Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) Practice Test

What ethical framework emphasizes the importance of intention behind actions?

1. Virtue ethics

2. Deontology

3. Principlism

4. Consequentialism

The correct answer is: Deontology

The ethical framework that emphasizes the importance of intention behind actions is deontology. This approach, primarily associated with the philosopher Immanuel Kant, focuses on the adherence to moral rules or duties and maintains that the morality of an action is determined by whether it fulfills a certain obligation or duty, rather than the consequences that arise from it. In deontological ethics, the intention behind the action is paramount, as it reflects the moral reasoning of the individual. For instance, if a nurse administers medication intending to provide care and relief to a patient, the moral worth of that action is evaluated based on the intention to help, irrespective of the outcomes that may follow. This distinguishes deontology from other ethical frameworks such as consequentialism, which evaluates the morality of an action based on its outcomes, or virtue ethics, which emphasizes character and virtues rather than intentions. Principlism, while incorporating principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice, does not focus primarily on intention in the same way deontology does.