Teen's right to refuse?

[alkaleidi]

Do parents have the ultimate say when it comes to a teen taking medication? And if they do, what happens when the teen continues to be belligerent and refuse?

If the situation is not life-threatening, but has the potential to become more critical (aka "if it goes untreated, it could become something far worse"), how far does this go?

Right now these parents and the MD have enlisted an agency to come in and administer meds. What if the patient refuses from the agency? Is this something that has to be forced, or is it as simple as, "Ok, I will document your refusal."

I am confused as to why an agency is being used to simply administer a medication. Why the parents don't have the initiative to not GIVE the child a choice is beyond me, but that's not something I can fix. I am just leary about becoming involved because I don't know the legal policy when it comes to this.

I hope you can follow me -- if you couldn't tell, I'm trying to be really vague. But, if anyone can offer insight, please respond or PM me.

Thanks!

A

[Iam46yearsold]

I never force it

Case in point

16 yo male, weight 220 stands 6 foot 2 inches. Doctor ordered lab work and IV and meds to make him feel better. patient after listening said no way. His parents told us to make him do it. I said "no way". If we cant talk him into into, I would never dream of forcing him to do it. With the exception of him being psychotic and unable to make an appropiate decision.

Same with a 16 yo fem. If she says now way despite explanation and being told all the risks and benefits. She has that right. Then it is up to that patient and their parents to come to an agreement. I am not the childs parent. They need to work it out. I give them all the information, then they have to decide.

[luvschoolnursing, LPN]

I would think you need to check your individual laws. The age of consent varies. It also is different for reproductive and mental health services. Perhaps there is a social worker or someone else in your hospital you can consult about your particular state.

[rjflyn, ASN, RN]

Hard to guess based on the OP's information. With the vague information one would have to hedge a guess and say psych issues are involved and that the parents dont feel safe in attempting to give the child the medication. I would also have to guess that as long as the pt continues to take said meds on a daily basis there is no issues and they easily take the medications, but miss a dose and they become a handful.

As posted above unless the pt has a condition that falls in a federally protected class for example drugs or pregnancy which then parental consent is not needed for treatment the parents have the ultimate decision capacity. But as Im46 mentions i'm not going to go in an force a 200# 16 year old to do anything.

Rj

[leslie :-D]

when our dtr was 15, she was hospitalized on a dual dx unit.

during one of my visits, she told me that she and a bunch of other teens, had been pocketing their meds, then spitting them out after the nurse left...

and would randomly divide them up later.

i immediately reported this info, where nurses were enforced to do more thorough mouth checks (this is a psych unit).

when my dtr got home, i'd give her meds and refused my mouth checks.

ended up telling me that she was pocketing them, and would not take them at all.

unless/until we know the age of consent, to try and force it, i think, could be considered battery.

depending on the severity of the disease, i won't push it unless it is life threatening to self or others.

and then, i would discuss alternative routes with the md.

leslie

[Aneroo, LPN]

I would think you need to check your individual laws. The age of consent varies. It also is different for reproductive and mental health services. Perhaps there is a social worker or someone else in your hospital you can consult about your particular state.

I agree.

Where I am, teens can go to the health dept for STD checks and birth control without parental notification or consent. A wonderful yet scary idea.

ETA- I do feel teens have every right to be actively involved in their healthcare so long as they are of sound mind. It is a great way to develop trust with the teen, since they often feel very independent and mature (even though they may not actually be).

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

when i was seventeen-year-old virgin, i was sent to the ed with a r/o appy.

the "doogie howser"-esque resident wanted to perform a pelvic on me. i'd never had a male anywhere near there since my dad changed my daipers, and i'd never had a pelvic at all. my mom didn't care if it was big bird performing the pelvic, as long as we finally were given some answers. i, on the other hand, flat-out refused and told him to find a female doctor. he did (after giving me some iv ativan because i was "upset").

i guess this falls under reproductive health, especially since one of the potential dxs was an ectopic. (turned out to be a ruptured ovarian cyst, btw).

but if it wasn't, i wonder if i could have refused considering my mom would have consented...

*~jess~*