An inpatient psychiatric physician refuses to treat clients without insurance and prematurely discharges those whose insurance benefits have expired. Which violation of an ethical principle should a nurse recognize in this situation?
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A
Autonomy
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B
Beneficence
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C
Nonmaleficence
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D
Justice
Based on the information given, the response that addresses the question is Justice.
A. Autonomy
This sounds reasonable when the idea in “Autonomy” 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.
B. Beneficence
This could seem tempting if 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 would apply in a different scenario where 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 fits because The nurse should determine that the ethical principle of justice has been violated by the physicians actions. The principle of justice requires that individuals should be treated equally regardless of race, sex, marital status, medical diagnosis, social standing, economic level, or religious belief. 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.
Conclusion
The most defensible choice is the one that is explicitly supported by the stem and aligns with the intended clinical concept. The remaining options are plausible in other contexts but are not as strongly supported here.