Boundary Violations Standard of Practice PDF
Standard
The physiotherapist acts with integrity and maintains appropriate professional boundaries with clients, colleagues, students, and others.
Expected outcome
Clients can expect to be treated with dignity and respect, and that the physiotherapist will maintain boundaries appropriate to the therapeutic relationship in all interactions.
Colleagues, students and others can expect to be treated with respect and that the physiotherapist will maintain professional boundaries in all interactions.
Performance expectations
The physiotherapist:
- Complies with the Sexual Abuse and Sexual Misconduct Standard of Practice and is aware that interactions with clients, colleagues, students, and others may contravene this standard even if they do not constitute a contravention of the Sexual Abuse and Sexual Misconduct Standard of Practice.
In regard to therapeutic relationships with clients, the physiotherapist:
- Demonstrates awareness of and sensitivity to the impact of power, trust, respect, and physical closeness on relationships with clients.
- Treats clients with respect, avoiding all situations, comments, and/or actions that could reasonably be perceived as:
- unprofessional,
- in violation of human rights, and/or
- discriminatory.
- Does not enter into or continue therapeutic relationships with individuals with whom professional boundaries, judgment, and objectivity cannot be established and maintained.
- Does not make abusive, sexually suggestive, or harassing comments or engage in inappropriate physical contact with clients.
- Establishes and maintains a professional physical environment that supports the maintenance of therapeutic boundaries during client assessment, treatment, and education in both formal and informal practice environments. This includes but is not limited to:
- proactively providing options for draping and
- providing privacy while the client is undressing or dressing.
- Does not enter a close personal relationship with a client or a person who is a caregiver for a client (e.g., parent of a minor receiving physiotherapy services or client’s spouse).
- Does not use their professional role as a means of pursuing personal relationships beyond the therapeutic relationship with clients and former clients.
- Identifies, documents, and addresses boundary violations, whether initiated by the physiotherapist or the client, by discussing inappropriate behaviour and attempting to resolve issues.
- Ends the therapeutic relationship by appropriately discontinuing treatment or transferring care as required in instances where:
- The physiotherapist is unable to maintain their objectivity.
- Professional boundaries cannot be maintained or re- established.
- A positive, respectful therapeutic relationship cannot be established.
In regard to relationships with colleagues and students whom the physiotherapist supervises or has authority over, the physiotherapist:
- Demonstrates awareness of and sensitivity to the impact of power, trust, respect, and physical closeness on relationships with colleagues, students, and others.
- Conducts oneself professionally in the work environment, treating colleagues, students, and others with respect and avoiding all situations, comments, and/or actions that could reasonably be perceived as:
- unprofessional,
- in violation of human rights, and/or
- discriminatory.
- Establishes and maintains professional boundaries with students.
- Does not engage in sexual advances, sexual relationships, or inappropriate contact with students.
