title: Understanding the Code: working in partnership.
abstract: In his continuing series looking at the law underpinning the standards set out in the revised Code ( NMC, 2015 ), Richard Griffith considers standard 2, which requires district nurses to work in partnership with the people in their care. Although the right to self-determination and the requirement for consent has been a legal principle in health care for over 100 years, its emphasis has been on providing a defence for health professionals rather than promoting partnership in the district nurse-patient relationship. Recent developments in policy and law have begun to herald a change in emphasis from 'health professional knows best' to a more patient-focused approach to decisions about care and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer in Health Law, College of Health Science, Swansea University.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Griffith
mesh_terms: D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards*; D003657:Decision Making; D030881:Disclosure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards*; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Autonomy; Consent; Knowledge of risks; Prudent patient test