Investigation of patients’ and nurses’ perceptions on the realization of informed consent in nursing care

Abstract

Aim: To explore and compare the elderly and surgical patients' and mothers' and the corresponding nursing personnel's perceptions about the realization of informed consent. Material - Method: The study was comparative and the data have been collected from a convenience sample of 678 patients (251 mothers, 275 surgical and 152 elderly patients) and 587 nurses (221, 222 and 144) from the respective wards of 27 Greek hospitals. The instrument consisted of 11 Likert type questions asking from the respondents to rate the frequency (R=l-5) the patients had been asked for informed consent as related to specific nursing interventions. Results: The perceptions of patients and nurses concerning the realisation of the informed consent were relatively low, with nurses to believe that patients' right of informed consent was protected during the hospital stay more often than the patients (Mean=2.51 - 1.63 respectively, p<0.001). Elderly patients (Mean=2.04) believed more than mothers (Mean=1.58) and surgical patients (Mean = 1.41) that they have been asked for informed consent (p<0.001). Similar standpoint difference was found between the nursing personnel working in elderly wards (Mean=2.78, p<0.001) in relation with those working in maternity wards (Mean=2.59) and surgical wards (Mean=2.26). Conclusions: Nurses must become aware of the importance of informed consent and apply this to the everyday practice taking into account the unique needs of the individual patients.