Preventing Sexual Misconduct (Healthcare) Course Overview
The physician-patient relationship has always required mutual trust and confidence. Recognizing and avoiding any type of exploitation is always the responsibility of the physician. Medical professionals hold positions of power and authority in the healthcare setting, creating inherent vulnerability in the patient-provider relationship. With this in mind, it’s essential to review exactly what is meant by sexual misconduct, learn to recognize the signs, understand how it occurs, and implement practices that maintain professional boundaries in all patient encounters.
Physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and all healthcare providers have an ethical and legal obligation to avoid sexual misconduct and report it if they suspect a colleague or witness anyone else in the medical establishment behaving in an abusive way. This course educates healthcare providers on what is considered sexual misconduct, ways to avoid even the perception of misconduct, proper care and sensitivity practices during patient encounters, and concrete strategies to reduce potential sexual misconduct liability.


