Question

Trauma patient is unconscious and needs emergent surgery. The family is 2 hours away but on the way. The circulating nurse should:

A Have the surgeon and anesthesiologist sign the consent together
B Have the surgeon document the case is emergent and proceed with the set up
C Have the family sign the consent for surgery once they arrive
D Complete the consent form and write Not Applicable on the line for patient signature

Answer 1

The circulating nurse should proceed with the setup for surgery and have the surgeon document that the case is emergent.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the provided information, the family of the unconscious trauma patient is two hours away but on the way. In such a situation, the circulating nurse should not wait for the family to arrive and sign the consent for surgery. It is crucial to prioritize the patient's life-saving surgery. The appropriate action for the nurse would be to have the surgeon document that the case is emergent and proceed with the necessary setup for surgery.