Nurses play a big role in the entire process of obtaining informed consent. This is because they spend plenty of time with patients. Nurses should be aware of the important role they play in the exchange of detailed information concerning medical treatments, procedures and risks involved (Susilo et al. 2013). To start with, nurses are imperative as they act as witnesses in the process of obtaining informed consent. Their inclusion in this process reflects that the patient is voluntary in providing their consent and that they are also competent.
In other words, competent patients are the ones who are above 18years or older unless some exceptional situations where adult patients are psychiatric (Judkins-Cohn et al. 2014). After witnessing the entire process, they are supposed to keep the consent form in the patient’s medical record and ensure that the patient usually goes with it in the treatment room. In some cases, nurses are not asked to witness the consent process due to its complexity. Another important role is that the nurse should clearly explain the risks and benefits of a given procedure to a patient. They are required to address all the problems in order to clear any confusion.
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If I was in the nurse’s shoes, I would view this process the same way it is conducted. I believed informed consent is very crucial as it keeps the patient aware and informed of the available medical options. This is one of the best medical practices that enhance the quality of service in the healthcare industry.
The healthcare organizations should view informed consent as the nurse because of the increased time that nurses spend with patients. This personal interaction can provide the nurse with more information which would improve the services of the entire health organization. In addition, if they view the consent as the nurse, they will be able to understand more how to deal with patients with respect to informed consent.
References
Judkins-Cohn, T.M., Kielwasser-Withrow, K., Owen, M., & Ward, J. (2014). Ethical principles of informed consent: exploring nurses’ dual role of care provider and researcher . The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 45(1), 35-42.
Susilo, A.P., Van Dalen, J., & Scherpbier, A. (2013). Nurses’ role in informed consent in a hierarchical and communal context . Nursing Ethics, 20(1), 410-430.
