Professional boundary violations: a literature review.

The purpose of this article is to review the nursing literature related to professional boundary violations in nursing. A search was conducted using CINAHL, MEDLINE, Ebscohost, and NCSBN. The key words searched were professional boundaries, boundary violation, boundary crossings, nurse, home health nurses, and home nursing. The search returned over 40 publications related specifically to boundary violations and nursing although only four of them are published research studies and one as a dissertation. Seven common characteristics emerged from the nonresearch nursing articles on professional boundaries: (1) Dual relations/role reversal, (2) Gifts and money, (3) Excessive self-disclosure, (4) Secretive behavior, (5) Excessive attention/overinvolvement, (6) Sexual behavior, and (7) Social media. Additional nursing research is greatly needed in the area of professional boundaries. The nurse-patient relationship should always be maintained for the benefit of the patient and not the personal gain of the nurse. Ongoing education in nursing practice regarding professional boundaries is needed. Nurses need to be mindful of state practice acts, codes of conduct, and employer policies.