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One year rule

The law states a person is still considered a “patient” for one year after the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship is over. This means a nurse should not be involved in any form of sexual relations with that individual during the one year timeframe post-care.

There may be some instances where it may never acceptable to engage in sexual relations with a former patient. For example, the patient’s likelihood of requiring ongoing care.

Page last reviewed April 13, 2020