Visualize a continuum of behavior with underinvolvement on one extreme, overinvolvement on the other, and a center zone of helpfulness. No definite lines separate the zone of helpfulness from the ends of the continuum. Nurses may need to shift zones in some situations. For example, nurses working with prison inmates may need to establish the zone of helpfulness toward the left side of the continuum, while nurses working with pediatric patients may put their zone of helpfulness toward the right. Most nursing interactions occur in the zone of helpfulness.
Nurses aim to work within the zone of helpfulness.
Variables such as the care setting, community influences, patient needs, and the nature of therapy may affect where boundaries occur. Crossing a boundary to meet patient needs can be therapeutic. Nurses must be aware of crossings, examine their context, consider potential implications, and avoid repeating them. Nurses violate boundaries when they overstep them to meet their own needs. Multiple boundary crossings can lead to personal relationships that are risky because they cause a power imbalance between patients and nurses.