Consent forms

Editorial Team / Admin · May 4, 2018

I am not a healthcare provider but I am wondering why the consent forms seem to be presented to the patient sometimes minutes before they are taken to surgery. Why wouldn't the doctor and patient want to go over this in a lower pressure office environment instead of right before surgery? I would think getting it ahead of time would make things run more smoothly for everybody on the day of surgery.

Consents are only good for so long. Sometimes, the consents are signed in the office. But should the surgery end up being rescheduled, the consent may be outside the allowed time frame (my facility states 30 days). It's also a way to ensure that the surgeon meets with the patient the day of surgery to answer any questions he or she though of outside the office- we all know how we ask questions (or don't because we can't think of any) and then come up with more later.

Meeshie · May 4, 2018

At my facility we send the patient down with the unsigned (but filled out, if possible) consent on the front of the chart. We know the surgeon isn't coming to the floor to explain anything so....

sjs1957 · May 15, 2018

I have a question for nurses who work in operating rooms. I may be looking at cardio-thoracic surgery in my near future and have read about all that goes on while the patient is unconscious such as no consent exams, unnecessary visitors/vendors/spectators, as well as patient video and photography. If I do need surgery I plan on protecting my privacy and modifying my consent form to prevent this, which according to my local hospital's patient bill of rights, is my right. My question is will the surgical staff honor my requests or will the attitude be that once I'm under anesthesia it's game-on and what I don't know about doesn't matter?

MunoRN, RN · May 15, 2018

You'll need to discuss your specific concerns with your surgeon or surgical staff. Facility patient bill of rights follow the template of the CMS bill of rights, which allows patients to make changes to their consents so long as the are practical and don't affect the quality of your care or others. Some requests are reasonable and could be accommodated, but for the most part everything that happens in the OR isn't really optional. I've had patients ask that they be allowed to remain fully clothed during OHS, and another ask that the surgeon be the only person in the room throughout the case.

sjs1957 · May 16, 2018

I am all for doing what's necessary to make my surgery as safe and successful as possible and I will talk to the surgeon well before surgery but what I am trying to find out is will they honor the agreed to restrictions on the consent agreement after I'm under or just humor me while I am awake? I have read many times it's after you're unconscious that all the unnecessary people enter the OR.

I know a coworker who recently had CABG at my local hospital which is also a teaching hospital and I have been asking her about her experience. When she signed the "standard" consent form allowing visitors, students, etc., she really had no idea how far that would go. She told me when she was wheeled into surgery that the operating room was huge and said there were about 25 people in there already. From what I have learned this operation should take about eight people max. Is that a fair estimate? At 25 people it seems way over the top. She should have charged admission.

Editorial Team / Admin · May 16, 2018

"I will talk to the surgeon well before surgery but what I am trying to find out is will they honor the agreed to restrictions on the consent agreement after I'm under or just humor me while I am awake? "

That is exactly what you need to do ... talk with your Surgeon. He or she is the only one who can address all of your concerns.