Exploring boundaries in the nurse-client relationship: Professional roles and responsibilities

TOPIC. The creation and maintenance of boundaries as they pertain to the nurse-client relationship. PURPOSE. To challenge readers to reflect on their fiduciary responsibilities by identifying boundary crossings and violations. SOURCES. Review of the literature and the authors' clinical and teaching experiences. CONCLUSIONS. Although self-awareness and monitoring, debriefing, and availing oneself of supervision and education are important tools in creating and maintaining boundaries, in the final analysis, the nursing profession needs nurses who have the ability to make decisions about boundaries based on the best interests of the clients in their care.