Goal 7- Professional Boundaries

Goal: Modify professional boundaries with others according to different needs/milieu’s

Strategy:I will reflect on my experiences regarding professional boundaries this semester.

Resource: Stuart (2013) states that, “not only do [child and youth care practitioners] work to identify, develop and maintain unique and clear boundaries with each client, they are also responsible for helping young people develop and maintain their own boundaries,” (p.143).

Evidence:

In my practicum last year, I did not find myself in situations where I felt my personal or professional boundaries conflicted with the environment or other staff I was working with. I felt that I had positive role models showing me what boundaries were appropriate in that milieu and with that population. Due to this I did not need to define where my boundaries lay in contrast to those around me. 

I have had more of a learning experience this semester about my personal pitfalls and how to be more cautious about maintaining my boundaries in a workplace. For example, I know that I have some social anxiety and a need to be well liked by those around me. In this environment, I have found myself in several situation where the easiest way to connect with the people around me is to discuss other staff. More than once in the last 3 months I have not respected what I consider appropriate boundaries and topics in my practicum. I have engaged in conversations that were not professional in the name of being socially accepted. This behaviour has left me feeling disappointed and annoyed with myself as well as the situation. I have realized that in order for me to feel more positive about not only my experience at practicum but the work I’m doing there, I need to set aside my desire to be liked. 

I am a student and I am still learning about how the dynamics of different organizations work. I do not consider myself an expert on appropriate workplace behaviour and therefore, unless I feel the safety of a person we support is at risk, I am not going to correct anyone on how they choose to engage in this space. However, I am going to learn from how engaging in that behaviour has left me feeling and chose to avoid it. To me, professional boundaries are the lines that you will not cross in order to protect not only yourself but the staff and clients around you. I feel that discussing staff or people we support in negative terms with others (inside or outside of the agency) is outside the lines of my professional boundaries. While this is not necessarily new learning, I honestly did not think I would have had to learn this lesson the hard way. Having done so, I am grateful for the experience as it had allowed me to become more aware that I have a weakness in this area that needed to be addressed and continuously checked.