Against Medical Advice

[rachmac03]

At my facility there is a nurse that has been given a hard time regarding the AMA forms, and I was hoping to help her out with an answer to the following question. Whose legal responsiblity is it to fill out the risks/benfits portion of the AMA form, the nurse or the physician? In school we have been taught that it is ultimately the physician's responsiblity to explain the risks and benefits and fill out that portion. PLEASE HELP!!!

P.S. in the P&P manual of this facility it does not specify who should fill out this portion.

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

I called an MD I last week about a threatened AMA. Pt had been admitted 24 hours earlier with CP and DKA. blood sugars are averaging 300. MD states : "I'm okay with that."

Pt's main reason for wanting to leave? Doc hadn't been in to see him yet today ( it was 5:30 pm). :icon_roll

[BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

I work in ER,.so sometimes our pts leave AMA after triage, but before seeing the doc. The nurse is always the one to fill out the AMA form,...mine is pretty standard for everyone,..risks include continued illness, worsening of symptoms, permanent disability and death,...benefits include diagnosis and treatment of illness. The pt is also assured that he/she may return to the ER at any time for treatment.