Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2025

Working with Human Tissues for Translational Cancer Research
Published on: November 26, 2015
Does the standard medical procedure consent process meet the criteria required for informed consent? A concept
Kristal M Hock1, Tracey K Dick1, Lori A Loan1
1School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
Background:
Informed consent is a complex process that is legally required before any surgical procedure.
Purpose:
The purpose of this manuscript was to perform a concept analysis of the informed consent process.
Methods:
The use of dimensional analysis identified three separate yet related perspectives of the informed consent process: legal, health care, and patients. A database search using the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and PubMed were performed.
Findings:
A total of 27 publications were reviewed. The legal perspective addresses the requirement of informed consent, which starts with the discussion between the health care provider and the patient undergoing the surgical procedure and ends with a signature on a piece of paper. The health care perspective also addresses the legal requirement but incorporates the goals and objectives of the individual initiating the informed consent discussion. The patients' perspectives also incorporate goals and objectives; however, they differ from that of the health care provider in that they go beyond what happens in the operating room or during hospitalization.
Discussion:
Viewing informed consent through these different yet related perspectives provides insight into this complex process and may enhance the researcher's ability to understand and improve the informed consent process.
Related Concept Videos
Nurses' Legal Responsibilities I
The legal responsibilities of a nurse regarding informed consent include the following:
Psychosurgery
Historical Development of Psychosurgery
In the 1930s, Portuguese neurologist Antonio Egas Moniz introduced a surgical procedure designed...
Methods of Documentation VI: Case Management Model
For example, a patient with a chronic...
Ethical Dilemmas II
Standards of Care II
Data Collection III
The principles to begin the physical assessment include conducting a comprehensive or problem-related history in a quiet, well-lit room, emphasizing privacy and comfort for the...

