Question

Following a motor vehicle crash, the parents refuse to permit withdrawal of life support from the child with no apparent brain function. Although the nurse believes the child should be allowed to die and organ donation considered, the nurse supports their decision. Which moral principle provides the basis for the nurse's actions?

A) Autonomy
B) Beneficence
C) Nonmaleficence
D) Justice

Answer 1

The nurse is upholding the principle of autonomy by supporting the parents' decision to not withdraw life support from their child with no apparent brain function, despite their personal beliefs.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse's support for the parents' decision to keep their child on life support, despite the nurse's personal belief that the child should be allowed to die and consider organ donation, is guided by the principle of autonomy. This moral principle emphasizes the right of patients or their legal surrogates to make decisions regarding their own or their dependents' healthcare. In this scenario, the parents are exercising their autonomous decision-making power on behalf of their child, a right protected by the principle of autonomy since the child cannot make decisions for themselves.

The principle of autonomy is crucial in clinical settings, ensuring that patients or their guardians have the agency to exercise self-determination, which includes giving or refusing consent for treatments, as in the case of withdrawing or withholding life support. The nurse is respecting the parents' decision to not withdraw life support, thus upholding the child's autonomy as represented by the parents' wishes.