 Nurse as witness

Informed Consent  For voluntary consent of the patient

 If signature is authentic
 If patient appears competent
- Agreement by a client to accept a course of
treatment or procedure after being provided the  Cultural perspective needs to be considered
 The nurse can provide culturally competent
complete information:
o Benefits and risks care by asking if there is someone they
o Alternatives would like to be present when information
or discussion of their health care
o Prognosis
- The form is a record of the informed consent, not treatment occurs
 It is important that the patient understands
the informed consent itself
 If patient cannot see, consent must be
- The right of consent also involves the right of
read out loud
refusal
 If patient cannot speak the same
language, interpreter or professional
3 Major Elements translator must be present
 If given sufficient info, a competent adult can
a. Given voluntarily make decisions regarding health
b. Client has capacity and competence to understand  Over 18 years old
c. Client must be given enough info to be the  Confused, disoriented, or sedated is
ultimate decision maker INCOMPETENT
General Guidelines (reasonable amount of info)
 The diagnosis/condition requiring treatment Groups that cannot provide consent:
 Purpose of treatment a. minors
 What client can expect to feel/experience o Parent/guardian must give consent
 Intended benefits of treatment o This includes adults with mental capacity of a
 Possible risks of treatment child
 Advantages and disadvantages of possible o Certain groups are allowed: married, pregnant,
alternatives military members, emancipated
b. unconscious/injured
2 Types o Obtain info from closest adult relative
1. Expressed Consent o In life-threatening situations, law agrees
o Oral or written consent consent is implied
o More invasive the procedure and/or greater c. mentally ill
the risk, greater the need for written consent o Judged by professionals to be incompetent
2. Implied Consent
o When individual’s nonverbal behavior indicated
agreement
o In medical emergency

 Obtaining informed consent for specific medical and

surgical treatment is the responsibility of the
person who is going to perform the procedure
 Generally the physician