GMC said: You must not use your professional relationship with a patient to pursue a relationship with someone close to them. GMC added It is not possible to specify a length of time after which it would be acceptable to begin a relationship with a former patient.
A physician must terminate the patient-physician relationship before initiating a dating, romantic, or sexual relationship with a patient. Likewise, sexual or romantic relationships between a physician and a former patient may be unduly influenced by the previous physician-patient relationship.
Can you date a patient after they are discharged?
Legally once a patient is discharged, you can date. There are specific and very stringent rules for therapist of all kinds. As long as, the nurse is not a therapist as well, I believe she is okay. My recommendation would be to go to the Board of Nursing of the state you live in and read the Nurse Practice Act.
Can you be friends with patient after discharge?
As a nurse, its fine to say hello to former patient you see on the street but that is it. Do not establish a relationship or friendship with that person. Once the nurse-patient relationship ends, it is okay to befriend a patient but be careful of what happened in the above situations.
There are several things to take into account in determining the appropriateness of taking a patient relationship beyond clinic or hospital walls. Nurse practitioners should never date current patients. In some cases, however, a romantic relationship with a former patient may be permissible.
Nurses have a duty under the current NMC Code of Conduct to maintain professional boundaries with patients at all times. The CHRE makes it clear that any form of sexualised behaviour with a current patient is unacceptable. It also says that relationships with former patients will often be unacceptable.