title: What to do when functional and legal families disagree.
abstract: In Case 1, a nurse describes a scenario in which a patient's functional and legal families disagree about who has the right to make consent decisions. Case 2 reveals the situation's legal and ethical implications for nurses and how they can facilitate a resolution.
authors.affiliation: St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gonzales
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dever
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Singleton
mesh_terms: D016223:Advance Directives / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000368:Aged; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008297:Male; D018454:Spouses / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States