Social relationship with patient outside of hospital - is that OK?

[WildflowerRN]

Is it ok to exchange phone numbers, friend a patient on Facebook or to begin a new friendship with patients outside of the hospital?

A nurse I work with did this recently and talks about it, like there's nothing wrong with it!! I don't see how this is different from starting a relationship with a patient.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

The professional boundaries of an appropriate nurse/patient relationship exist for a reason. Those boundaries are not meant to be broken by continuing a relationship with a patient outside the walls of the healthcare facility.

With the limited information I have, it appears your coworker has crossed the boundary into unprofessionalism. We're supposed to be the patient's nurse and advocate, not his/her personal friend or bosom buddy.

[elkpark]

^^^ That.

[SaoirseRN]

I can only see this being okay if the friendship was made outside of work --

And by that I mean, someone who was once a patient, whom you have later encountered somewhere else (mutual friends, attending the same party, for example).

In that case, reasonably the nurse-patient relationship has ended when the social interaction began. I can't see myself doing that, but in that type of scenario, so long as both parties are in agreement, I could be okay with it.

Exchanging phone numbers while signing discharge papers? That's a little much.