Private Conversations in Public Places: Upholding Professionalism in Nursing

I am not sure if it is the influence of movies and television (I'm looking at you Grey's Anatomy) or if this is something that is modeled in the workplace but I have been noticing more and more the tendency for some nurses to have conversations of a personal nature in front of their patient(s) as care is being done. My observations are multi-instance: in the Care Team Station, in patient's rooms, in the common dining area. As such, my conclusion is that this is not a serious of isolated incidents (is that an oxymoron) but a rapidly changing trend. 

There is a fine balance, especially in mental health nursing, of trying to role model pro-social behaviours, and maintain a therapeutic atmosphere amid the rule and structure of the inpatient setting in order to create a safe and comfortable space for the patient. I think that nurses cross a line when the content of one's conversations begins to include anecdotes about personal life that have nothing to do with patient care. I love that you went on a vacation in Mexico and would love to hear your hilarious anecdotes of having too much to drink but sitting in the patient lounge waiting for group to get started is not the best time and place to share these experiences.   

Mental Health nurses must have a keen awareness of if, when, and how to best navigate the boundaries between therapeutic to social. While the modeling of social behaviour can play an important role, talking about personal stuff can really impede one's ability to conduct assessments. Conversations of a therapeutic nature must feel safe, secure, and exist in a space where the patient/client is the focus. 

I think that it is important to be keenly aware of when it feels like the conversation has become about you, the clinician, rather than the patient. As more and more of these clinician conversations happen I think that there may be a subtle message being sent to the patient that the clinician, their life, and their opinions matter more than the patients.

Peace,

Michelle D. 

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