Would you witness a consent without all info filled out?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in tele, oncology.

The radiology group at my facility has recently demanded that when we get consents signed for procedures that we leave the doctor's name space blank so that they can fill in the specific doctor when the patient comes down. I can understand wanting to have the specific doc's name in there, but on the other hand, the consent does specify that another doctor may perform the procedure as appropriate. We usually put in the ordering MD's name and explain to the patient that a specially trained interventional radiologist will do the actual procedure, but that we are not privy to who it is prior to the procedure being done. I am not comfortable putting my signature to a legal document, knowing that someone else will be filling in a blank on it at a later time. Heck, I even won't get anesthesia consents if the anesthesia group hasn't talked to the patient yet; I don't know enough about the anesthesia process to be in any way able to give informed consent on it.

Management's opinion seems to be that those nurses who are not comfortable with this new process are making a mountain out of a molehill...I say it's a legal document which should not be altered after I witness the patient's signature, unless there is a process put in place whereby those who do said altering take responsibility for their changes to it. It would simplify things if they would just call and let us know who was scheduled to do what, but apparently that's just asking the impossible.

What do you all think? Am I being too anal, or do you feel that this is a legit issue I'm having?

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I totally think your hesitation is legit!!! I would even consider checking with the state board of financial and/or professional regulation to ask if that would be an issue with them. I mean, the purpose of that information would be to verify and details in something comes up in the future, and if you don't know who the doctor is who administered a procedure, and you're asked about it, you'll look like you don't know what you're doing!!

Will they not even amend the document at all so that all parties can fill out the information at appropriate times?

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Specializes in Emergency Dept.

Would it be possible to put the name of the physician's group in the dr space? That is what we tend to do when we don't know who will be performing the procedure. That way it covers the entire group, instead of one doc doing a procedure with another docs name on it. That way the consent is clear that it is for any doctor within that particular group.

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Specializes in telemetry, medsurg, homecare, psychiatry.

No I wouldn't witness it... tell them it's illegal.

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Specializes in Emergency.

the ONLY time i have ever signed an informed consent that wasn't complete has been in cases of an emergency where i'm "covered", in a sense. if the radiology wants to have that part left blank so they can put the performing MD's name on the line, then the performing MD can be the one who actually explains things to the patient, and one of the nurses down there can sign it. you're totally right....it's a legal document. something could go terribly wrong and the patient could turn around and say well ya, dr. stevens is the one who performed it but he didn't talk to me about it.....dr thomas did and he didn't explain that. you wouldn't want that to happen when your name is signed as the witness. just tell them it's YOUR license on the line. i can't believe management is saying that! JCAHO would have a fit! good luck!

~jodi

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Specializes in tele, oncology.

Nope, we can't put the group name in there. Seems like that would be a simple way to rectify the situation, but they want the specific doc's name in the blank. And they won't change the form just to make one physician's group happy.

Funnily enough, this happens to coincide with JCAHO visiting us. Seems like something that all of us floor nurses are leery of doing would concern management with JCAHO being in house, but what do I know? I'm just a floor nurse.

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The answer to this would be a resounding NO!!!!!!!!!!! My licence, my future, my game!

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I LOVE that response flygirl!!!! More of us need that attitude.

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I have always been under the impression the person performing the actual procedure gets the consent. If you're not the interventional radiologist why are you allowed to obtain the consent? Maybe different departments work differently, but I know I wouldn't be obtaining consent for a thoracentesis for any doctor on my med-surg unit.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

We have had some issues regarding consents before and in talking iwth our risk management people we were told that we are NOT obtaining the consent, we are simply witnessing that the person signing the document is the patient or responsible person. In that case I wouldn't worry about the information on the form as that is the doctor's responsibility. As long as the person signing is legally able to sign for that patient, you are saying that the signing is good.

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We have had some issues regarding consents before and in talking iwth our risk management people we were told that we are NOT obtaining the consent, we are simply witnessing that the person signing the document is the patient or responsible person.

Well if that's true, then who is actually explaining the procedure to the patient?

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NOT IN A MILLION YEARS. Stand firm on this one. You are 100% right.

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