How should the nursing supervisor describe a nurse who has blurred boundaries with former clients?

When a nurse has blurred boundaries with former clients, it indicates a situation where the professional relationship has become unclear or overly personal. This often occurs when a nurse engages in behaviors that overlap the line between professional and personal relationships, which can potentially impair their objectivity and effectiveness in providing care.

Describing the nurse as having poor boundaries captures this concern well. Protective boundaries are essential in the nurse-client relationship, as they ensure that the therapeutic alliance remains appropriate and ethical. When boundaries are not well-defined, the risks of dual relationships, conflicts of interest, and emotional entanglement increase, which can harm both the client and the nurse's professional integrity.

In contrast, a description that suggests exhibiting strong therapeutic alliances or demonstrating effective communication skills may imply that the nurse is engaging positively with clients, which can undermine the seriousness of blurred boundaries. Maintaining professional distance is also crucial in nursing but would not be suitable when discussing the issue of blurred boundaries, as it suggests that the nurse effectively separates their professional and personal lives. Hence, the focus on poor boundaries accurately reflects the issue at hand.