Is the nurse doing anything wrong? If so, what?

Read the scenario below and answer the following questions:

1. Is the nurse doing anything wrong? If so, what?
2. What might you have done differently in this situation?
3. What impact on the patients might this behavior have?
4. What other methods could the nurse use to ‘put them at ease?
5. Does the colleague have a duty to report?

Scenario: Marina a PSW is assigned to adolescents who are struggling with depression or anxiety. The patients are often shy and slow to open up. Marina wants to “put them at ease” and so makes a lot of sexualized jokes and comments. A colleague expresses concern about this behavior, but Marina dismisses it: “I’m just trying to ‘connect’ with the teens and this is how they speak to each other.”