The duty to prevent harm and promote good is called which ethical principle?

Prepare for the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Test. Study with interactive quizzes and detailed explanations. Boost your exam readiness with our diverse question formats and in-depth content coverage.

Multiple Choice

The duty to prevent harm and promote good is called which ethical principle?

Promoting the patient’s well-being while actively preventing harm is beneficence. In clinical practice this means taking actions that improve health and comfort and reduce risk, such as providing effective pain management, preventing complications, and supporting overall recovery. It’s the proactive duty to do good for the patient, not just avoid harm. Justice focuses on fairness and equal distribution of resources; veracity is about truth-telling and honest communication; autonomy centers on respecting a patient’s right to make their own decisions. While all are important, the phrase “prevent harm and promote good” best captures the active, welfare-oriented obligation of beneficence.

Promoting the patient’s well-being while actively preventing harm is beneficence. In clinical practice this means taking actions that improve health and comfort and reduce risk, such as providing effective pain management, preventing complications, and supporting overall recovery. It’s the proactive duty to do good for the patient, not just avoid harm.

Justice focuses on fairness and equal distribution of resources; veracity is about truth-telling and honest communication; autonomy centers on respecting a patient’s right to make their own decisions. While all are important, the phrase “prevent harm and promote good” best captures the active, welfare-oriented obligation of beneficence.

More practice questions