Question

1. Why do you think a Bill of Rights for Client/Residents are necessary?
2. What specific actions can nurses take to ensure that the Bill of Rights is adhered to?
3. How does informed consent relate to the Bill of Rights?
4. What makes informed consent so important in care delivery, quality, and safety?
5. What is the nurse's role and responsibility in ensuring informed consent?

Answer 1

Patient's Bill of Rights is necessary as it achieves 3 major goals:

• Assures that the health care system is fair and it works to meet patients' needs.    
•   Gives patients a mean to address any problems they may have.
• Encourages patients to take an active role in staying or getting healthy.

             Specific actions nurses can take to ensure that the Bill of Rights is adhered to?

Registered nurses recognize the client's right to refuse treatment/procedures and

discuss treatment options/decisions with client. They provide education to clients and staff about client rights and responsibilities. Then Evaluate client/staff understanding of client rights and advocate for client rights and needs.

Bill of Rights and Informed Consent

In the early 1970’s, the American Hospital Association drafted a Patient Bill of Rights so people would know what they could reasonably expect when they were hospitalized. Since then, a number of similar policies have been developed. These are designed to:

Empower people to take an active role in improving their health, including making informed decisions and the choice and right to have an advance directive.

Informed consent is important because

Informed consent is a signed document based on the moral and legal premise of patient autonomy. A patient have the right to make decisions about his own health and medical conditions. The patient must give voluntary, informed consent for treatment and for most medical tests and invasive procedures. Failing to obtain informed consent before performing a test or procedure on a patient can easily invite legal consequences against the healthcare authorities For many invasive tests or for treatments with significant risk, patient should be given a written consent form and a verbal explanation, both preferably in their native language.The following components should be discussed and included in the written consent form.

• Explanation of the medical condition that warrants the test, procedure, or treatment
• Explanation of benefits and detailed description of the proposed test, procedure, or treatment including possible complications and adverse events
• If any form of alternative treatments, procedures, or tests, present and their relative benefits and risks
• A discussion of the consequences of not accepting the test, procedure, or treatment
• The consent form should be signed and dated both by the doctor and by patient.
• This is a legal documentation of the work done by the healthcare personal.