Nursing Care

The hospital should also have the patient sign a general consent to nursing care. This consent is a contract directly between the patient and the hospital allowing routine care. Legally, this form is of minor importance because the patient is assumed to have consented to nursing care by being present in the hospital. However, the general consent to nursing care could become important if the patient were to later claim that the ensuing treatment was rendered against the patient's will. This claim would usually arise with psychiatric patients or patient's originally brought to the hospital while unconscious. The chance of being sued for unauthorized nursing care is slight, but these general consent forms are simple insurance against such an eventuality.