Nursing role in informed consent

Thank You so much Karen!!! Those were some awesome websites, I am sure I will use a couple as references! Thanks for your help! I really really mean that!!!

lite4hous · Dec 24, 2010

Registered nurses are not permitted to give informed consent in any state of the USA....this is to be given by a nurse practitioner, a physician assistant, or Physician. Please check with your state board......as well as policy's at your facility......You are putting your license at risk if you perform this. Informed consent is stating you are telling the patient about the benefits and risks of the procedure.......Also imagine being in court because the patient had an adverse outcome of a procedure you gave informed consent for....How are you going to answer the prosecutor when he asks you "with all your years of experience and level of education why did you perform informed consent when it is not in your scope of practice to do so?" You are only to witness signature.....

aznurse2010 · Aug 28, 2011

To be clear, a healthcare member cannot "give informed consent" anyway. I think some might be confused. This is actually a statement given by the client that they understand the information about the treatment or procedure including but not limited to risks and alternatives, by an advanced practice professional. Nurses can only witness the client's signature after the client indicates that they understand what the provider explained to the client. If the client still has questions about the procedure, it is the nurse's responsibility to seek the provider to answer those questions. This of course is in the NCLEX hospital.