A minor patient typically requires consent from whom?

• A. The patient
• B. The parent or guardian
• C. The nurse
• D. The hospital administrator

Answer: (B)

Consent for a minor’s medical treatment is provided by a parent or legal guardian. Minors typically don’t have the legal capacity to give binding consent themselves, so a parent or guardian signs the consent form to authorize procedures, medications, and care. The child may be asked to assent and be involved in decisions appropriate to their age, but assent is not the same as legal consent. In certain situations, such as emergencies or when a minor is legally emancipated or considered a mature minor in some jurisdictions, there are special provisions that can affect consent, but the standard answer remains that a parent or guardian is responsible for granting consent.