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Sammanfattning

The article discusses the concept of autonomy in relation to the rejection of nursing care. It is based on an analysis of two hypothetical situations, in which a competent and incompetent patient reject care. The analysis was done on the background of legislation and a theoretical report, and shows that a competent, well-informed patient acting on his/her own free will can reject care, and that this should be respected even though the decision may seem to be contrary to what is best for the patient. The article describes the importance of informing the patient in order for the rejection to be considered competent, and that the reasons for the patient's rejection should be removed if at all possible. An incompetent person who lacks the ability to comprehend, remember and to evaluate the information relevant to making a decision, may still express a wish of rejecting care. The analysis shows that it is acceptable to respect the wishes of an incompetent patient, and that it is unacceptable to force care on a patient against his or her wishes. The conclusion of the discussion is thus that patients can reject care and that this should be respected.

MeSH