Nurses's Sexual Relations with their Patients (Essay Sample)

Nurses should not have sexual relations with their patients. In this case sexual relation refers to anything from a sexual comment or “compliment” to more serious acts like sexual intimacy. Despite the strengthening of institutions that handle these complaints from patients, the vice is still rampant. Actually a recent study by (AbuDagga, A. et al 2009 pg109) cases of sexual relations between nurses and patients are underreported up to a high of 35% of them. The study conducted in several hospitals in the US showed that male nurses have a higher percentage of being involved in these relations at 61% compared to females at 39%. Most health systems advocate for zero tolerance for nurse patients patient relationship, but there are still cases of it, indicating that something needs to be done. This essay is going to focus on a real life case that happened recently and was reported by the Australian media. How it affected the patient and their family, as well as what could have been done better to ensure that the incidence was avoided.
At around late March, Patient X reported to Lyell McEwin Hospital. She was having a psychiatric episode and thus was admitted into the psychiatric ward. Among the team of those managing her was the nurse Mr. Montenduro. He was involved with day to day care of the patient. It was at this point that he started having unprofessional relationship with the patient. It started with compliment and comments that were unprofessional. However, at this time, there were no physical relations. Mr Monteduro managed to keep the act secret. At early May, patient X was discharged. Mr Montenduro continued with the relationship. From this point, the relationship between Mr Montenduro and patient X turned out to be sexual. Mr Monteduro manipulated patient X into not receiving ongoing psychiatric care during their relationship, prompted Patient X to take out a lease of a rental unit. Mr Montenduro also represented himself as patient X carer. After receiving a notification in 2012 that Mr Monteduro was living with the patient, the NMDA conducted their investigations and on 4 may 2020 they deregistered him and banned him from practicing nursing for a period of 10 years.
This incidence had detrimental effect on both the patient and the nurse. The patient who was the victim in this case suffered more. To start with, she did not receive the psychiatric care that she needed after being discharged, and as a result, she did not get completely healthy. As (Fontanella, C. A., et.al 2020 pg 12), psychiatric follow up is paramount in ensuring that there is no repeat of a psychiatric episode. It also ensures that the patient treatment plan is adjusted correctly to fit his or her current state. The patient was also exploited emotionally. The fact that she had a mental illness made it easy to be deceived by the perpetrator. As a result, her finances were also misused by the nurse for his own selfish interests. The patient’s family also lost faith in the healthcare system. A hospital is meant to be a place where people seek refuge and get treated of their illness. However this was not the case for their relative. Instead of her being cared for, she was exploited and abused. The nurse was affected by the choice of his actions in that his mischief finally caught up with him. He was deregistered and banned from applying for registration for 10 years.
A correct nursing action plan needs to be developed to address this issue. This plan should be focused solely on the nurses and not the patients. A team to perform this task should be formed. The first step in solving a problem usually involves understanding the problem. Therefore in this case the first step should be to collect information from the nurses. This information should entail what do they think causes or influences them into developing sexual relations with patients. What role do they think patients have to play in this? Majority if not all of the registered nurses should be interviewed.
The next step should be analyzing the information provided. Despite there being hundreds or thousands o