A client requests information on several medications in order to make an informed choice about management of depression. A nurse should provide this information to facilitate which ethical principle?
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A
Autonomy
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B
Beneficence
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C
Nonmaleficence
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D
Justice
In this situation, the nursing judgment that fits the stem is Autonomy.
A. Autonomy
This fits because The nurse should provide the information to support the clients autonomy. A client who is capable of making independent choices should be permitted to do so. In instances when clients are incapable of making informed decisions, a legal guardian or representative would be asked to give consent. Need: Safe and Effective Care Environment The underlying principle in the stem is best addressed by choosing the response that is both specific to the cue provided and consistent with evidence-informed psychiatric nursing practice. From a nursing standpoint, this selection guides assessment and interventions toward what is most clinically meaningful in the moment—risk reduction, safety, accurate appraisal, and support for adaptive coping.
B. Beneficence
This reflects a related idea, but it fits best when the idea in “Beneficence” addresses a different mechanism or priority than the one emphasized by the stem The wording does not track the stem’s main cue, so selecting it would shift the nurse away from the most precise interpretation or priority.
C. Nonmaleficence
This might be chosen when the idea in “Nonmaleficence” addresses a different mechanism or priority than the one emphasized by the stem The wording does not track the stem’s main cue, so selecting it would shift the nurse away from the most precise interpretation or priority.
D. Justice
This could seem tempting if the idea in “Justice” addresses a different mechanism or priority than the one emphasized by the stem The wording does not track the stem’s main cue, so selecting it would shift the nurse away from the most precise interpretation or priority.
Conclusion
The stem provides enough information to select the most accurate interpretation without adding extra assumptions. The chosen answer reflects the correct framework, and the remaining choices drift toward incomplete, premature, or misdirected reasoning.