Which of the following is a clear boundary violation in the PA-patient relationship?

• A. Sharing non-confidential general information about a case with other patients.
• B. Engaging in a personal or romantic relationship with a patient or accepting inappropriate social interactions.
• C. Providing care beyond the scope of practice.
• D. Documenting interactions accurately in the chart.

Answer: (B)

Maintaining professional boundaries with patients is essential. A boundary violation happens when a PA engages in a personal or romantic relationship with a patient or accepts inappropriate social interactions. This breaks the trust and neutrality needed in care, creates a power imbalance, and can lead to coercion or exploitation, ultimately compromising patient welfare. It also carries serious professional and legal consequences for the clinician, and the appropriate response is to terminate the professional relationship and transfer care to another provider.

Other options touch on different ethical or clinical issues—privacy and confidentiality, scope of practice, or proper documentation—rather than a direct boundary violation of the patient–clinician relationship.