Ethical Principles in Nursing

⚖️ Ethical Principles in Nursing Practice

Definition: Nursing ethics are the moral principles and professional standards that guide nurses’ decisions and actions to ensure patient well-being, dignity, and safety.

🌿 Importance of Ethics in Nursing

• Promotes trust between nurse and patient.
• Ensures professional accountability and safe practice.
• Protects patients’ rights and autonomy.
• Guides nurses through ethical dilemmas.
• Upholds the image and integrity of the nursing profession.

🧭 Core Ethical Principles

Principle	Meaning	Nursing Application / Example
Autonomy	Respecting the patient’s right to make personal health decisions.	Obtaining informed consent before procedures; respecting treatment refusal.
Beneficence	Doing good and acting in the patient’s best interest.	Providing compassionate, evidence-based care.
Non-maleficence	Avoiding harm or injury — “Do no harm.”	Double-checking medication before giving; preventing patient falls.
Justice	Fairness and equality in care delivery.	Providing equal care regardless of gender, race, or wealth.
Fidelity	Faithfulness and keeping promises to patients.	Following through on what is assured; maintaining commitments.
Veracity	Being truthful and honest in communication.	Telling the truth about diagnosis or errors; avoiding deception.
Confidentiality	Respecting patient privacy and information.	Keeping patient records secure; sharing data only when required by law.

🌱 Additional Ethical Values

• Accountability: Taking responsibility for one’s actions.
• Advocacy: Protecting patients’ rights and interests.
• Integrity: Acting honestly and consistently with moral standards.
• Respect for human dignity: Treating every person as worthy of care and respect.

⚖️ What is an Ethical Dilemma?

Definition: An ethical dilemma occurs when a nurse faces a situation involving two or more conflicting moral choices, and choosing one may mean violating another ethical principle.

• Both options may appear ethically justified.
• There is often no clear right or wrong answer.
• Usually involves a conflict between beneficence vs. autonomy, or truth vs. confidentiality.

In short: An ethical dilemma is a situation where doing what is “right” for one principle may cause harm to another — requiring judgment, consultation, and reflection.

🧩 Examples of Ethical Dilemmas

• A patient refuses a life-saving blood transfusion on religious grounds.
• A nurse must decide whether to report a colleague’s medication error.
• Withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment at a patient’s request.

💡 Key Takeaway: Ethical principles act as the nurse’s moral compass — guiding decisions to ensure honesty, fairness, and respect for every patient.

Ethical Principles Quiz (5 MCQs)

1. Which ethical principle emphasizes a patient’s right to make decisions?
   A) Autonomy
   B) Beneficence
   C) Justice



2. Giving pain relief to a suffering patient reflects which principle?
   A) Beneficence
   B) Non-maleficence
   C) Fidelity



3. A nurse maintaining confidentiality of a patient’s HIV status is practicing:
   A) Confidentiality
   B) Fidelity
   C) Veracity



4. “Do no harm” best represents which principle?
   A) Non-maleficence
   B) Beneficence
   C) Justice



5. A nurse tells the truth to a patient about a medication side effect. This demonstrates:
   A) Veracity
   B) Fidelity
   C) Justice

📘 QAcademy Nurses Hub
Learn | Practice | Pass

★ Join 2026 Licensure Prep – Premium Access Telegram WhatsApp TikTok