Informed consent: what do veterinary nurses need to know?
Abstract
Whether consent is informed or not has numerous implications for the veterinary team. A signed consent form is not sufficient to establish informed consent. Consent to treatment of an animal by the owner can constitute a contract between the client and the veterinary practice; that the consent is informed is a legal requirement of ensuring any such contract is valid. In order to be sufficiently informed, the likely outcome and any possible risks of the proposed treatment must be clearly explained. Communication skills are vital in conveying this information to clients. While it is the veterinary surgeon's professional responsibility to obtain consent, veterinary nurses still have a key role to play in the process.
In the medical profession, consent has been termed ‘a moral and legal cornerstone of contemporary health care’, applicable to all clinical procedures (Farsides, 2007: 140). Every day in their professional practice, veterinary nurses (VNs) are likely to be involved, either directly or indirectly, with the process of obtaining consent from clients. Whether this consent is informed or not has numerous implications for the veterinary team. This review aims to explore what constitutes informed consent, before discussing the legal, ethical and professional issues relating to it and concludes with recommendations for best practice.
The dictionary definition of ‘consent’ is ‘acceptance of, or agreement to, something proposed by another’ (Encarta, 2009). Therefore, in veterinary practice, simply put, consent equates to the client agreeing to a course of action proposed by a veterinary surgeon (VS). While all VNs will be familiar with the consent forms used in their practices, as evidence of such agreement, is this sufficient?
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