Final answer:
The RN's response demonstrates the ethical principle of advocacy as she is engaged in supporting proper pain management practices for the patient's benefit.
Step-by-step explanation:
When an RN believes that other nurses are incorrect about pain management and advocates for proper treatment, the ethical principle being demonstrated is advocacy.
Advocacy in health care involves the support and defense of patient's health, well-being, and their rights. In this case, the RN is possibly ensuring that a patient receives adequate pain management based on her professional judgment.
The principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice guide ethical decision-making in clinical settings. However, it is the act of advocacy that involves stepping in when the welfare of patients is at stake due to practices the RN deems incorrect.
Autonomy involves respecting a patient's decisions about their own care, beneficence focuses on actions that benefit others, and nonmaleficence emphasizes avoiding harm. In this scenario, the nurse's commitment to correct the misconceptions of her colleagues and ensure proper patient care aligns with the ethical principle of advocacy.