Carey Brian
Teenage Cancer Trust Unit, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
Br J Nurs. 2009;18(22):1366-8. doi: 10.12968/bjon.2009.18.22.45563.
The media reported last year that a 13-year-old girl had 'won the right' to refuse a heart transplant, which highlighted the issues of the rights of adolescents to consent to and refuse medical treatment. However, the perception that the right of adolescents to refuse health care has changed is a false one. Healthcare decision making for adolescents is an area of particular concern for paediatric nurses, who should attempt to make some sense of the complex legal issues concerning competence, consent and refusal. This article outlines the legal status of adolescents regarding consent to and refusal of treatment, and highlights rulings that have affected them greatly. Nurses must understand and believe in their patients' rights if they are to promote them and act as their advocate.
媒体去年报道，一名13岁女孩“赢得了”拒绝心脏移植的“权利”，这凸显了青少年同意和拒绝医疗治疗的权利问题。然而，认为青少年拒绝医疗保健的权利已经改变的看法是错误的。青少年的医疗保健决策是儿科护士特别关注的领域，他们应该试图弄清楚一些关于能力、同意和拒绝的复杂法律问题。本文概述了青少年在同意和拒绝治疗方面的法律地位，并强调了对他们产生重大影响的裁决。护士如果要促进患者的权利并为他们代言，就必须理解并相信患者的权利。
