Final answer:
The principle of nonmaleficence requires healthcare professionals to avoid causing harm to patients. Healthcare providers must balance the potential benefits and risks when prescribing medication or conducting procedures, in line with beneficence and clinical equipoise.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ethical principle referenced in the question is nonmaleficence, which is fundamental in the medical and healthcare fields. This principle dictates that healthcare providers should not inflict harm on patients. In practice, this involves actions such as carefully examining a patient's medications before administration to ensure safety. It is closely associated with the principle of beneficence, which is about acting in ways that benefit others, and the two often work in conjunction to guide healthcare professionals when making clinical decisions.
For example, when a physician prescribes medication, they must weigh the potential benefits against the risks to avoid causing the patient unnecessary harm. This is in alignment with the concept of clinical equipoise, which requires a balance between the potential benefits and harms in the context of clinical research and treatment.
The principle of nonmaleficence is part of a set of ethical principles, including autonomy, beneficence, and justice, that provide a framework for decision-making in healthcare and ensure that patients' rights are respected and that care is delivered fairly and without causing undue harm.