Jeanette Varpen Unhjem

Norwegian version of this page Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Care Norwegian version of this page

Position

Associate Professor in Nursing

Contact

+47 71214114

jeanette.v.unhjem@himolde.no

Study place

Molde

Office nr.

B213

Areas of Work

Lectures for nursing students on topics like qualitative methods, sociology, professional boundaries and the health risks in the helping professions
Supervise students in clinical studies and bachelor thesis writing
Lectures for health personnel or others on topics related to my PhD work or later research

Background

I am a registered nurse (HiNT, 2000) with a further education in violence risk assessment and violence risk management (HiM, 2007). I have a master's degree in criminology (UiO, 2006) and a PhD in medicine and health sciences (UiO, 2019).

I have worked as a nurse within forensic psychiatry (Gaustad hospital, 2001 - 2007) and at Molde University College as a assistant professor (2008 - 2012, 2018 - 2019) and as a associate professor (2019 - ).

Other

Editorial board member, Panorama University College Newspaper (2014 - )
Board member, Molde University College Administrative Board (2011 - 2015)
Vice-rector, Molde University College (01.08.2019 - 31.07.2023)

Jeanette Varpen Unhjem on ResearchGate

Projects

The nurse-led Norwegian Adverse Drug Reaction (ADRe) Profile in home care service

Research groups

Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen & Hem, Marit Helene (2025). Nurse-patient relationship boundaries and power : a critical discursive analysis. Nursing Ethics. ISSN 0969-7330. 32(6), p. 1861–1872. doi: 10.1177/09697330251314093. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Introduction: Mental health nursing is dependent on nurses’ ability to engage in therapeutic relationships with patients. The ability to manage professional boundaries is equally important, but less explored. This study aims to address the following research questions: How do nurses define their professional, personal, and private roles? What are nurses’ experiences with professional boundaries? What are the implications of nurses’ understanding of these boundaries? Background: Nurse–patient relationships are characterized by asymmetrical power dynamics, which places the responsibility of delineating professional boundaries on the nurse. While ethical codes offer guidance, nurses must identify appropriate boundaries in a dynamic process that relies on the clinical context. Research design: This study used critical discursive psychological analysis to examine data from participant observations, individual interviews, and focus group discussions. Participants and research context: We included 16 nurses working in mental health care in this study, comprising 12 in specialist mental health care and 4 in community mental health care. Ethical considerations: The study was registered with Norwegian Social Science Data Services. Results: Nurses defined professionalism as being an educated caregiver who prioritizes patients’ needs. Professionalism involves personal engagement, while some personal matters remain private. However, nurses experienced challenges in maintaining professional boundaries, facing dilemmas due to the subjective nature of boundaries and patients’ unpredictable responses. Conclusions: While nurses prioritize patients’ needs and best interests, this study demonstrated that personal engagement is considered part of professionalism. However, nurses encounter complex dilemmas in setting professional boundaries. Additionally, these boundaries can either emphasize or de-emphasize the power differential in nurse-patient relationships.
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2020). Akseptere eller avvise? : sykepleiere og Facebook-vennskap med pasienter. Sykepleien Forskning. ISSN 1890-2936. 15. doi: 10.4220/Sykepleienf.2020.83092. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Bakgrunn: Reviderte yrkesetiske retningslinjer for sykepleiere inneholder krav til digital dømmekraft og fremtreden. Facebook-vennskap mellom sykepleiere og pasienter kan utfordre profesjonelle grenser ved å sette personvern og den profesjonelle rollen på spill. Tidligere studier avdekker ulike holdninger til Facebook-vennskap mellom helsepersonell og pasienter, samtidig som helsepersonells erfaringer med sosiale medier er lite utforsket. Hensikt: Hensikten med studien var å beskrive sykepleieres erfaringer med og reeksjoner om sin egen og kollegers kontakt med pasienter på Facebook. Akseptere eller avvise? Sykepleiere og Facebook-vennskap med pasienter Jeanette Varpen Unhjem Førsteamanuensis Avdeling for helse- og sosialfag, Høgskolen i Molde Metode: Studien er basert på intervjudata fra en doktorgradsstudie om profesjonelle grenser mellom sykepleiere og pasienter i psykisk helsevern. Fjorten erfarne sykepleiere, de este med videreutdanning i psykisk helsearbeid, delte erfaringer og reeksjoner rundt sin egen og kollegers bruk av Facebook i individuelle intervjuer. De var elleve kvinner og tre menn i alderen 40 til 60 år. Elleve arbeidet i spesialisthelsetjenesten, mens tre arbeidet i kommunehelsetjenesten. Resultat: Sykepleierne opplevde at kontakten med pasienter på Facebook kunne utfordre profesjonelle grenser og roller, blant annet fordi den kunne true skillet mellom jobb og privatliv. Det varierte blant kollegene hvorvidt de valgte å bruke Facebook i det hele tatt, og hvordan de i så fall brukte mediet. Sykepleierne beskrev ulike og til dels motstridende holdninger til kontakt med pasienter på Facebook. Alle sykepleierne som brukte Facebook, hadde fått venneforespørsler fra pasienter. Noen sykepleiere valgte å akseptere venneforespørsler og hadde forskjellige grunner til det, som for eksempel at noen ikke anså kontakten på Facebook som særlig personlig. Konklusjon: Kontakt mellom sykepleiere og pasienter på Facebook kan utfordre profesjonelle, yrkesetiske og juridiske grenser. Digital dømmekraft for sykepleiere må inkludere kritiske vurderinger av hvordan sosiale medier kan virke inn på sykepleier–pasient-forholdet. Slike vurderinger er eksempler på ferdigheter som inngår i læringsutbyttene for teknologi og digital kompetanse i sykepleierutdanningene.
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2020). Accept or decline? : nurses and patients as Facebook friends. Sykepleien Forskning. ISSN 1890-2936. 15. doi: 10.4220/Sykepleienf.2020.83092en. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Background: Revised ethical guidelines for nurses include requirements about digital common sense and conduct. Facebook friendships between nurses and patients can test professional boundaries by jeopardising privacy protection and the nurse’s professional role. Previous studies reveal a variety of attitudes to Facebook friendships between health professionals and patients; nonetheless, health professionals’ experiences with social media have been underresearched. Objective: The study seeks to describe nurses’ experiences and reections around their own and their colleagues’ contact with patients on Facebook. Accept or decline? Nurses and patients as Facebook friends Jeanette Varpen Unhjem Førsteamanuensis Avdeling for helse- og sosialfag, Høgskolen i Molde Method: The study is based on interview data from a doctoral thesis on professional boundaries between nurses and patients in the mental health service. In individual interviews, 14 experienced nurses, most with advanced training in mental health care, shared their experiences and reections around their own and their colleagues’ use of Facebook. The group of nurses comprised eleven women and three men from 40 to 60 years of age. Eleven of them worked in the specialist health service, and three worked in the primary care health service. Results: The nurses found that having contact with patients on Facebook could test professional boundaries and roles, partly because it could blur the line between their work and their private life. There was variation with regard to whether they chose to use Facebook at all, and if they did, how they used it. The nurses described dierent, and sometimes conicting, attitudes to contact with patients on Facebook. All the nurses who used Facebook had received friend requests from patients. Some nurses chose to accept the friend requests and had various reasons for doing so. For example, some thought that having contact on Facebook was not especially personal. Conclusion: Contact between nurses and patients on Facebook can test professional, ethical and legal boundaries. Digital common sense for nurses must involve critical assessments of how social media can aect the nursepatient relationship. Such assessments are examples of skills that are part of the learning outcomes for technology and digital competence in the nursing education.
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen; Hem, Marit Helene & Vatne, Solfrid (2018). Encountering ambivalence : a qualitative study of mental health nurses' experiences with dual relationships. Issues in Mental Health Nursing. ISSN 0161-2840. 39(6), p. 457–466. doi: 10.1080/01612840.2017.1416507. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Nurses are obliged to set professional boundaries in nurse–patient relationships. Relationships with patients that are pursued outside of working hours (dual relationships) are commonly prohibited by legislation and professional codes of ethics, but some nurses still engage in them. A thematic analysis of qualitative interviews revealed that the nurses experienced ambivalence regarding how they see the patients, their assessment of the dual relationships and how people around the nurses react to the relationships. Ambivalence was characterized by contradictory and indeterminate thoughts and attitudes toward patients and dual relationships. Results indicated that dual relationship decisions were complex and highly contextually dependent.
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen; Vatne, Solfrid & Hem, Marit Helene (2018). Transforming nurse-patient relationships : a qualitative study of nurse self-disclosure in mental health care. Journal of Clinical Nursing (JCN). ISSN 0962-1067. 27(5/6), p. e798–e807. doi: 10.1111/jocn.14191. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Aims and objectives: To describe what and why nurses self-disclose to patients in mental health care. Background: Self-disclosure is common, but controversial and difficult to delineate. Extant research suggests that self-disclosure might have several potentially beneficial effects on therapeutic alliance and treatment outcome for patients in mental health care, but results are often mixed and limited by definitional inconsistencies. Method: Qualitative descriptive study including data from 16 nurses taking part in participant observation, individual interviews and focus group interviews. Results: Separate analyses resulted in four themes addressing the research question of what nurses self-disclose, and one main theme and four subthemes addressing why nurses self-disclose. The content of self-disclosure was captured in the four themes: Immediate family, Interests and activities, Life experiences, and Identity. In addition, results showed that disclosures were common among the nurses. Self-disclosure's potential to transform the nurse-patient relationship, making it more open, honest, close, reciprocal and equal, was the overarching reason why nurses shared personal information. The nurses also chose to self-disclose to share existential and everyday sentiments, to give real-life advice, because it felt natural and responsive to patients’ question to do so. Conclusion: Nurse self-disclosure is common and covers a variety of personal information. Nurses have several reasons for choosing to self-disclose, most of which are connected to improving the nurse-patient relationship. Relevance to clinical practice: Self-disclosure controversy can make it difficult for nurses to know if they should share personal information or not. Insights into the diversity of and reasons for nurse self-disclosure can help with deliberations on self-disclosure. Keywords: mental health nursing, nurse–patient relationship, professional boundaries, qualitative study, therapeutic relationships

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Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2025). Er studentene på helse- og sosialfag skikket? doi: https:/www.tk.no/er-studentene-pa-helse-og-sosialfag-skikket/o/5-51-1773685?key=2025-11-20T09%3A56%3A57.000Z%2Fretriever%2F1047a26e2e147b8bdc7f198fc6c83e1a727f0f07. Full text in Research Archive
Alteren, Johanne; Orøy, Aud Jorun; Os, Ann Helen Løvik; Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen; Lillebostad, Malene & Jordan, Sue (2025). Sykepleieledet kartlegging av legemiddelbruk i kommunehelsetjenesten. Et samarbeid mellom Høgskolen i Molde, Aukra kommune og Swansea University Wales UK. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen; Hauge, Kari Johanne Westad & Waagbø, Arild Johan (2025). HiMolde har fått digitalt skjema for tvilsmelding om skikkethet. [Journal]. Panorama : nettavis for Høgskolen i Molde. doi: https:/panorama.himolde.no/2025/08/28/himolde-har-fatt-digitalt-skjema-for-tvilsmelding-om-skikkethet/. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen & Myhr, Anne (2025). Forsker på tilsynssaker som gjelder rollesammenblanding. [Internet]. helsetilsynet.no. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen & Dolonen, Kari Anne (2025). Sykepleier skal forske på helsepersonell som krenker pasienters grenser. [Journal]. sykepleien.no. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2024). Konsekvenser av seksuelle grensekrenkelser. 144. doi: 10.4045/tidsskr.24.0639. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Seksuelle grensekrenkelser i lege–pasient-forhold har omfattende negative konsekvenser og kan virke inn på pasientenes helse, arbeidsevne og relasjoner med familie og venner.
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2024). Hva gjør du som sykepleier når du ikke liker pasienten? Sykepleien. ISSN 0039-7628. doi: 10.4220/Sykepleiens.2024.95795. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Selv om sykepleiere kan ønske å trekke seg unna enkelte utfordrende pasienter, er det viktig å etterleve de etiske prinsippene om velgjørenhet, autonomi, ikke skade og rettferdighet i all pasientomsorg.
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2024). Hvordan skal sykepleiere håndtere et seksuelt forhold mellom en pasient og en behandler? Sykepleien. ISSN 0039-7628. doi: 10.4220/Sykepleiens.2024.97180. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2024). Dette kjennetegner leger som krenker pasienter seksuelt. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen & Hole, Synnøve (2024). Forsker på rolleblanding. [TV]. NRK1 Møre og Romsdal. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2023). Forsker overrasket – igjen. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2023). Om å få unge til å velge sykepleie som sitt arbeidslivs kall. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2023). Profesjonelle, personlige og private relasjoner. In Hem, Marit Helene & Aarre, Trond F. (Ed.), Relasjonens betydning : om fundamentet i psykisk helse- og rusarbeid.. Gyldendal Akademisk. ISSN 9788205568709. p. 153–169. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2023). Hva gjør jobben med deg? Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2023). Privat, personlig, profesjonell. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2023). Privat, personlig, profesjonell. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2023). Rekruttering av sykepleiere blir bare vanskeligere, men det er ikke håpløst. Sykepleien.no. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2023). Når familie og venner blir pasienter, settes sykepleieren i et etisk dilemma. https://sykepleien.no/fag. 111. doi: 10.4220/Sykepleiens.2023.91648. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2023). Tiltrekning mellom sykepleiere og pasienter er vanlig. https://sykepleien.no/fag. 111. doi: 10.4220/Sykepleiens.2023.93476. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2023). Hva må til for at sykepleiere og vernepleiere skal elske yrket sitt? Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). Kunnskapsutvikling krever bærekraftig debattklima. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). Hvorfor vil ikke forskere formidle forskning til folket? Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). Brokete norsk til besvær. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). Eksamenssensur: skjønn og sjansespill. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). Samfunnsengasjement ved verdens ende. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). Studentene vi drømmer om. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). Pensum i ubalanse. Full text in Research Archive
Molka-Danielsen, Judith & Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). Populisme løser ikke nåtidens eller fremtidens utfordringer. p. 9–9. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). Veien ut av digital depresjon. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). Hvorfor vil ikke forskere formidle forskning til folket? Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). -Vi kan ikke kreve at fagpersoner skal by på sine mest dyrekjøpte erfaringer. [Journal]. Erfaringskompetanse.no. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). Kan en sykepleier bli kjæreste med en tidligere pasient? https://sykepleien.no/fag. doi: 10.4220/Sykepleiens.2022.88751. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). Mange sykepleiere deler egenerfaringer med pasienter. https://sykepleien.no/fag. 110. doi: 10.4220/Sykepleiens.2022.90324. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). Beklager at du opplevde det sånn! Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). Tid til å tenke. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2022). Hvorfor vil ikke forskere formidle forskning til folket? p. 35–35. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2021). Er du klar for en kjøttfri høgskole? Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2021). Juleskam. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2021). Er glasstaket en illusjon? Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2021). Fem gode grunner til å jukse på eksamen. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2021). Tilgje meg, for eg veit ikkje kva eg skriv. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2021). Mor bør ha førsterett på foreldrepermisjonen. p. 42–42. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2020). Fødekvinner må ikke skremmes bort fra sykehusene. Sykepleien. ISSN 0039-7628. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2020). Vi må bryte ned stereotypier om kjønn. Sykepleien. ISSN 0039-7628. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2020). Studentene lærer om helserisikoer med å jobbe i et hjelperyrke. Sykepleien. ISSN 0039-7628. 108. doi: 10.4220/Sykepleiens.2020.82726. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2019). Mors stemme. Morgenbladet. ISSN 0805-3847. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen & Vangen, Oskar Palmiro (2017). Relasjoner i gråsonen : grensene mellom det profesjonelle, personlige og private kan ofte være uklare for helsepersonell. p. 36–37. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen & Vangen, Oskar Palmiro (2017). Relasjoner i gråsonen : lisens og autorisasjon. 36. Full text in Research Archive
Sættem, Ragnhild & Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2012). Kunnskap om eldre. 144(04.07.2012), p. 50–50. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen & Sættem, Ragnhild (2012). Lav terskel og høyt under taket på Gørvellplassen. 170(01.02.2012), p. 42–42. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2011). Rasjonell galskap. p. 39–39. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2011). - Men jeg tror fortsatt ikke at noen er født ond. 169(24.03.2011), p. 31–31. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2011). Den nye konkurrenten. p. 3–3. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2011). Ingen er født ond. p. 3–3. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2011). Facebook - den nye konkurrenten. 169(28.02.2011), p. 27–27. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2011). Er galskapen alltid irrasjonell? p. 12–12. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2011). Galskap og rasjonalitet. p. 3–3. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2011). Er galskapen alltid irrasjonell? 169(06.12.2011), p. 27–27. Full text in Research Archive
Unhjem, Jeanette Varpen (2009). Ondskapsbegrepet og forklaringer på forferdelige hendelser. Impuls : Tidsskrift for psykologi. ISSN 0801-2911. 63(1), p. 92–99. Full text in Research Archive

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Published Sep. 3, 2018 3:05 PM - Last modified Oct. 13, 2026 12:28 PM