Boundaries to Nurse-Patient Relationship

Introduction

The professional workers in the hospitals serve the people with all their knowledge and skills in medicine. Through their standardized habits and principles in working inside the hospital a relationship is settled between the patients and the health care providers. That relationship is build with trust and through the selfless service of the health care providers the quality of care is being delivered.

Background and Problem Statement

Health care providers such as doctors and nurses are under the umbrella of the hospital organization to serve their patient with all their knowledge and skills. Most of the time, the nurses are the personnel that creates a full connection with the patients. From time-to-time, the nurses take a round for observation and monitoring in the status of the patients. Through that simple practice, the nurses are establishing an open communication with the patients that can help them provide more service. However, the hospital and health care organizations settled a standard that is called the Professional Boundaries, but on what way that the Professional Boundaries can affect the nurse-patient relationship?

Research Objectives

The study found two basic objectives which is first is to determine the boundaries of the nurse-patient relationship according to the Professional Standards. And second is to push the idea about the benefits that the standards might cause another justification on the strong relationship of the nurses toward their patients.

Research Questions

The study acknowledges the importance of a relationship in terms of promoting the quality of health. Therefore, there are several questions being prepared to help the study achieved or meet its objectives.

1. What are the common applied methods or practices of the nurses to answer the needs of the patients?

2. What are the behaviors of the nurses that can be avoided in creating the relationship?

3. What is the impact of the Professional Boundaries Standards in the practice and health outcome of the patients?

Literature Review

The nurse-patient relationship has been established to maintain the application of the professional knowledge and skills and being facilitated by the nurses. Through the attitudes of the nurses as well as their behaviors, the center of the therapeutic care can be successful. Through the relationship, the nurses will perform according to his or her duty and aims for meeting the patient’s needs and the positive health outcome. The relationship can also serve as the basis of the decision-making and can be also under some limitations. The limitation in the nurse-patient relationship is called the Professional Boundaries Standards (Professional Boundaries Standards for Nurses, 2005). The standard is focus mainly in the therapeutic relationship of the nurse and patients. Within the line of the therapeutics relationship, the deliverance of the professional relationship is emphasized, which all are pertaining to the interaction of the patient and nurses in meeting the outcome of health. The nurse is the one responsible all throughout the relationship and they are also challenged by some external needs that are out of their profession (NBV, 2007). The creation of the boundaries can limit the connection between the patient and nurse and the can avoid the issue of harm and other similar forms such as sexual attraction. In addition, the economic needs of any parties can be also avoided in the areas of medical practice. The boundaries are created to ensure that the nurses are obeying or to comply on their role in the therapeutic relationship. The Professional Boundaries Standards is also guided by the ethical and moral values within the hospital settings (Mallett, 2002). Through the limitation in the relationship, the power can be applied by the nurses can be assisted by the rules of conduct and with awareness and validity for they duly created a decision.

Methodology

The suggested method in the study is the use of the comparative case study. The applied method will provide the idea in where the current study can inherit the learning from the past literature. Through the review, comparison of the different professional views, and identifying the different situations, the comprehensive analysis can be generated. In addition, the ethical practice implemented within the hospitals can be also the basis for the effective adoption of the nurses on the Professional Boundaries Standards.

Conclusion

The ultimate purpose of the boundaries in the nurse-patient relationship is to assist the nurse in creating the valid decision because of the spaces provided between them and their patients. The professional behavior of the nurses is also tested in which they must act according to what they learned and not entirely through their feelings.

References:

Mallett, R., 2002. Professional and Expectation for Nurse-Client Relationship in the Home Setting [Online] Available at: http://www.ohpco.org/pdf/white_paper_professional_boundaries_and_expectation_for_nurses.pdf [Accessed 08 March 2010].

NBV, 2007. Professional Boundaries - Guidelines for Registered Nurses in Victoria, Nurses Board of Victoria [Online] Available at: http://www.nbv.org.au/c/document_library/get_file?p_l_id=10327&folderId=13039&name=DLFE-241.pdf [Accessed 08 March 2010].

Professional Boundaries Standards for Nurses, 2005 [Online] Available at: http://www.nursingboardtas.org [Accessed 08 March 2010].