A 13-year-old who has developed a positive relationship with you hugs you and asks for an email after discharge. How would you respond?

A 13-year-old who has developed a positive relationship with you hugs you and asks for an email after discharge. How would you respond?

• A. Share your personal email and continue the relationship.
• B. Explain that hospital rules prevent sharing personal emails and offer to provide the mailing address.
• C. Refuse all forms of contact and end the relationship.
• D. Suggest following you on social media.

Answer: (B)

The situation tests your ability to maintain professional boundaries while still offering appropriate ongoing support. A pediatric professional should avoid sharing personal contact information with former patients, especially minors, to protect their safety, privacy, and the integrity of the therapeutic relationship. By explaining that hospital rules prevent sharing personal emails and offering a safe alternative, you respect both the child’s need for connection and the institution’s policies. Providing the mailing address gives a concrete, non-instant channel for updates or messages that stays within professional boundaries and reduces risks associated with personal online contact or informal digital communication. Sharing a personal email would blur boundaries and could lead to situations that are hard to manage or supervise. Refusing contact altogether can abruptly cut off supportive continuity that matters to a grieving or coping child. Suggesting contact through social media also introduces privacy and boundary concerns and is not typically appropriate for a minor. Using the hospital’s mailing address keeps the relationship professional and allows for ongoing support in a safe, supervised way.

The situation tests your ability to maintain professional boundaries while still offering appropriate ongoing support. A pediatric professional should avoid sharing personal contact information with former patients, especially minors, to protect their safety, privacy, and the integrity of the therapeutic relationship. By explaining that hospital rules prevent sharing personal emails and offering a safe alternative, you respect both the child’s need for connection and the institution’s policies. Providing the mailing address gives a concrete, non-instant channel for updates or messages that stays within professional boundaries and reduces risks associated with personal online contact or informal digital communication.

Sharing a personal email would blur boundaries and could lead to situations that are hard to manage or supervise. Refusing contact altogether can abruptly cut off supportive continuity that matters to a grieving or coping child. Suggesting contact through social media also introduces privacy and boundary concerns and is not typically appropriate for a minor. Using the hospital’s mailing address keeps the relationship professional and allows for ongoing support in a safe, supervised way.