Thinking of the Patient Bill of Rights for education and informed consent. What is the nurse’s role for consent? What if the patient refuses to sign? How can you manage this issue? Use references for each statement. Draw on your own experience or personal observation.
Please provide atleast 2 citation and 400 words.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
The Patient Bill of Rights guarantees the protection of patients’ rights and promotes patient-centered healthcare delivery. Informed consent is a critical aspect of the Patient Bill of Rights as it empowers patients to participate in their healthcare decisions. Nurses play a significant role in advocating for patient rights and ensuring informed consent. This paper provides an insight into the nurse’s role for consent, management of patient refusal to sign consent, and relevant references.
Nurse’s Role for Consent:
Nurses play a significant role in obtaining consent from patients, explaining the procedure’s benefits and risks, and ensuring that patients understand their rights. According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), nurses are expected to promote patient rights, dignity, and choice, and ensure informed consent (ANA, 2015). Nurses should use appropriate communication skills to obtain patients’ consent, including providing materials in a language and level of understanding that the patient can adequately comprehend (ANA, 2021). Nurses also need to document informed consent in patients’ medical records to ensure accountability and prevent legal claims (ANA, 2015).
Patient Refusal to Sign Consent:
In some cases, patients may refuse to sign informed consent, which can create a challenge for nurses. Nurses should understand the reasons for patient refusal and address any concerns that patients may have regarding the procedure. Nurses should educate patients about the benefits and risks of the procedure and the consequences of refusing the recommended treatment (ANA, 2021). Nurses need to document patient refusal of treatment to ensure appropriate documentation and to protect themselves from legal action (ANA, 2015). If a patient refuses a medical procedure or treatment, it is the nursing staff’s responsibility to ensure that the patient understands the potential consequences.
Management of Patient Refusal to Sign Consent:
The management of patient refusal typically requires a multidisciplinary approach, including physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals collaborating to promote patient-centered care. Nurses should involve the physician or medical team in addressing the patient’s concerns and their reasons for refusing treatment. The nursing staff should document all the conversations with the patient and the responses, ensuring clarity of communication. It is essential to document that the patient has understood the consequences of refusing treatment and the risks associated with the procedure (ANA, 2021).
References:
American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. Silver Spring, MD: Author.
American Nurses Association. (2021). Informed Consent. Silver Spring, MD: Author. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/official-position-statements/id/informed-consent/
