Beyond informed consent

The issue of informed consent ranks among the most heavily debated topics in health care. Nearly all health professionals, at some time in their practice, encounter situations in which they question their own involvement and responsibility in obtaining a consent for medical treatment. Such situations are becoming increasingly common for nurses as the structure of the health care system changes and nurses' roles become more diversified. Nurses are wise to try to understand the principles involved in informed consent and to recognize the potential for dilemmas involving ethics and hospital policies.