Shared decision-making: nurses must respect autonomy over paternalism.

Shared decision-making lies at the heart of the Government's reforms of the NHS in England. The slogan, 'No decision about me without me', underpins shared decision-making that sees patients as active participants in their treatment decisions. In this article, Richard Griffith and Cassam Tengnah argue that for 'no decision about me, without me' to be a reality, district nurses must guard against paternalistic decision-making that excludes the views and wishes of their patients.