Cosmetic Nurses Association: Informed Consent
Purpose
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia principle 2.3 of the Code of conduct for nurses defines informed consent as ‘a person’s voluntary agreement to healthcare with the knowledge and understanding of the potential benefits and risks involved’.
The purpose of this guideline is to outline the specific requirements of informed consent for cosmetic nurses when performing any cosmetic procedure.
Scope
This guideline is applicable to cosmetic nurses providing non-surgical cosmetic treatments within Australia.
Guideline
Informed consent must be obtained prior to the commencement of any cosmetic non-surgical medical treatment. Obtaining informed consent includes and is not limited to the following:
- Ensure all risks of the treatment are explained;
- Ensure all benefits of the treatment are explained;
- Ensure all costs of the treatment are explained including any potential follow up costs;
- Ensure alternative treatment options are explained;
- Ensure information is delivered in a way that the patient can understand, utilising translating services if necessary;
- Allow the patient time to ask questions;
- Allow the patient to refuse treatment;
- Ensure the person has capacity to provide consent. If the patient cannot do so, then a substitute decision making process must be implemented;
- Consent must be given voluntarily without pressure of others;
- Consent for one procedure does not automatically cover consent for other procedures;
- Consent should be presented verbally and in written form and signed for in front of the health practitioner providing the treatment with adequate time given to read through the paperwork
References
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2018). Code of conduct for nurses. http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/documents/default.aspx?record=WD17%2F23850&dbid=AP&chksum=L8j874hp3DTlC1Sj4klHag%3D%3D