What does it mean if a paitent is voluntary?
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Bloom6000 — 9 years ago(November 14, 2016 09:33 PM)
I ought to know because I've stayed at mental wards myself. But I don't know if US medical terms of the 1960s are different to Australian medical terms of today.
Harding says to McMurphy that he is not committed, but voluntary and that he can go home anytime he want.
So this means that Harding is still a patient at the ward, but he is allowed to go home for visits? Or does he have the choice to make himself discharged from the hospital altogether? -
kaneforgov — 9 years ago(November 17, 2016 07:49 AM)
Harding is there as a patient under his own volition. He can check himself out of the hospital at his discretion. Murphy has been committed to the hospital by the court. If he leaves or refuses treatment he goes to jail.
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InherentlyYours — 9 years ago(December 01, 2016 10:42 AM)
Harding says to McMurphy that he is not committed, but voluntary and that he can go home anytime he want.
So this means that Harding is still a patient at the ward, but he is allowed to go home for visits? Or does he have the choice to make himself discharged from the hospital altogether
Not quite that easy. A 30 day notice needs to be written by the patient for discharge, but if the staff feels that after you have voluntarily admitted yourself that you are a risk, that notice doesn't have to be honored.
And once you are admitted as an in-patient, you cannot go home for visits at first, whether it's voluntary or involuntary