OK, I don't do this very often, but there we were, in Report, and day shift nurse started harping on me and browbeating me over having a patient sign consent for surgery.
"We don't do that," I corrected her. "The doc has to do that."
"Night shift does that, now why wasn't it done?"
"Because the doc hasn't spoken to the patient about the risks and benefits of the surgery. The DOC has to get consent, not us."
"No he doesn't. WE do it. You were supposed to do that. Why didn't you do that?"
"Because the patient's procedure isn't scheduled until this afternoon. The doc has plenty of time to come in and see her about it."
"But NIGHT SHIFT is supposed to do that!"
...she would not get off it.....
I didn't even want to get into what the Nurse Practice Act says about the surgeon getting the informed consent with the nurse only witnessing the patient's signature, but I wasn't giving a lesson on Nursing Law; I was trying to give Report.
"But you were supposed to get the consent signed!"
Finally my temper blew. I stood up and said, "You need to stop arguing with me and just TAKE REPORT. I am trying to give you REPORT so that I can GET OUT OF HERE and go home. I am giving you THE INFORMATION THAT I WAS GIVEN. I DO NOT KNOW if the doctor has spoken to this patient about this procedure. Therefore, CONSENT WAS NOT OBTAINED. Do you understand."
Very loudly. Heads turned.
On the one hand, I've NEVER stood up for myself like that before. OTOH, if she'd just have shut up, I would've stayed and helped her. OTOH, I feel terrible for losing my cool.
I'm probably in a whole lot of trouble.
Did this ever happen to you? Wanna tell me about it?
i've had doctors get upset with me when i haven't gotten consent forms signed.
i need to remind them that all consent should be informed and that it's the md's responsibility to inform their patient. there's alot i'll be flexible with in terms of helping an md out but i also draw a line to distinguish their responsibilities from ours.
the md should always, always be the one who gives the informed consent. always!!!
angie, you were perfectly in line.......nothing inappropriate at all.
leslie :-D
11,191 Posts
i've had doctors get upset with me when i haven't gotten consent forms signed.
i need to remind them that all consent should be informed and that it's the md's responsibility to inform their patient. there's alot i'll be flexible with in terms of helping an md out but i also draw a line to distinguish their responsibilities from ours.
the md should always, always be the one who gives the informed consent. always!!!
angie, you were perfectly in line.......nothing inappropriate at all.
leslie