Nokea
A nurse is working with an active labor patient who is in preterm labor and has been designated as high risk. The patient is very apprehensive and asks the nurse, “Is everything going to be all right?” The nurse replies, “Yes, everything will be okay.” Following delivery via an emergency cesarean birth, the newborn undergoes resuscitation and does not survive. The patient is distraught over the outcome and blames the nurse for telling her that everything would be okay. Which ethical principle did the nurse violate?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Beneficence. The nurse violated the ethical principle of beneficence by providing false reassurance to the patient, leading to unrealistic expectations and potential harm. Beneficence is about acting in the best interest of the patient and ensuring their well-being. By misleading the patient, the nurse failed to uphold this principle.
A: Autonomy is the right of the patient to make their own decisions. The nurse did not directly violate the patient's autonomy in this scenario.
B: Fidelity is about being faithful to commitments and promises. The nurse did not violate fidelity, as there was no explicit promise made that was broken.
D: Accountability is about taking responsibility for one's actions. While accountability is important, it is not the primary ethical principle violated in this case.