Professional boundaries between Nurses/Healthcare staff and patients

The interactions between healthcare staff and patients must be therapeutic & professional.

Professional Boundaries: What Are They?

Professional boundaries are a set of guidelines that shield staff members and patients from harm. Staff members need to be aware that they are in a position of authority in this relationship, and they must not misuse it.

Some signs of crossing professional boundaries:

• Meeting with patients outside of the scope of employment
• Making inappropriate use of social media & posting about a patient contact through photo or comment
• Flirting or inappropriate touching

Extraneous communication outside of a professional relationship

Importance of having Professional Boundaries:

A professional boundary violation may result in a termination of employment. Staff members are in charge of establishing and keeping professional boundaries in every interaction to guarantee the safety and protection of patients.

Consequences of violating professional boundaries:

For patients: When professional boundaries are crossed, it often causes stress for the patient on a mental and physical level and can affect their current state of health.

For healthcare staff: Crossing professional boundaries might result in a healthcare worker’s employment being terminated.

Few steps to maintain the integrity of your professional boundaries::
– Treat every patient with respect and decency, and always prioritise their needs.
– Maintain the privacy of all patient and family information, only discussing patients with other professionals when absolutely essential, and only asking for information about patients when it is truly necessary.

How to report your concerns?

Most employees abide by these guidelines. When professional boundaries are occasionally violated, we must take fast action to stop any further harm. There are several ways to report concerns.
Contact Details:
– Trust Safeguarding and Public Protection Team contact/Telephone: 0191 245 6698
– Police:101
– Trust Complaints Team Telephone: 0191 245 6672 or email:complaints@cntw.nhs.uk
– Chaplaincy Service contact number: 0191 246 6800

For more information about professional boundaries, please visit here