title: Multiple relationships in nursing consultation.
abstract: In a consultation relationship, when boundaries are blurred or blended individuals become overinvested and overinvolved with each other. Therefore, nurse consultants must be wary of engaging in overinvolvement in consultation that leads to multiple relationships with their clients that can jeopardize the efficacy of their consultation practice. This article examines the nature of the consultation process, practice, and ethical standards that relate to nursing consultation and multiple relationships in consultation. Emphasis is placed on exploring the particularly problematic multiple relations that occur in nursing consultation and recommendation for dealing with them in practice. Clearly, engaging in multiple relationships in consultation is problematic because of the possibility of exploitation and harm. Nurse consultants must exercise caution before entering into a multiple relationship even when they feel that there is little potential for harm. They must learn how to effectively manage multiple relationships and be prepared to respond to the challenges that they present.
authors.affiliation: Howard University, Division of Nursing, Washington, DC, USA. dwwilson@howard.edu
authors.forename: Deborah W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D032781:Codes of Ethics; D003253:Consultants; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009729:Nursing; D014481:United States