The nurse is reviewing the surgical consent with the patient during preoperative education and finds the patient does not understand what procedure will be completed. What is the nurse's best next step?
a. Notify the health care provider about the patient's question.
b. Explain the procedure that will be completed.
c. Continue with preoperative education.
d. Ask the patient to sign the form.
ANS: A
Surgery cannot be legally or ethically performed until the patient fully understands the need for a procedure and all the implications. It is the surgeon's responsibility to explain the procedure, associated risks, benefits, alternatives, and possible complications. It is important for the nurse to pause with preoperative education to notify the health care provider of the patient's questions. It is not within the nurse's scope to explain the procedure. The nurse can certainly reinforce what the health care provider has explained, but the information needs to come from the health care provider. It is not prudent to ask a patient to sign a form for a procedure that he/she does not understand.
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