Professional Responsibility State Practice Exam

What is a key responsibility of nurses regarding patient consent?

1. Nurses must determine the patient's financial ability to pay for care

2. Nurses must assess the patient's capacity to receive information and give consent

3. Nurses must directly provide all medical treatment

4. Nurses must obtain consent within 24 hours of admission

The correct answer is: Nurses must assess the patient's capacity to receive information and give consent

In the context of patient consent, a fundamental responsibility of nurses is to assess the patient's capacity to receive information and give consent. This involves evaluating whether the patient understands the information presented to them about their medical treatment, the potential risks and benefits, and the alternatives available. This assessment is crucial as it ensures that the patient is competent to make informed decisions about their own healthcare. The importance of this responsibility lies in the ethical and legal principles surrounding patient autonomy and informed consent. Nurses play a critical role in facilitating communication between the healthcare team and the patient, making it essential for them to ensure that a patient can comprehend the information necessary to make an informed choice. In contrast, while considerations about a patient's financial ability to pay for care are important in healthcare, that responsibility typically does not fall directly on the nursing staff. Similarly, nurses are not legally mandated to provide all medical treatment directly; rather, they often collaborate with physicians and other healthcare professionals in delivering care. Lastly, while timely consent is important in an admissions context, there is no specific universal requirement that consent must be obtained within 24 hours of admission for all types of treatments or procedures, as this can vary based on specific circumstances and institutional policies.