Which statement best describes the nurse's role in obtaining informed consent for neonatal interventions?

• A. Provide clear, noncoercive information, facilitate questions, involve parents in decision-making, and engage ethics resources when needed.
• B. Decide unilaterally with no parent input.
• C. Provide minimal information and request signature.
• D. Tell parents what to decide for the baby.

Answer: (A)

Informed consent for neonatal interventions is a collaborative process where parents, as the infant’s surrogate decision-makers, must receive clear, noncoercive information about the proposed intervention, including its purpose, risks, benefits, and alternatives, as well as the option of no treatment. The nurse’s role is to present information in plain language, check for understanding, invite questions, and support parents in weighing options with the care team, ensuring the decision is voluntary. When uncertainties or ethical questions arise, involve ethics resources such as the hospital’s ethics committee or ethics consult service. This approach upholds family-centered care and legal/ethical standards for consent. Providing unilateral decisions, minimal information, or pressuring parents to decide would undermine informed consent and autonomy.