Nursing encompasses the concept of caring for patients physically, mentally and ethically. The therapeutic relationship that is created is based on the knowledge and skills of the nurse and is based on the mutual trust of the patient and the nurse. Using nursing skills can ensure these boundaries are maintained and allow for safe patient care. Professional boundaries are the line that nurses cannot cross, involving aspects such as patient confidentiality and privacy, ensuring that the legal aspects of nursing and the boundaries put in place are not violated. However, nurses who accept financial or personal gain from a patient may also cross these professional boundaries. Only through education in this area can patients' rights be preserved, as well as nursing standards. Through education in areas such as confidentiality, boundaries can remain intact and patient care can remain in the utility zone. Every patient admitted to hospital or seen by a healthcare professional has the right to their own privacy, and it is by ensuring that professional boundaries are respected that this fundamental right can be realized. According to Levett-Jones and Bourgeois (2011, pp. 237), confidentiality is an obligation made by a professional to respect the information provided by a patient to a healthcare professional. In the modern era, protecting privacy can be difficult as society relies on technology as a form of communication, allowing for easier access to information. However, by posting information about a patient on Facebook or telling a friend, the trust created in a therapeutic relationship is broken and is called boundary crossing. Thompson (2010, p. 26) understands that "Sometimes boundary crossing may be unintentional, but he points out that...... middle of document ...... health care professionals in hospitals Today, these violations can be stopped and the patient's vulnerability remains unharmed or abused. Therefore, professional boundaries ensure that there is no abuse of power resulting in unsafe patient care and provide integrity to the nursing profession. Works Cited Balzer-Riley, Julia W 2008, 'Communication in nursing', Mosby-Elsevier Inc., St.Louis, MO, pp. 2-16, 74-86, retrieved April 8, 2010, Deakin University Library website. Harris, Nagy, S and Vardaxis N, 2010, The Mosby's Dictionary, 2nd edition, Elsevier, Chatswood. Lanier, E, 2011, 'Parlez-vous la Terminologie Médicale', Florida Nurse, Vol. 59 Issue 1, pp.19Levett-jones, T and Bourgeois, S, 2011, The clinical placement, 2nd edition, Elsevier, Chatswood. Kozier and Erb's, 2010, Fundamentals of Nursing, Pearson Education, French's Forest.