The purpose of this study was to examine how nursing instructors define and
construct interpersonal boundaries with the students they teach. While the last two
decades have seen a transition in the philosophy of teaching and learning in nursing,
boundary construction within the new direction has not yet been fully examined. The
literature reflects a wide variety of opinions on what constitutes an interpersonal boundary
in the context of a teaching practice. Data collection involved open-ended interviews with
eight nursing instructors. The data were analyzed from the perspective of naturalistic
inquiry and utilized a constant comparative technique. The study found that interpersonal
boundaries were defined as limitations in the relational dynamics between the instructor
and student. The construction of boundaries was a process that involved a series of
boundary crossings between the delineation of professional and personal. The process of
boundary crossing was enacted in the level of connection between the clinical participants
and the amount and depth of self disclosure.Applied Science, Faculty ofNursing, School ofGraduat
