Question

A nurse is obtaining informed consent from a client who is preoperative. Which of the following actions should the nurse take? (Select all that apply.)

A) Establish that the client is able to pay for the surgical procedure.
B) Explain the surgical procedure to the client.
C) Validate the signature is authentic.
D) Verify the client understands the surgical procedure.
E) Confirm that the consent is voluntary.

Answer 1

When obtaining informed consent from a preoperative client, a nurse should explain the surgical procedure, verify that the client understands it, and confirm the consent is voluntary. Authenticating the signature is also important. Ensuring the client's ability to pay is not within the nurse's responsibilities during consent.

Step-by-step explanation:

A nurse obtaining informed consent from a preoperative client should carry out several important actions to ensure that the process is ethical and legal. The actions that should be taken include:

• Explain the surgical procedure to the client, ensuring they have all necessary information about what to expect.
• Verify the client understands the surgical procedure, which includes the risks, benefits, alternatives, and potential outcomes.
• Confirm that the consent is voluntary, meaning that the client is not feeling coerced or unduly influenced to give their consent.
• Validate the signature is authentic to ensure that the person who is giving consent is truly the one signing the form.

It is not the nurse's role to establish whether the client is able to pay for the procedure; this would be handled by the hospital's administrative or financial department. The priority in obtaining informed consent is to ensure the patient's autonomy, understanding, and willingness to undergo the surgical intervention.