Evaluating Therapeutic Boundaries Among Bedside Nurses At A Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Research Hospital (EBABN)

Professional therapeutic boundaries are defined as the limits that protect the space between a professional's power and patient's vulnerability. It is important to develop therapeutic alliances while maintaining boundaries, thus ensuring nurses develop safe connections with patients and their families based on therapeutic needs. Due to the professional nature of nursing, boundary violations are common. For example, closeness and familiarity develops between the healthcare provider, patient, and caregiver that encompass the physical, emotional, and spiritual realms. This provides an opportunity for intense bonds with patients and families. Furthermore in oncology healthcare, providers deliver compassionate care and empathize with patients and families while sharing in the patient's illness journey. As a result of these bonds and relationships the nurse may over disclose personal information, provide excessive patient attention, meeting their own personal needs instead of the patient and family. In addition, continuity of care contributes to boundary crossings because there is frequent repeated contact with the same patients and families which allows blurring of boundary lines. When staff spend weeks, months, or even years with the same patient the opportunity to connect and talk about personal life details exist. At the national level, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) has created materials for educating nurses in maintenance of therapeutic boundaries. Adherence to therapeutic boundaries has now become an education objective, with the development of educational interventions within many health care settings. Likewise, St. Jude nurses are at an increased risk of crossing therapeutic boundaries due to long term care relationships and vulnerable family members. However, nursing administration has not formally assessed the attributes or behaviors of the nursing staff. This proposal will describe the attributes and behaviors of the St. Jude staff nurse towards nurse-patient/family boundaries, providing knowledge to nursing leadership that will facilitate therapeutic boundaries focus groups with direct care nurses.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Nurse-Patient Relations; Therapeutic Boundaries

Detailed Description

Participants will take a onetime researcher generated therapeutic boundaries questionnaire which will describe behaviors and attitudes regarding therapeutic boundaries.

The main objective of the study is to :

To describe behaviors and attitudes towards nurse-patient/family boundaries of direct patient care Registered Nurses (RNs) at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 121

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Tennessee
    • Memphis, Tennessee, United States, 38105
      • St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

This is quality improvement study that is descriptive and is utilizing a convenience sample of direct care registered nurses employed full-time for at least one year at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Registered Nurse (RN)
• Employed at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at least one year
• Employed full-time (at least 90% full-time equivalent - works at least 72 hours every two weeks).
• provides direct patient care

Exclusion Criteria:

Declines survey participation

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Registered Nurse; This is quality improvement study that is descriptive and is utilizing a convenience sample of direct care registered nurses employed full-time for at least one year at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.Participants will take a onetime researcher generated therapeutic boundaries questionnaire which will describe behaviors and attitudes regarding therapeutic boundaries.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Behaviors and attitudes of nurse-patient/family boundaries among registered nurses (RNs) at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital that provide direct patient care.	Each question will be analyzed and interpreted individually. More importantly, for each question, the percentage of nurses reporting "sometimes" or "often" will be reported because the questions where nurses more likely to score high are good references for planning the future nursing education series.	6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: La-Kenya Kellum, DNP, RN, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: May 1, 2011
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2011
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 16, 2011
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 16, 2011
• First Posted (Estimate): May 18, 2011

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): September 15, 2011
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 14, 2011
• Last Verified: September 1, 2011

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Attitudes; Behaviors; Registered Nurse
• Other Study ID Numbers: XMP10-163 ETBABN