Informed consent: essential legal and ethical principles for nurses.

Before surgery, the informed consent process is the practical application of shared decision making between a surgeon and a patient. However, nurses, as enlightened patient advocates, also have an entrusted interest in fully understanding the legal and ethical considerations of the informed consent process. Some of the ethical principles impacting informed consent are existing cornerstones of professional nursing practice. Nevertheless, surgeons bear the ultimate responsibility for the informed consent process before surgery. The ideal completion of the informed consent process may be achieved if surgeons and knowledgeable nurses collaborate for the patient's good.