Several principles lie under the decisions the nurse should make in a particular situation with a patient and their families. The first principle is the Anatomy principle which focuses on the decisions made by oneself. Each individual, either a competent adult or an emancipated minor, has the democratic right to make his or her own decision about their healthcare. A nurse should respect the patient’s decision as long as it is not negative towards the healthcare of another patient.
The principle of nonmaleficence states that no harmful action should be taken. Nurses majorly should know whether the actions they are doing to a patient are harmful and if yes, then is it by omission or commission.
Justice as a principle states that fairness and equity in treatment should always be applied. Justice comes in two comparative and distributive. Distributive talks about the level to which services are allocated equitably to their society. Comparative addresses how healthcare services are delivered to an individual. It focuses on disability, age, ethnicity, gender, and religion.
The Fidelity principle addresses loyalty in that it shows the amount of loyalty built between nurses and their patients. Dilemma results from fidelity in a way whereby the commitment made by a nurse to a patient may fail. Lastly is the principle of beneficence, where the nurse or medical practitioner offers the best medical care in the interest of a patient. It simply explains that the nurse should bring a positive outcome.
