Informed consent ensures patients have adequate information to make voluntary, knowledgeable decisions about their healthcare. Essential elements: disclosure of nature/procedure, risks/benefits, alternatives, and prognosis without treatment; comprehension by patient; voluntariness (no coercion); competence (decision-making capacity); and consent (authorization). The physician explains medical aspects; the nurse verifies understanding, witnesses signature, and advocates for patient questions. Nurses assess: if patient understands information; if consent is voluntary; and if patient is competent. Special considerations: emergencies (implied consent); minors (parental consent with exceptions); impaired decision-making capacity (surrogate); and language/cultural barriers (interpreters). Documentation includes: consent form signed; patient questions/answers; and assessment of understanding. Informed consent is ongoing process, not just a form—patients can withdraw consent anytime. Ethical principles: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence. Nurses protect this right even when patients make decisions contrary to medical advice.

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Zambia

• loveness Phiri – 722 pts

• Visual Pathway Lesions
• Positive and Negative Symptoms
• Hallucinations and Delusions
• Antipsychotic Medications
• Emergency: Environmental Emergencies