Exploring the nature of informed consent in coronary care practice

The nature of informed consent is bound within legal and moral duties. An analysis of informed consent includes the elements of understanding, disclosure, competence, voluntariness and authorisation, all of which can be affected by a variety of factors. Nurses can make a unique contribution to informed consent situations either as advocates, interpreters, coordinators, witnesses or culture brokers. In order to fulfill their obligations to the patient and manage potential conflicts, nurses need to have a substantial awareness to the diversity of issues and pitfalls. Communication skills and building a therapeutic alliance with the patient are at the heart of nursing care. Nurses are taking on duties previously associated with medical practice-it is unclear how this affects their roles as information givers.