Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) Practice Test

Which approach to ethics includes nonmalificence, beneficence, respect for autonomy, and justice?

1. Utilitarianism

2. Deontology

3. Virtue ethics

4. Principlism

The correct answer is: Principlism

The approach to ethics that includes nonmaleficence, beneficence, respect for autonomy, and justice is principlism. This ethical framework is widely used in healthcare to guide practitioners in making ethical decisions. It is founded on four key principles: 1. **Nonmaleficence** refers to the obligation to avoid causing harm to patients. 2. **Beneficence** involves actions that promote the well-being of patients and contribute to their health. 3. **Respect for autonomy** emphasizes the importance of honoring individuals' rights to make informed decisions about their own healthcare. 4. **Justice** concerns the fair and equitable distribution of healthcare resources and the impartial treatment of patients. By integrating these principles, principlism provides a comprehensive and balanced approach to ethical decision-making in clinical practice. This framework helps nurses and other healthcare providers to consider multiple dimensions of ethical dilemmas, leading to more informed and empathetic care. Other approaches like utilitarianism focus primarily on the outcomes of actions, aiming for the greatest good for the majority, while deontology is centered on adherence to rules and duties rather than the consequences. Virtue ethics emphasizes the character and virtues of the moral agent rather than the actions or their outcomes. Thus, principl