Exploring boundaries in pediatric oncology nursing.

Professional patient boundaries are an issue that is relevant across all realms of nursing practice. By nature, nurses are caring individuals. Therapeutic relationships are integral to the care of patients. When caring for patients on a daily basis for extended periods of time, it can be difficult for nurses to know when their care goes beyond professional boundaries. Providing care to patients in a pediatric oncology situation substantially increases this ethical dilemma. Length of stay, degree of crisis, embedded relationships, and emotional turmoil, along with the nurturing connection between adult and child, are among the reasons that boundaries are often blurred within the context of this sensitive patient population. This article explores the differences between nursing care, boundary crossings, and boundary violations. Strategies to evaluate nursing actions for appropriateness, along with reflection and development of individual boundaries, are offered. The information presented is relevant not only to nursing care of pediatric patients who are facing chronic or life-threatening conditions but also to each nurse-client relationship established in nursing practice.