dicuss the ethical importance of informed consent

Discuss the ethical justification for informed consent


The nursing and midwifery council (NMC) (2002) state that “as a registered nurse… you are personally accountable for your practice. In caring for… clients you must… obtain consent before you give any treatment or care.” (p.2). Failure to obtain consent may result in legal action due to battery or trespass against the person, (Dimond, XXXX).

Within ethics, it is clear that no area stands alone, but many positions build one upon another. This is clear in informed consent which relies on the concept of autonomy. Indeed other ethical positions such as beneficence, which may play a large part in acting in a ‘persons best interests’ need to be addressed, a subject directly affected by consent and autonomy.

While the concept of informed consent affects issues relating to medical records or disclosure of information, it is felt that these areas should lie outside the scope of this text. Instead, the text will ...