The Influence Of Consent In Nursing Practice
The purpose of this assignment is to discuss issues that influence nursing practice. The topic that has been chosen is consent and it will be discussed using both adult and child fields of nursing. The assignment will look into how consent has an impact on factors such as diversity and how they play an important role within both the child and adult nursing practice. It will also compare and contrast between the two fields and review why consent plays such a significant part throughout a nursing career. According to the Nursing and Midwifery Council code of conduct, (NMC, 2013), nurses must presume that patients are competent enough to make their own decisions regarding consent or refusal of treatment, unless they are unable to understand or
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By communicating effectively with both the patient and their family, a trusting relationship will be built up and this will play a huge factor in gaining consent for future requirements. It is vital that a children’s nurse listens to not only the patient’s family but the patient themselves as they could prove to be Gillick competent. Gillick competency applies when a child or young person under the age of 16 are able to show a mature understanding of advice they are given by a professional and show to have capability to make decisions for themselves whilst understanding the possible consequences (nspcc, N.D). Child nurses have to be able to show an understanding of when they feel a younger patient is able to provide consent for themselves and be confident enough to put this decision forward to parents and other …show more content…
Both adult and child nurses have to gain consent prior to starting any treatment with a patient, however an obvious difference is where this consent comes from. Although it is acceptable to assume a patient over the age of 18 is able to make their own decision, nurses from both fields still have to be competent within their role to notice when a patient does not show a full understanding of what is being said to them. As a children’s nurse, gaining consent from a very young baby or child would have to be accepted from a parent or carer due to their obvious decisional incapacity (Glasper and Richardson, 2006). This plays a similar role to that of an adult nurse with an elderly patient. Just because they are over the age of 18 and have automatic rights to consent for themselves, this does not necessarily mean they are able to do so. They may have a disability or illness that makes them incapable of making such decisions and therefore require a family member or other professional to make that decision for them, as they would with a baby or young
By communicating effectively with both the patient and their family, a trusting relationship will be built up and this will play a huge factor in gaining consent for future requirements. It is vital that a children’s nurse listens to not only the patient’s family but the patient themselves as they could prove to be Gillick competent. Gillick competency applies when a child or young person under the age of 16 are able to show a mature understanding of advice they are given by a professional and show to have capability to make decisions for themselves whilst understanding the possible consequences (nspcc, N.D). Child nurses have to be able to show an understanding of when they feel a younger patient is able to provide consent for themselves and be confident enough to put this decision forward to parents and other …show more content…
Both adult and child nurses have to gain consent prior to starting any treatment with a patient, however an obvious difference is where this consent comes from. Although it is acceptable to assume a patient over the age of 18 is able to make their own decision, nurses from both fields still have to be competent within their role to notice when a patient does not show a full understanding of what is being said to them. As a children’s nurse, gaining consent from a very young baby or child would have to be accepted from a parent or carer due to their obvious decisional incapacity (Glasper and Richardson, 2006). This plays a similar role to that of an adult nurse with an elderly patient. Just because they are over the age of 18 and have automatic rights to consent for themselves, this does not necessarily mean they are able to do so. They may have a disability or illness that makes them incapable of making such decisions and therefore require a family member or other professional to make that decision for them, as they would with a baby or young