How bad is it when consents are wrong?

[AggieNurse99, BSN, RN]

So I had a pt who got chemo this admit. Policy has 3 specific forms, only 1 charted. The drug-specific consent was not done - the one where the doc signs off, but the general chemo consent was. On the scale of bad, how bad is this? Where like no fall band on your pt is a 1, and a sentinel event like wrong site surgery is a 10... Should this be an incident report?

Thx - Aggie

[otterlady]

Ask the nurse manager. Absolutely, if you have to have a signed consent to administer from the doctor...this needs to be done. Most certainly you had a signed order (?)That would be my biggest concern. Second, that the pre-chemo teaching was done. Your post is just a little confusing in this area. Never seen 3 consents for chemo anywhere, and I have given a lot of it.

I wouldn't worry about the sentinel event thing at this point.

Also, has he signed consents previously? They are good for a certain length of time or for administration of the drug to be given in many facilities. Currently, where I am at the consent needs to be resigned Q 6 mo., or with a new drug. Can you find a previously signed consent? We often have to have consents resigned though if it gets 'lost' in the system, when the pt knows they have signed one.

Hope this helps.

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

Very bad in all ways.

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

if the patient needed to sign that it was ok for chemo, and they understood risks/benefits of treatment, etc....BIG DEAL! a consent is that....a consent for the patient to take a certain drug or have a procedure.....would you want somebody giving you chemo if you hadn't legally said it was ok?

[gerotina, ASN, RN]

I agree with locolorenzo22. It is a big deal, as consents always have to be signed, especially if something were to happen, then you are covered they knew the risks and were given a complete explaination prior to the procedure/chemo.