What it means
One of the ethical principles that guide nursing, along with autonomyaw-TON-uh-meeA person's right to make their own choices about their body and their care.Full entry , beneficencebuh-NEF-ih-sunsThe ethical principle of doing good and acting in the client's best interest.bene- good, well-ficence doingFull entry , nonmaleficencenon-muh-LEF-ih-sunsThe ethical principle of doing no harm to the client.non- notmale- bad, ill-ficence doingFull entry , justiceJUS-tisThe ethical principle of treating people fairly and sharing care and resources fairly.Full entry and veracityveh-RAS-ih-teeThe ethical principle of telling the truth.Full entry . For the nurse it means doing what you said you would do, staying loyal to the client's interests and keeping their trust.
In a chart
The nurse tells a client, "I will be back in 15 minutes with your pain medicine," and returns on time.
Related terms
autonomy
A person's right to make their own choices about their body and their care.
ethics
The study of right and wrong, and the principles that guide good conduct and decisions.
beneficence
The ethical principle of doing good and acting in the client's best interest.
justice
The ethical principle of treating people fairly and sharing care and resources fairly.
nonmaleficence
The ethical principle of doing no harm to the client.
veracity
The ethical principle of telling the truth.