NIMHANS Nursing Officer - 2021
Nursing Foundation
Easy
Which ethical principle means 'do no harm' to patients?
Appeared in: NIMHANS Nursing Officer - 2021
Explanation
- Nonmaleficence is the ethical principle that obligates healthcare professionals to avoid causing harm to patients.
- This principle is often stated by the Latin phrase primum non nocere, which means "first, do no harm.".
- It involves not only avoiding deliberate harm but also preventing harm that could occur through negligence or incompetence.
- Actions like double-checking medication dosages, ensuring patient safety to prevent falls, and using the least invasive procedures possible are all applications of nonmaleficence.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option A: Beneficence is the principle of 'doing good' or taking positive actions to help others, which is distinct from 'avoiding harm'. While related, it is a proactive principle, whereas nonmaleficence is a restrictive one.
- Option B: Respect for autonomy refers to a patient's right to self-determination and to make their own decisions about their care. It does not directly address the provider's obligation to avoid inflicting harm.
- Option D: This option is incorrect because Beneficence and Respect for Autonomy have different meanings from Nonmaleficence. The principles are distinct and not interchangeable.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Ethical Principles in Nursing as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
- Nonmaleficence is the cornerstone of patient safety. Every safety protocol, from the 'five rights' of medication administration to fall prevention strategies, is rooted in the duty to do no harm.
- Nurses apply this principle daily by assessing risks, maintaining competence in their skills, and questioning orders that may be harmful to the patient.
- What if? A doctor orders a medication to which the patient has a known mild allergy, believing the benefit outweighs the risk. The nurse's duty of nonmaleficence would compel them to question the order, communicate the allergy risk clearly, and advocate for an alternative treatment to prevent potential harm.
How to Approach the Question
- First, identify the key phrase in the question: 'do no harm'. This is a direct definition question.
- Recall the fundamental ethical principles taught in nursing school.
- Define each option in your mind: Beneficence ('do good'), Autonomy ('patient's choice'), Nonmaleficence ('do no harm').
- Match the key phrase 'do no harm' with its corresponding principle, which is Nonmaleficence.
- Eliminate the other options based on their distinct definitions. 'All of the above' is incorrect because the principles are not synonymous.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Ethical Principles in Nursing
- Stem keywords: ethical principle, do no harm, patients
- Lead-in keywords: Which
- Negative lead-in flag: false
Question ID
QAqWVRgPkmiHE__ygfUJ0D
Reference Book
E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 2 p. 81-83
E6 Pharmacology Nursing Lilley 11e Part 1 p. 75-77
E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 13068-13070
Practise the full NIMHANS Nursing Officer - 2021
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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