title: Professional boundaries in the nurse-patient relationship.
abstract: Complaints about failures to maintain professional boundaries are increasing, with the Nursing and Midwifery Council reporting some 247 new cases in the year 2011-12. Professional boundaries are essential to effective nurse-patient relationships that must focus on care and treatment only. In this article the author outlines the scope of the nurse-patient relationship and reflects on activity considered as being outside the professional relationship.
authors.affiliation: Lecturer in Health Law, College of Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Griffith
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D011361:Professional Competence; D019529:Sexuality; D006113:United Kingdom