Which ethical principle is followed in telling truth about the disease to a patient?

Appeared in: KPSC Staff Nurse - 2021

Explanation

Veracity, which is the ethical principle of being honest and telling the truth.
In a clinical context, veracity obligates healthcare professionals to provide patients with accurate and complete information about their diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
This principle is fundamental to establishing trust and respecting the patient's right to make informed decisions about their own care (autonomy).
Disclosing the truth about a disease allows the patient to participate actively in their healthcare journey.

Option B: Confidentiality is the duty to protect a patient's private information and not disclose it to unauthorized persons. It is about privacy, not truth-telling.
Option C: Fidelity refers to the principle of being faithful to one's commitments and promises. It is about reliability and loyalty, not the content of the information shared.
Option D: Justice is the principle of fairness and equality. It involves the equitable distribution of healthcare resources and providing care without discrimination.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Ethical Principles in Nursing to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Veracity is the cornerstone of informed consent. Without truthful information, a patient cannot make an autonomous decision about their treatment, rendering the consent process invalid.
Nurses often face ethical dilemmas when a patient's family requests that the truth about a poor prognosis be withheld. The nurse must navigate this by prioritizing the patient's right to know while being compassionate to the family's concerns.
In practice, veracity is not just about blurting out facts. It involves skilled communication: assessing the patient's readiness to hear information, using understandable language, and providing emotional support.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core action in the question stem: 'telling truth about the disease'.
Next, review the options provided, which are all ethical principles.
Recall the definition of each principle. 'Veracity' literally means truthfulness.
Match the action ('telling truth') with its corresponding principle ('Veracity').
Differentiate from other principles: Confidentiality is about privacy, Fidelity is about promises, and Justice is about fairness. None of these directly relate to the act of telling the truth.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Nursing Education & Educational TechnologySuresh k Sharma (pp 21-557 of 572) p. 486-488

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 2 p. 81-83

E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 1 p. 112-114

Practise the full KPSC Staff Nurse - 2021

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.