Nursing via a Reflective Model - Essay Example

Nursing via a reflective model As a nurse working in the operating theatre at a major hospital, it is my responsibility to check the paper work and consent forms of all patients coming into the theatre. As consent issues are a huge topic, it is paramount that the papers are correct. In keeping with my continuing education, I am required to attend classes which focus on different current health care topics. One week, I attended a lecture on patient consent and its issues. The professor taught us that only doctors were allowed to sign consent forms from now on, especially with patients who are incompetent. The following week, a husband escorted his wife, who suffered from dementia, to the reception area. On checking through the paper work, I noticed her husband had signed the consent form. I explained to him that this consent was not valid, and it would need two doctors' signatures. The husband, however, was under the impression that he had every right to do this, ad he was her power of attorney. I explained that this fact didn't matter, and that nobody other than a certified doctor could sign the consent of another adult. Subsequently, the surgeon was called in to rewrite and sign a new form. He, too, was under the impression that the husband could sign the form. As all this was happening in front of the wife, I felt very embarrassed, as it looked as if no one knew what they were doing. All I knew was, I was right to ask for a new form. I would not have let the patient go to the theatre if the form had not been changed. Finally, after huge discussions and the involvement of the theatre manager, the surgeon rewrote the consent and the patient was allowed to be seen. Read More