question about personal boundaries

[sghanem1]

Hello,

I cannot seem to find a legal strait forward answer for an issue regarding personal boundaries.

I am a pediatric home health nurse that attends one patient for 2 10 hour shifts every other weekend.

In my personal life, one of my hobbies is breeding and raising dwarf bunnies.

I was contacted by the parents of the child I care for separate from my professional time with them asking to purchase a baby bunny. They chose and purchased one from me at the normal sale price.

My job has told me this was a breech of professional boundaries.

Is this correct? Was I breaching professional boundaries when I sold this bunny?

Any answer is appreciated, just be nice. Thank you

[caliotter3]

I can't believe that nurse tried to get you in trouble for this. I think it's minor. Then again, I work for an agency that doesn't care about anything unless the family complains. Caliotter3 is right, don't turn your back on that nurse. Meanwhile, I work with a nurse that recuperated at the patient's house after having a surgical procedure!!! (yes, I saw this with my own eyes as did the supervisor)

I know a nurse who virtually lives at the client's apartment and interferes in the client's family problems; the agency knows and condones this.

[studentnursemon86]

Considering how some things can go with home care, this sounds so silly. You didn't ask them to buy a bunny. They asked you on your off time on a side business that you have. Would it have been the same if you had a part time job at a car dealer and sold them a car? They sought you out and didn't even know it was you right away.

My sister has special needs and her agency has aides that get away with murder. One sleeps on client's couches. I've seen it (I used to work for the same agency). She also got involved with the uncle of a client who was staying there; the guy was still married. That same client fell down the stairs on her watch. She was sleeping on the couch. The client broke her ankle in the process.

She still works there...

That is so much worse than selling a bunny, right?

[Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN]

I know a nurse who virtually lives at the client's apartment and interferes in the client's family problems; the agency knows and condones this.

Wow, but I guess these boundary issues happen more than I thought.

[caliotter3]

Wow, but I guess these boundary issues happen more than I thought.

For the most part, I've found the agencies to preach "boundary maintenance" but they never practice what they preach. I even worked for one agency where a nurse left a case because she was unable to maintain boundaries. What happened? She was rewarded for this by displacing two nurses from their livelihood by taking over their shifts on another case so she could work full time. The agency did this. The parents requested that the two replaced nurses not lose their livelihood, but the agency gave the nurse who could not maintain boundaries full time work and chucked the other two nurses into the garbage. Agencies give no care to boundaries. I can not remember the last case I was on, where boundaries were not being violated by one or more of the nurses. It is very, very common.

[nursel56]

They responded to an ad locally not realizing it was me.

Neither of us thought it was wrong and when another nurse was on shift she asked where they got it and they told her.

The nurse reported to office it was a gift.

So now you know you work with a vicious backstabber who is willing to at the very least shade the truth and at the most tell an untruth to your employer. In this case I would definately write up a document explaining exactly what happened, including your interactions if any with the tattletale. I'm usually the nicest person in the world, but I tangled with her type often enough to know you need to put a stop to that right away. Those types hate the spotlight.

[HappyWife77, BSN, RN]

Who cares if a child gets a bunny rabbit!?! That is crazy....

especially considering the details.