW my sister and entire family love him soooooo much. I think sis has forgiven me. Sorry, I do feel like a rebel, but seriously I felt He sent him to me.I hope Florence Nightengale is not rolling over in her grave. I hope someone else has a similar happy story.Oh yeah, only a few selected of my NICU parents had my address. With their child under your direct care for almost months at a time it's not hard to think of one another as a family member. It was great to see pixs of the babies getting older and leading healthy, happy and wondeful lives. Bottom line, if God is not directing you, don't cross those professionaland ethical barriers, it's a big no-no.
I work in NICU. I would not give out my phone number, but I have given my e-mail address to a select few families. For one family, I was in the delivery room when their twins were born, took care of baby B for 11 out of 15 nights that he lived, and then took care of baby A until he went home 2 months later. They send me pictures and updates (baby is crawling, walking, talking, potty trained, etc.) and I have seen them a few times over the last 3 years since they had the twins. They invited me to the christening of the baby, and I have seen them at the Children's Memorial service that my hospital holds every year. We also exchange Christmas cards, and they sent me a birth announcement when they had another baby. I doubt I would give out any personal contact information if I worked with adults.
rnwithtof
34 Posts
I keep in touch with my doctor's nurse through e-mail. I also e-mail an old doctor every now and then.