ABSTRACT
The concept of consent goes to the core of ethics and the issues of human freedom and autonomy to make decisions. This includes the ability to make informed choices about our lives and any necessary treatment. A patient receiving care may be in a vulnerable position if their judgement is impaired in some way. This means that there should be no presumption that blanket consent to all forms of treatment is present once the patient is receiving treatment. It is, therefore, an important aspect of communication that, in normal circumstances, before any treatment, the nurse is very clear that the patient has consented to any treatment given. One example is in invasive procedures such as inserting a nasogastric tube or giving an enema. The necessity and validity of consent raises moral issues not only about the patient’s autonomy but also about the expected beneficence and nonmaleficence of the nursing actions, which includes ensuring that consent is properly obtained. Any undue influence will invalidate that consent (Doyal, 2002). Consent may be classified as:
• expressed: written or oral; • implicit; • general; • specific.
