Informed Consent In Health Care

The topic I chose is informed consent. It is a difficult and complex topic with many different laws and viewpoints. The laws of consent often vary by state and in my opinion are often not fully understood by many people. There are many ethical issues that can take place from not completely understanding the consent form. Many people do not read the form at all and consequently do not know their rights as a patient. Patients sometimes sign the consent form without fully understanding everything that is required for them to know. When an issue comes up it can then quickly escalate to an ethical issue that can only be resolved in court because they were not aware of all the possibilities. Patients must not agree to the consent form without being
According to (Taylor, 2008), “informed consent is a formal authorization by the child’s parents or guardian allowing an invasive procedure to be performed or for participation in research.” Usually before a heath care profession can even touch a patient a consent form must be signed. Informed consent is required in all heath care agencies. It is vital that the health care workers and patients understand what the consent form consist of and that they make sure that all elements are present before obtaining consent. To obtain consent these basic elements must be included. The patient or guardian must be informed about the procedure and all the possible outcomes, alternatives, risks, and must understand that there is no certainty on outcome (Taylor, 2008).They must also understand why they are giving consent and should be able to repeat in their own words for which they are giving consent. It is a must that they are competent in their decision. To achieve this they must not be under the influence of any drugs, stress, pain, or any thing else that could distract them from the ability to make a decision. The patient must also be willing to give consent and must not be forced into any decision. The patient must also be informed that they are able to refuse treatment at any time without penalty. If consent is not obtained or doesn’t contain any one of these elements it is punishable by law. The nurse can
(Tomes, 1993) The nurses role is to sign as a witness and make sure that consent was signed by the patient or guardian and that all the elements were achieved (Ball, 2008). Plus the nurse is able to answer certain questions the patient has before the procedure. Exceptions are made if the patient is in a life threatening situation and there is no time to get consent or the patient is not able to give consent (Ball,