Question

A nurse in the transplant ICU is caring for a teenager following a liver transplant as a result of a Tylenol overdose. The patient also superseded another ICU patient (reformed alcoholic) who subsequently died without the transplant. The patient is now noncompliant with treatment, stating that she just wants to die. The nurse questions the principles of healthcare ethics in this case. Which principle would be most in question?

a) Beneficence
b) Nonmaleficence
c) Autonomy
d) Justice

Answer 1

The principle of autonomy would be most in question in this case. Autonomy is the principle that states that patients have the right to make decisions about their own healthcare.

Step-by-step explanation:

The principle that would be most in question in this case is autonomy. Autonomy is the principle that states that patients have the right to make decisions about their own healthcare. In this case, the patient is expressing a desire to refuse treatment and stating that she wants to die. The nurse may question whether to respect the patient's autonomy and allow her to make her own decisions, or to intervene and try to persuade her to continue with the treatment.