PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES
HIPAA &
CONFIDENTIALITY
PROFESSIONALISM & WORK ETHIC
EQUITY &
RESIDENT RIGHTS
POLICY, RESOURCES & ACCOUNTABILITY
100

Decline Facebook friend request from a resident

  • ✅ Professional
    • Rationale: Prevents dual relationship
    • ⭐ Stress: “Patients are not social contacts”
100

Text resident info to coworker

❌ Unprofessional

  • Rationale: HIPAA violation
  • ⭐ Stress: “Secure systems ONLY”
100

Watch movie on shift at the nurse's station

❌ Unprofessional

  • Rationale: Inattention
  • ⭐ Stress: “Becomes liability if incident occurs”
100

Bring treats for favorites

❌ Unprofessional

  • Rationale: Favoritism
  • ⭐ Stress: “Survey risk for inequity”
100

Print personal documents


⚖️ Gray Area

  • Rationale: Policy dependent
  • ⭐ Stress: “Know facility policy”
200

Text a resident from personal phone

❌ Unprofessional

  • Rationale: Boundary + privacy risk
  • ⭐ Stress: “Personal contact = liability risk”
200

Discuss resident in elevator


❌ Unprofessional

  • Rationale: Public disclosure
  • ⭐ Stress: “If overheard = violation”
200

Do personal tasks instead of care

❌ Unprofessional

  • Rationale: Patient risk
  • ⭐ Stress: “Care always comes first”
200

Spend extra time with one resident


⚖️ Gray Area

  • Rationale: Compassion vs fairness
  • ⭐ Stress: “Balance attention across residents”
200

Check phone briefly


⚖️ Gray Area

  • Rationale: Depends on use
  • ⭐ Stress: “Ask: is care being impacted?”
300

Follow a resident on social media

❌ Unprofessional

  • Rationale: Dual relationship
  • ⭐ Stress: “Even if they request it—you must refuse”
300

Leave chart open

❌ Unprofessional

  • Rationale: Unauthorized access risk
  • ⭐ Stress: “Very common survey citation”
300

 Use respectful humor


✅ Professional

  • Rationale: Builds rapport
  • ⭐ Stress: “Must remain respectful/therapeutic”
300

 Help resident video call family


✅ Professional

  • Rationale: Emotional support
  • ⭐ Stress: “Person-centered care done right”
300

 Leave unit without telling staff


⚖️ Gray Area

  • Rationale: Coverage risk
  • ⭐ Stress: “Always ensure resident coverage”
400

 Respond to resident message online

❌ Unprofessional

  • Rationale: Reinforces boundary crossing
  • ⭐ Stress: “Redirect to proper channels”
400

Log out of shared computer

✅ Professional

  • Rationale: Protects PHI
  • ⭐ Stress: “Simple habit = huge protection”
400

Document immediately after care


✅ Professional

  • Rationale: Accuracy
  • ⭐ Stress: “If not documented—it didn’t happen”
400

 Use inappropriate language


❌ Unprofessional

  • Rationale: Violates dignity
  • ⭐ Stress: “Respect is a right”
400

Accept thank-you card


⚖️ Gray Area

  • Rationale: Usually allowed
  • ⭐ Stress: “Know gift limits”
500

Accept cash gift

❌ Unprofessional

  • Rationale: Exploitation concern
  • ⭐ Stress: “Board may consider abuse”
500

Talk about resident in hallway

❌ Unprofessional

  • Rationale: Privacy breach
  • ⭐ Stress: “Location matters”
500

Chart care not done


❌ Unprofessional

  • Rationale: Falsification
  • ⭐ Stress: “BOARD-level offense”
500

Bring treats for entire unit


✅ Professional

  • Rationale: Fair treatment
  • ⭐ Stress: “Equity = resident rights compliance”
500

 Maintain full attention on residents


✅ Professional

  • Rationale: Patient safety
  • ⭐ Stress: “Attention = safety”
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