👤 By the CinnaRN Clinical Content Team🕐 Updated 2026-08-23🏷️ Management of Care🔖 Free to read, print, and share
Also known as: nursing ethics · ethical principles · bioethics · principles of ethics
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Use this quick-reference guide to spot, treat, and prevent Ethical Principles (autonomy/beneficence) on the NCLEX. Keep it handy during review and on exam day!
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📒 The 1-minute cheat sheet
📌 Def
Autonomy = self-determination
Beneficence = do good
Nonmaleficence = do no harm
📌 More
Justice = fair, equal treatment
Fidelity = keep promises
Veracity = truthfulness
✅ Do
Respect refusal = autonomy
Advocate for client
🩺 Watch
Autonomy usually wins conflicts
Ethical dilemma → ethics committee
📚 Ethical Principles (autonomy/beneficence) — full study notes
The cheat sheet above is your quick recall card. These notes go deeper — what it is, what to do first, what must be reported, and what to teach.
Ethical principles guide nursing decisions and protect patients' rights and well-being. The core principles are autonomy (self-determination), beneficence (doing good), nonmaleficence (do no harm), justice (fairness), fidelity (keeping promises), and veracity (truthfulness). Nurses balance these principles, with patient autonomy often taking priority in care decisions.
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Key points
Understand these first
Autonomy is the patient's right to make their own informed decisions, including the right to refuse care.
Beneficence is the duty to act in the patient's best interest and promote good.
Nonmaleficence is the duty to do no harm and prevent injury.
Justice is fair, equal treatment and allocation of resources without discrimination.
Fidelity is keeping commitments to the patient; veracity is being truthful and honest.
When autonomy and beneficence conflict, a competent patient's autonomous choice is generally respected.
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Nursing priorities
What to do, in order
Respect and support the competent patient's decisions, even when the nurse disagrees (autonomy).
Provide truthful, complete information so the patient can make an informed choice (veracity).
Act to benefit the patient and protect them from harm in care planning (beneficence and nonmaleficence).
Treat all patients fairly and without bias regardless of background or ability to pay (justice).
Follow through on commitments and use the chain of command or ethics committee for unresolved dilemmas.
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Red flags — report now
Escalate immediately
Never override a competent patient's autonomous refusal to do what the nurse believes is best.
Never deceive a patient or withhold information they are entitled to about their care.
Report immediately any care that risks harm or shows discrimination in treatment.
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Patient teaching
What patients must know
Your choices about your care will be respected; you have the right to accept or refuse treatment.
We will be honest with you about your condition and options so you can decide.
All patients are treated fairly and without discrimination.
What are the priority nursing interventions for Ethical Principles (autonomy/beneficence)?
Respect and support the competent patient's decisions, even when the nurse disagrees (autonomy). Provide truthful, complete information so the patient can make an informed choice (veracity). Act to benefit the patient and protect them from harm in care planning (beneficence and nonmaleficence). Treat all patients fairly and without bias regardless of background or ability to pay (justice).
What are the warning signs of Ethical Principles (autonomy/beneficence) a nurse must report?
Never override a competent patient's autonomous refusal to do what the nurse believes is best. Never deceive a patient or withhold information they are entitled to about their care. Report immediately any care that risks harm or shows discrimination in treatment.
What do I need to know about Ethical Principles (autonomy/beneficence) for the NCLEX?
Autonomy is the patient's right to make their own informed decisions, including the right to refuse care. Beneficence is the duty to act in the patient's best interest and promote good. Nonmaleficence is the duty to do no harm and prevent injury. Justice is fair, equal treatment and allocation of resources without discrimination.
What patient teaching is important for Ethical Principles (autonomy/beneficence)?
Your choices about your care will be respected; you have the right to accept or refuse treatment. We will be honest with you about your condition and options so you can decide. All patients are treated fairly and without discrimination.
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Quick Tip
Autonomy is the patient's right to make their own informed decisions, including the right to refuse care.