There are few situations in which the standard of care is so clear-cut as to preclude physician judgment. Assessing the degree of need (not just the standard of care) when asking a patient to spend money requires judgment.
Traci A. Wolbrink, MD, MPH and Jeffrey P. Burns, MD, MPH
Given the limited opportunities for experience in most pediatrics training programs, computer-based learning and simulation should be used to teach procedures before real patient encounters.
When a severely ill child comes into the emergency room, assent for emergency care is no more required than is parental permission. Conveying the needed care is the top priority.