Consent in Health Care Practices
The positive output of health care service always depends on a friendly and healthy bond between the patient and health care professionals. The concept of patient consent is thus appropriate in this regard and is the first major stepping in framing trustworthy and honest relationships with patients.
Autonomy in this concern is related to the rights of a patient, which is related to (i) the right of information and knowledge regarding the health care intervention, (ii) the right to take appropriate decisions of self, (iii) the right to refuse or accept any particular choice of health care service (Burhans, Chastain & George, 2012).
The present report is based on the audio-video resources presented by professionals from nursing and paramedics with reference to the ethical considerations in the process of obtaining patient consent. It is, hence, sufficient discussion regarding the comparison and contrasting facts from both the health care disciplines that have been presented in this report (Dunphy & Winland-Brown, 2011).
- Ethical framework influencing the decision-making in health care practice.
The interview from Peta and Dennis delivers crucial and important information relevant to the informed consent. The ethical frameworks, as revealed in the interview with Peta, shed light on the fact that the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia provides certain rules and regulations that should be adhered to within the scope of nursing practice (Andrews, 2011).
For example, there is a code of ethics for nurses NMBA (Aug 2008), effective from 8 May 2013, that should be followed for taking patient consent. Apart from this, there are some ethical standards framed by the World Health Organization that deal with the sharing of proper information and then obtaining consent from the patient (Frost, 2011).
Likewise, in the interview with Dennis, it was found that the paramedics have a national framework under which they can handle the situation for up to 30 minutes. This is applicable, especially for emergency cases or another similar scenario where the patient is willing but cannot give consent.
Thus, with this, the paramedics can proceed with the resuscitation. In general, it was revealed that the international ethical framework is not that applicable to paramedic practices, especially in Australia. In the interview, Dennis mentioned some of the ethical frameworks that were devised by Canada, but again, it was not applicable in real-time paramedic practices.
It is noteworthy to mention that Dannis states about the national council, which frames guidelines and policies which are currently being practised in paramedic care.
The mentioned local and national ethical framework includes the ethical guidelines prepared by the local authority. It is applicable in their own institutions as well as Paramedics Australasia, which is a national ethical framework (Griffith & Mooney 2011).
Certainly, it was revealed from both of the interviews that the ethical framework dictated by both of the professionals belongs to different codes of conduct working in the same paradigm of health care. The common theme of these codes of conduct is to respect the autonomy of patient.
On the contrary, the difference among these codes lies is respective practice such as proper treatment of patient (nursing) and attending the patients in ambulatory service till home (paramedics). Hence as such it would be difficult to contrast these codes of ethics as because they belong to different health care discipline.
- Relevance of code of ethics in different health discipline
Professionals from both of the health care discipline viz. nursing and paramedic utters important and crucial information regarding the code of ethics. It will be justified to state that the code of ethics is most important for those professionals who are starting the health care practice in their professional carrier.
The code of ethics certainly with help in providing accurate knowledge as and where appropriate. It is the code of ethics which guides the relevance and the corresponding rights of the patient regarding the consent of intervention or treatment.
The code of ethics for nurses includes the value of diversity, respect and kindness for people and the value of quality nursing care for people (White, Jordens & Kerridge, 2014). Peta emphasized on a fact that although child of age group from 11 to 16 are adult enough and have the ability to perceive, judge and make decision regarding their choice and suitability of medical intervention, yet as per the code of ethical conduct, nurses in Australia need to take consent from their parents.
The reason being children or kidult upto the age of 16 are not allowed to give consent. Similarly Dannis states that in the paramedic there is a follow on for culture, race, ethinicity and gender in the paramedic practice according to the code of ethics (Townsend & Luck, 2012).
The code of ethics for paramedics includes value for quality services for people, value for race, ethnicity and socially indifferent people. The value for socially, economically and ecologically sustainable environment promoting the health and wellbeing is also included within it.
It is hence Dannis mentioned some of the real life example in the interview taking into the consideration of African teen girls and muslim women.
Apart from the code of ethic, other clinical or emergency situation demands the in-time decision making by either the nursing professionals or the paramedic professionals regarding the choice of intervention. In both of the cases, this seems to be common, where both Pete and Dannis mentioned that they need to use their own clinical decision and follow the practice which is oriented towards the patient safety.
In other words, this can be referred to as the use of wisdom in a patient care scenario where an ethical dilemma is confronted by not only nurses and paramedics but also by other multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals.
- Ethical and legal issues in consenting vulnerable patients’ cohorts
The concern of distinguishing the ethical and legal issues especially for the vulnerable patients’ cohort is found to be difficult in terms of health care practice. From both the concerned videos, this aspect of ethical consideration seems to be difficult (Menon & Ward, 2014).
According to Pete, there are community of people who belongs to poor or rural location, migrants and other sort of people who have difficult in understanding the exact knowledge delivered by the nursing professionals. It is hence such scenario will give rise to a situation of dilemma. The ethical principles of nursing practice are:
- Patient respect (autonomy and self-determination.
- Beneficence of patient.
- No maleficence in health care practice.
- Equality and fairness in practice.
- Delivery of appropriate and correct information.
- Fidelity towards profession.
Similarly, the legal issue includes:
- Tired to licensure, national and international laws.
- Malfunctioning, professional negligence and litigation are covered under Act of omission.
- Failure to provide equality and serious medical needs will fall under 14th amendment as civil rights violation.
- Nurse has legal and ethical obligations, irrespective to method. It is hence effective communication of nurse with patient and organization is essential.
- Based on the provided information, nurses should determine the type of intervention. Clinical decision and decision support is a part of nursing practice. It is hence documentation is one of the essential part of clinical practices.
Similarly according to the interview lectured by Dannis, for the muslim community, the gender biasness is high. It is, hence, the paramedics need to take the consent form from the male despite the fact that it is suitable for females or not.
Legally it is justified that the nurses should give exact, relevant and appropriate choices available in the context to the patient and then the consent should be taken from the patient, their family members or carer. Further it has not been mentioned in any guidelines worldwide whether it is illegal to take consent in such scenario after delivering of the appropriate knowledge.
It is the ethical duty of the health care professionals from any relevant disciple that to take due care whether the information delivered by the nurses or paramedic should be understandable by the concerned patient or appropriate person.
One of the most important concerns in this regard is the communication. It should be taken care especially from the non-native English speaking person and the underdeveloped countries that the information delivered by the professionals in conjunction to the health care intervention or choice should be understood by the patient. The ethical issues of paramedics are:
- Practice beneficence and non-maleficence.
- Respect autonomy of all patients.
- Always strive to do justice in all situations.
The legal issues of paramedics comprises of:
- Duty to care, including assisting in management to suffers and prevention of error or omission.
- Accused for the negligence should be evaluated and in case of guilt there much be certain penalty.
- Consent must be considered when discussing confidentiality according to Health Record Act 2001.
It is these scenarios where only after appropriate understanding, the patient or the associate member of patient will be able to make the clinically relevant and suitable decisions.
Moreover the meaning of consent in regard to the corresponding patient satisfaction is possible only once the patient is able to understand the exact clause of the purpose and its corresponding consequence.
Another important consideration regarding obtaining consent from the vulnerable patient’s cohort can be explained in relation to the people who are homeless. Adolescent and elderly population homelessness is a distressing social problem world-wide (Wen, Hudak & Hwang, 2007).
In concern to the Australian health policy the issue has been given prime importance. The main reasons for homelessness are family conflict, occupation and job-related staying away from home, and physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
This on the other hand invites several risky situations. Talking about the nursing as well as paramedic care and intervention, it is difficult to take consent in many cases as there is no such availability of family members or carer. It is too often found in news that such patients are discharges without addressing their underlying health related problems, damaging health conditions and hence use to be discharges back to the streets and the shelter-less home form where they actually came (Etchells, 1999).
Likewise there are many hidden nature of gambling problems associated with the health care intervention such as inequality in health services provided, choosing the inappropriate or cheapest way of treatment, inflexible scheduling, complicated admission criteria, filling the documentation without any proper intervention and care.
The Federal Government’s Green Paper from Australian Government in the year 2008 has acknowledged the reformation regarding the mainstream health care services for the homeless patients (Moore, 2008).
- Conclusion
The practice of ethics can be referred to as the consideration of general autonomy of individual where the rights of mankind can be preserved for achieving positive goals.
The role of health care professional in this regard is to present sufficient and appropriate information to the patient which in turn will be helpful for gaining positive patient outcome. In conclusion from the present audio video resources many of the valuable health care practice related information have been obtained.
Both the professionals Pete and Dannis presented to the best of their knowledge which should be adopted by not only nurses and paramedic but by all health care professionals in practices.
To get assignment help, please contact to our live chat adviser.