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Article: Withdrawing consent after a procedure has begun. (OR Nursing Law).
- Article from:
- AORN Journal
- Article date:
- July 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Association of Operating Room Nurses, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Every perioperative nurse knows that patients have a legal right to be informed of the risks and benefits of and alternatives to an invasive procedure, and they must give consent before a procedure can be performed. Every perioperative nurse also knows that patients have a legal right to withdraw that consent at any time before the procedure, but can a patient withdraw consent after a procedure has begun? Case law is just developing in this area, but at least two states' supreme courts and one appellate court have examined this issue and are in agreement--patients have a legal right to withdraw consent even after a procedure has begun as long as medically viable options ...