Professional, Unprofessional or Grey Area

PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES

100

Decline Facebook friend request from a resident

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

200

Text a resident from personal phone

❌ Unprofessional

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

300

Follow a resident on social media

❌ Unprofessional

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

400

 Respond to resident message online

❌ Unprofessional

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

500

Accept cash gift

❌ Unprofessional

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

HIPAA & CONFIDENTIALITY

100

Text resident info to coworker

❌ Unprofessional

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

200

Discuss resident in elevator

❌ Unprofessional

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

300

Leave chart open

❌ Unprofessional

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

400

Log out of shared computer

✅ Professional

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

500

Talk about resident in hallway

❌ Unprofessional

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

PROFESSIONALISM & WORK ETHIC

100

Watch movie on shift at the nurse's station

❌ Unprofessional

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

200

Do personal tasks instead of care

❌ Unprofessional

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

300

 Use respectful humor

✅ Professional

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

400

Document immediately after care

✅ Professional

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

500

Chart care not done

❌ Unprofessional

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

EQUITY & RESIDENT RIGHTS

100

Bring treats for favorites

❌ Unprofessional

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

200

Spend extra time with one resident

⚖️ Gray Area

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

300

 Help resident video call family

✅ Professional

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

400

 Use inappropriate language

❌ Unprofessional

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

500

Bring treats for entire unit

✅ Professional

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

POLICY, RESOURCES & ACCOUNTABILITY

100

Print personal documents

⚖️ Gray Area

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

200

Check phone briefly

⚖️ Gray Area

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

300

 Leave unit without telling staff

⚖️ Gray Area

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

400

Accept thank-you card

⚖️ Gray Area

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

500

 Maintain full attention on residents

✅ Professional

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