Nursing Homework Help: Discussion on informed Consent| Nursing homework help
The surgical intern in the scenario told the patient he suspected appendicitis and that the plan was to remove the appendix, to avoid complications from appendicitis. The intern explained to the patient that surgery carries risks, such as infection, bleeding and harming adjacent organs. To obtain informed consent from the intern, he must provide more information. This includes alternative treatments, like antibiotics, monitoring and other options. He also needs to give the name of surgeon performing the procedure. Also, the intern should explain if in a similar circumstance he’d undergo the surgery. American College of Surgeons says that the surgeon should give the patient a name of the doctor who will do the surgery and provide alternative treatments, along with their risks and benefits. The surgeon is also required to provide details about the experience of the surgeon with this procedure. These include the rates of success and complications (A B and C).
American College of Surgeons. (2019). The evolution of informed consent in surgery and its current status. Retrieved from https://www.facs.org/-/media/files/advocacy/informed%20consent/white_paper.ashx.
The second scenario is a case where a liver mass has been detected during a colonectomy. In the question, it’s asked if the surgeon can proceed with the biopsy or excision of the mass without additional consent. False. If the surgeon wants to perform any procedure not previously discussed in the informed consent, he or she must obtain additional consent from the patient or the patient’s legal representative. According to the Joint Commission, “informed consent is an ongoing process that continues through the surgical experience” (p. 3).
Joint Commission. (2021). Informed consent. Retrieved from https://www.jointcommission.org/-/media/tjc/documents/standards/informed-consent-advance-directives-2021.pdf