Question

Lenore White is an 80-year-old woman who smokes two

packs of cigarettes per day. She is hospitalized for pneumonia
because she has presenting symptoms of cough
and fever. On her second day of hospitalization, she asks
the nurse to please wheel her outside so she can smoke
a cigarette. The nurse feels uncomfortable agreeing to
this and speaks to her clinical nurse manager. What two
ethical principles are in conflict?
a. Beneficence and community
b. Nonmaleficence and justice
c. Autonomy and justice
d. Autonomy and nonmaleficence

Answer 1

The two ethical principles in conflict are autonomy and nonmaleficence.

Step-by-step explanation:

The two ethical principles that are in conflict in this situation are autonomy and nonmaleficence.

Autonomy refers to a patient's right to make decisions about their own healthcare. Lenore, as an adult patient, has the autonomy to make decisions regarding her own choices. On the other hand, nonmaleficence refers to the principle of not causing harm to others. In this case, continuing to smoke cigarettes could be harmful to Lenore's health and overall well-being.

The nurse is caught between respecting Lenore's autonomy to smoke and upholding the principle of nonmaleficence by not allowing her to engage in a behavior that could potentially harm her health.