Ethical Boundaries with Patients and Colleagues

About this course

Boundaries are rarely broken in a single step. More often they drift: an extra phone call, a personal story shared, a favour, a message on a personal phone, until a relationship that began as professional has become something else. The same is true between colleagues, where banter becomes belittling, or friendship becomes favouritism. Understanding how and why boundaries drift is the most effective way to prevent harm.

This course explains what ethical boundaries are, the particular risks in relationships with patients and with colleagues, the personal and organisational factors that cause boundaries to blur, what a breach can cost, how to manage boundary challenges in practice, and how to reflect and remediate if things go wrong. It complements, rather than repeats, detailed guidance on chaperones and intimate examinations, and focuses on the dynamics of professional relationships.

CPD Value and How to Record It:

This course is designed to provide approximately 2 hours of learning, including reading, the reflection points, the reflective account and the assessment. In the UK, CPD is generally recorded as the time actually spent learning, so you should record the time you genuinely spend, which may be more or less than the estimate.

How the course fits your revalidation or CPD requirements depends on your regulator. For example, the NMC asks nurses, midwives and nursing associates to record 35 hours of CPD over three years, of which at least 20 must be participatory; self-directed online learning such as this course usually counts as individual learning unless you complete it with others. The GMC expects doctors to reflect on CPD for appraisal and revalidation rather than setting a fixed number of hours. The HCPC, GDC, GPhC, GOC, GOsC and GCC each set their own CPD requirements, so check the current rules that apply to you. Always keep your certificate together with your written reflection.

What you will learn

• Explain the purpose of boundaries and the difference between a crossing and a violation.
• Recognise the dynamics of power, dependency and emotional involvement with patients.
• Maintain boundaries in home, community and long-term care.
• Uphold respectful boundaries with colleagues, including in leadership roles.
• Identify the personal and organisational factors that cause boundaries to blur.
• Set, communicate, repair and escalate boundaries appropriately.
• Use structured reflection to show insight and commitment to change.

Who this course is for

Doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, allied health professionals and other registered professionals, including those responding to a boundary concern.

Social workers: this cross-profession course covers principles that apply across health and social care; most worked examples come from healthcare settings.

Course content

10 sections · 2 CPD hours · 15 MCQs

Course facts

CPD value

Approximately 2 CPD hours (estimated learning time, including reflection and assessment)

Format

Self-paced reading with boundary scenarios, reflection points and a written reflective account

Standards covered

Boundary expectations of the GMC, NMC, HCPC, GDC, GPhC, GOC, GOsC and GCC; Professional Standards Authority guidance on clear sexual boundaries; Equality Act 2010, including the duty to prevent sexual harassment; Acas guidance on bullying

Assessment

15 scenario-based multiple-choice questions; pass mark 12 out of 15 (80%)

Questions about this course