A nursing student asks the nurse educator the differences between social and professional relationships. The nurse educator knows that the defining characteristic of a professional relationship is which of the following?

Question

1. Can be either spontaneous or planned
2. Is the only relationship where roles are defined
3. Requires more planning, consistency, and time
4. Does not address the personal needs of the nurse

Answer 1

4
Rationale: The defining characteristic of a professional relationship is that it is not intended to address the personal needs of the nurse. A formal one-to-one relationship requires more planning, consistency and time than an informal therapeutic relationship, but this is not a feature distinguishing professional relationships from social relationships. Professional relationships can be spontaneous or planned; however, this is not unique to professional relationships, particularly in organizational or educational settings. Roles in social relationships may be governed by broad social norms such as the roles of lover or friend.