Therapeutic Nurse-Client Relationship 
                         Practice Standard
                        Maintaining Boundaries
                 Copyright © College of Nurses of Ontario, 2006
          The College of Nurses of Ontario presents the Therapeutic Nurse-Client 
          Relationship, Revised 2006, practice standard: Maintaining Boundaries.
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               The four standard statements 
               Therapeutic communication
                 Client-centred care
                   Maintaining boundaries
                      Protecting the client from abuse
          Four standard statements describe what a nurse is accountable for in the 
          therapeutic nurse-client relationship.  Each statement has accompanying 
          indicators, which are broad statements that nurses can modify to their 
          particular practice reality.  The standard statements are therapeutic 
          communication, client-centred care, maintaining boundaries and protecting the 
          client from abuse.  In this chapter, you’ll learn about therapeutic 
          communication and client-centred care.
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             Maintaining boundaries 
             The standard statement
             Nurses are responsible for effectively establishing and 
             maintaining the limits or boundaries in the therapeutic 
             nurse-client relationship.
         The standard statement for maintaining boundaries states that nurses are 
         responsible for effectively establishing and maintaining the limits or boundaries 
         in the therapeutic nurse-client relationship.
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             Maintaining boundaries
             Nurse      Boundary     Client
         When a nurse violates or crosses the boundaries in a therapeutic relationship, 
         the nature and dynamic of the relationship change. The balance of power 
         between the nurse and the client becomes even more unequal, and this 
         increases the client’s vulnerability. 
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