Valid consent in the acute hospital setting: perspectives of nursing and medical professionals from a survey-based study

Abstract

Background: In healthcare, consent refers to the act of granting permission or agreement for treatment and care, investigation, receiving or utilising a service, or participating in research or teaching. Consent should be an ongoing process that involves clear communication about the proposed intervention, including its nature, benefits, and potential risks. Aim: This survey-based study gathered experiences from junior doctors and nurses in a large acute teaching hospital about current consent practices and suggestions for improvement. Method: Two surveys were developed and distributed to junior doctors in 2022 and nurses in 2023. Results: The response rate for junior doctors (n = 58) was 21% (interns) and 57% (senior house officers) and 10% of the total nursing population responded (n = 184). Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyse the results. Both junior doctors and nursing professionals believed there were areas for improvement in terms of consent processes and practices including in relation to better information for patients and more education and training for healthcare professionals. Conclusions: The process of informed consent is central in the planning and provision of safe, effective person-centred healthcare as it encompasses healthcare professionals and patients communicating about and together deciding on and agreeing to medical interventions. This survey-based study looked at the experiences, attitudes, and perceived needs of junior doctors and nursing professionals in relation to the informed consent process in clinical practice at an acute hospital and informed the development of recommendations for improvement.