If a client needs a blood transfusion, which act is the nurse's responsibility?

If a client needs a blood transfusion, which act is the nurse's responsibility?

• A. Make sure consent is on file.
• B. Perform the transfusion
• C. Draw blood for crossmatch
• D. Explain risks to patient

Answer: (A)

Ensuring informed consent is documented before a transfusion is the key responsibility. Before proceeding, the nurse verifies that the patient (or a legally authorized representative) has given consent and that this consent is on file, capturing that the patient understands the procedure, benefits, risks, and alternatives. This protects the patient’s autonomy and provides a legal record that the transfusion was authorized. The actual transfusion is ordered by a clinician and carried out by the care team; drawing blood for crossmatching is a laboratory task, and while the nurse may participate in the process, the formal act of confirming consent lies with having the consent properly documented. Explaining risks is part of the consent conversation, but the essential nursing action is to confirm that consent exists on the chart before any transfusion begins. If there is no consent, the transfusion should not proceed.

Ensuring informed consent is documented before a transfusion is the key responsibility. Before proceeding, the nurse verifies that the patient (or a legally authorized representative) has given consent and that this consent is on file, capturing that the patient understands the procedure, benefits, risks, and alternatives. This protects the patient’s autonomy and provides a legal record that the transfusion was authorized.

The actual transfusion is ordered by a clinician and carried out by the care team; drawing blood for crossmatching is a laboratory task, and while the nurse may participate in the process, the formal act of confirming consent lies with having the consent properly documented. Explaining risks is part of the consent conversation, but the essential nursing action is to confirm that consent exists on the chart before any transfusion begins. If there is no consent, the transfusion should not proceed.