HELP

[Kelly0444]

I was wondering if my 21 year old sister can take me (17) to the hospital and sign the consent form in case of an emergency? Thats if my mother isn't home.

[Guest374845]

It depends somewhat on your state's laws regarding minor consent and surrogate decision makers, but ultimately your doctors don't need anyone's written or verbal consent in a life-threatening emergency.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Hi Kelly, I hope you are well. If you are having an emergency, 911 is the way to go. As to the rest of it, we really cannot answer your question as that would be providing medical as well as legal guidance, which we are not allowed to do. I will tell you that in general, only legal guardians can be responsible for minors, but that some issues (mental health, pregnancy-related, etc.) give a minor their own rights to consent to treatment in some states. Sometimes as a triage nurse, I would call a parent and get consent over the phone to treat, with another RN hearing it as a witness. It really is going to vary by location, situation, and policy.

Again, if it's an emergency, don't hesitate to contact emergency services. We wish you well.