Running head: EMOTIONAL ABUSE

Title:EmotionalAbuseMisconduct
ShanteBrown
StudentNo:823282009
DateSubmitted:November11,2015
NURS217
Professor:NadineJanes
HumberCollegeITAL

EMOTIONAL ABUSE

Beinganursecanbecontroversialbasedonthebenefitsofthejob.Nursesarecaregivers
thathelpthosethatarenotattheirfulloptimalhealth.Asanurse,theyarerequiredtofollow
conducts,whichwillensurethattheclientisgettingthepropercarethatisnecessaryfortheir
wellbeing.Unfortunately,notallnursesabidetheseguidelineswhenprovidingcare.In2009,a
nursedecidedtohaveanintimaterelationshipwithherclientsspousethatwasrecentlyadmitted
inaretirementhomeandwasdiagnosedwithAlzheimers.Foranursetohavearelationship
withaclientoraclientsspouseisaformofemotionalabuse,Asstatedinthestandard
document,Clientabuseisthemisuseofpowerorthebetrayaloftrust,respectorintimacyinthe
therapeuticrelationship(CNO,2011).Thenurseportrayedthisabuse,sincethenursedisplayed
alackofrespecttowardstheclient,andunprofessionalbehaviourwithintheworkingfield.
Thissituationhasledtobeanallegationofamisconduct,becausethenurseisrequiredto
performselfcarefortheclientbyadministratingmedicationbasedonthediagnoses;performing
assessmentstoensurethattheclientshealthisatnormalrange;interveningforherclient,toget
thembacktotheiroptimalhealthandhavingtheclienttobethemainpriority.Instead,the
nursesmainpriorityinthissituationwasherthoughtstowardstheclientsspouse;aneighty
threeyearold,vulnerableanddistraughtman,thatcommunicatedwithherabouthispersonallife
andhowlonelyhewas.AsofApril2010,fivemonthslater,thenurseandthespouseofthe
clientbecameintimate.Soonafterwards,thenursewasclassifiedasinarelationshipwiththe
spouse,tothespouseandclientstwosons.Furthermore,thenurseandthespousedeclaredthat
shewouldmoveinwiththeclient,andthespouseandstillprovidedirectcare.Notlong
afterwards,thenurseresignedfromherposition,leavingtheclientatthefacility.

EMOTIONAL ABUSE

TheCollegeofNursesofOntario(CNO)isanorganizationthatsetsrulesandregulations
thatnursemustfollowinordertoprotectthepublic.Foranursetobecommittedofthis
organization,itstatesthatthenursewillfollowtheguidelinesthatareprovidedfortheirpractice,
inordertoprovideeffectivecareandtoprotectthepublic.Thenurseinthissituationtook
advantageoftheclientsspouse,whilehewasvulnerableanddistraughtcorrelatedtohis
spousescondition.Hewaslonelyduetothefactthathissonswereallgrownupandmarried,
andhiswifewasinaretirementhomerelatedtohercondition.Inwhich,thisgavethe
opportunityofthenursetosatisfytheclientsspousesneedsaswellasherown.Additionally,
thenurseemotionallyabusesherclientsinceshewasnotatherfulloptimalhealthtostateher
opinion,valuesorbeliefsaboutthesituationbetweenthenurseandherhusband.Creatingthe
situationtobeunfairfortheclienttodealwith.Consequently,thenurseispenalizedforher
actionsfromtheDisciplineCommitteesdecision.Theycametotheconclusionthatthenurses
certificateofregistrationwouldbesuspendedforthreemonths,sincesheignoredthestandard
guidelinesofnursing.Thenursewasalsorequiredtoattendtwosessionswithanursingexpert,
andprovidetheExpertacopyofPanelOrder,NoticeofHearing,AgreedStatementofFactsand
thisJointSubmissiononPenalty.Thenursemustreviewcollegepublications,completea
reflectivequestionnairesandonlinelearningmodules.Afterwards,ifthenursedecidestoreturn
toherpractice,shewastobemonitoreduntilthecommitteehadfoundheredibletobeonher
own.
TheDisciplineCommitteedeclaredthatthisnursewasdisobedienceandmustbe
disciplined.Thisdecisionincludedasuspensionforthreemonthsforunaccommodatingthe
standardsandrequirements.IagreewiththeDisciplineCommitteebecausethisteachesherthat

EMOTIONAL ABUSE

theconductthatshedismissedisaseriousmatter,andCNOisenforcedtoprotectthepublicby
providingnursesthataretrustworthy,respectfultowardstheirclients,whenprovidingcare.The
committeealsodecidedtoenrolthenurseinworkshops,completingmodulesandreflective
questionnairetoensurethatthisnurseisasuitablefittostillprovidecare,andifshestilldecides
tocontinuetodoherpractice,theywillmonitorhertoensurethatshewilldelivertheconduct
thatsheisrequireto.
AccordingtotheEthicsStandardbyCollegeofNursesofOntario(CNO),Nursesare
requiredtomaintaintheclientswellbeingwhileprovidingcare.Bymaintainingatherapeutic
nurseclientrelationship,whichinthePracticeStandardcalledTherapeuticnurseclient
relationship.Thenurseisrequiredtoprovideprofessionalknowledge,skill,caringattitudes
andbehaviourstowardstheclientwhenprovidingcare.Therelationshipmusthavetrust,
respect,theappropriatetypeofintimacyandtherequireamountofpowerfromthenursetothe
client(CNO,2013,Page3).Inordertoensurethatnursesareabletoprovideoptimalcarefor
theclient.TheProfessionalStandarddeclares,Respectforlifemeansthathumanlifeis
preciousandneedstoberespected,protectedandtreatedwithconsideration(CNO,2009,Page
8).Thisnursedidnotfollowthisstandardasshedisrespectedtheclientanddidnottreather
withconsideration,asshebecameintimatewithherhusband.Aswellas,
Ensuringthatafterthenurseclientrelationshiphasbeenterminatedandthenatureofthe
relationshiphasbeenpsychotherapeuticorfortheprovisionofintensepsychosocialcounselling,
thenursemustnotengageinapersonalfriendship,romanticrelationshiporsexualrelationship
with the client or the clients significant other for one year following the termination of the
therapeutic relationship, and may, after one year, engage in a personal friendship, romantic
relationshiporsexualrelationshipwithaclientorsignificantotheronlyafterdecidingthatsucha

EMOTIONAL ABUSE

relationship would not have a negative impact on the wellbeing of the client or other clients
receivingcare,andconsideringtheclientslikelihoodofrequiringongoingcareorreadmission
(CNO,2013).

Thenurseinseveralwayshasconveyedthismisconduct.Afewoftheseactionsinclude
thenursedemonstratedarelationshipwiththeclientsspouseoffduty,whichisagainstthe
conduct,andhadaromanticrelationshipwiththespousewhilestillgivendirectcaretotheclient
isunprofessional.AccordingtotheProfessionalStandardDocumentoftheDiscipline
Committee,thisnursehascrossedherboundariesasshedisclosespersonalinformationabout
herselftowardstheclientsspouse.Thenursealsospenttimewiththeclientoffduty,athis
house,inwhichthiscouldhavebeenavoided.
SomestrategiesthatIwouldsuggestinordertopreventasituationfromrecurringagain
isallowingongoingeducationtowardsthemembersofthefacilitytoensurethattheydoabide
bytheirgoalofbeingclientcentered.Byenforcingeducationweeklytowardsthefacility,itwill
remindthemwhatisexpectedfromthem,andallowingthemtomakethemistakeofgetting
personalwiththeclientandspendingwiththemoutsideofwork.Secondly,anothersuggestion
thatcanbeusedbythisfacilityisrotatingclientsandnurses,sonurseswillnotgrowanemotion
attachmentwiththeclientortheclientsspouses,astheywillnotbewiththesameclientweekly.
Anotherconductthatwasmisconductediscommitmentwiththeclient.Thenurseisresponsible
forprovidingknowledgeableandclientcenteredcare.Inthissituationofthenurseandthe
spouse,thenurseisnotprovidingclientcenteredcareasthenurseisplacingherneedsinfrontof
herclientsneed.Sheencountersherselfasmainprioritysinceshedecidestohavearomanticand
sexualrelationshipwiththeclientsspouse,whilecaringfortheclientwithAlzheimersatthe

EMOTIONAL ABUSE

sametime.AccordingtotheEthicsdocumentNursesareobligedtorefrainfromabandoning,
abusingorneglectingclients,andtoprovideempathicandknowledgeablecare.Thecommitment
toclientsalsoincludesacommitmenttorespectfamilymembersorsignificantothers.(CNO,
2009,Page9).StrategiesthatIwouldsuggestinordertopreventthissituationfromrecurring
againisensuringthatthenurseunderstandsthestandardofcommitment.Bythenursedisplaying
commitmentitensuresthatclientwillbeviewedasthemainpriority,andthenurseis
commitmenttobringherpatienttofilloptimalhealth.Educationshouldbestressedonnurses,to
reinforcetherulesandregulationsthatthenursemustfollowtoensurethattheyareprovidethe
propercare.Lastly,anothersuggestionthatIwouldconsiderfromthefacilityistoaccommodate
familymembersandfriendstohavevisitingtimeinorderfortheretobeprivacybetweenthe
nursewhenshesprovidingcarefortheclientandfortheretobeprivacywhenthefamilyis
spendingtimewiththeclient.
Inconclusion,beinganursecanbecontroversial,asnursesareexpectedtobringclients
totheirfulloptimalhealthwiththerulesandguidelinesthataresetwhenprovidingcare.
Additionally,somenursesdisobeywiththeCNOrequirementsbynotdemonstratinga
therapeuticnurseclientrelationship,wherenursesarerequiretobuildtrust,respect,beclient
centeredandenforcetherightamountofpowerwiththeirclient.Nursesshouldalsoknowthe
typesofabusesthatcanoccurbetweentheclientandthenursetopreventfurtherabusefrom
happeningwithinthefacility.Inthecasestudyselectedabovethenursedidnotdemonstratea
professionalrelationshipwithherpatient.Sincethenursemadeherselfthemainpriority,andgot
intoanintimaterelationshipwiththeclientsspouse.Demonstratinghowunimportantthe
clientswellbeingistowardsthenurse.Byallmeans,nursesshouldbeenforcedoneducationof

EMOTIONAL ABUSE

thestandardsthatarerequired,inorderforfacilitiestohavelessproblemsoferrorfromtheir
nurses,andremindednurseswhatisexpected,andwhatisthemainimportanceofclientcare.

Reference
CollegeofNursesofOntario.(2009,June).PracticeStandard.Ethics.Retrievedfrom

http://www.cno.org/Global/docs/prac/41034_Ethics.pdf
CollegeofNursesofOntario.(2011,February).PracticeStandard.PreventingClientAbuse.

Retrievedfromhttp://www.cno.org/Global/docs/ih

/47008_fsPreventAbuse.pdf
CollegeofNursesofOntario.(2013,May).PracticeStandard.TherapeuticNurseClient

RelationshipRevised2006.Retrievedfrom
http://www.cno.org/Global/docs/prac/41033_Therapeutic.pdf