A good nurse-patient relationship is required during the patient’s stay at the hospital to ensure a positive outcome. There are boundaries between a nurse and a patient. These boundaries are set to avoid conflict and keep your relationships with patients strictly professional. But when the time nurse is in a romantic relationship or has financial involvement or any intimate relationship with the patient, he/she will be held accountable for whatever risk of harm it may bring to a patient. And if the Board finds you guilty of such, you will be subjected to disciplinary action by the Board for breaching the boundaries between a nurse and a patient relationship. But before you face the board you should know that a nurse attorney can help at times like these.
At the time of the incident, the LVN was employed as a Licensed Vocational Nurse at a hospital in Edinburg, Texas.
On or about March 29, 2019, through June 19, 2019, the LVN violated the boundaries of the nurse/client relationship in that he emailed and texted Patient DW non-medical communications, including several texts that were sexual in nature. The LVN’s conduct was likely to injure the patient in that it could have resulted in confusion between the needs of the nurse and those of the patient. In addition, Respondent’s conduct may have caused delayed distress for the patient, which may not be recognized or felt by the patient until harmful consequences occur.
In response to the incident, the LVN states he had met and established a relationship with a patient prior to providing nursing services to her. The LVN relates that when he realized the patient had been assigned to his team, he informed his nurse manager who advised him it was not a policy to change a patient’s team due to a nurse having reservations about treating a patient or having known a patient outside. The LVN explains he and the patient started texting again and that patient invited him to her apartment, but the LVN felt uncomfortable about it and did not go.
As a result, the Texas Board of Nursing decided that the LVN will receive a sanction and disciplinary action to ensure that she will never commit such acts again. It may be okay to get close to a patient. But make sure that it’s within the scope of your own practices, as it can cause problems and may cause further harm and issue to anyone.
The case would have yielded a different result if the LVN was able to hire a nurse attorney. So if you also have the same cases or concerns, it’s best to contact Nurse Attorney Yong J. An for further details. You may contact him at (832) 428-5679 to get a schedule for a confidential consultation.