The healthcare system is characterized by various guidelines and principles that provide necessary guidelines and policies for streamlining quality standards and meeting patients’ needs. The United States of America ranks respect for autonomy highest in promoting humanity’s independence through constitutional laws and making every person take control of their lives and healthcare outcomes. The four principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice should be balanced considering the current patient situation. However, I believe justice must be prioritized first, followed by beneficence, non-maleficence, and autonomy (Fazail, 2024).
Justice promotes quality care and is popular in nursing advocacy roles and functions. It should be the highest as it ensures fair distribution of healthcare resources and equal access to treatment for all, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or other factors. The Americans consist of a diverse population in a way of eliminating healthcare disparities and bias, ensuring that marginalized groups and minorities are not disadvantaged.
Beneficence follows, and acting in patients’ best interests is second in importance. Healthcare professionals are educated and have the skills to promote quality outcomes to achieve quality of life with good intentions (Cheraghi et al., 2023). It is essential to tailor care to the unique needs of individuals, considering cultural, social, and health factors. Healthcare systems are mandated to provide quality care with support from the government and have the professional and ethical responsibility to promote healthcare functions.
Non-maleficence is preventing possible harm. It eliminates possible professional errors like nursing and medication or neglect that harm the patient. Nurses have the experienced and ethical obligation not to harm, which is critical but often intertwined with beneficence. In healthcare systems, the functions and models are developed to have high-quality evidence that has increased validity and reliability for the best outcomes, minimizing risks and promoting quality of life.
I rank autonomy last; however, being vital, it should be balanced with the other principles, especially in situations where individual decisions may harm others or where systemic inequalities limit a person’s ability to make fully informed choices. I believe the healthcare systems and providers go through rigorous processes to offer professional services, and the patients need to trust the process and care plans by incorporating their needs into the comprehensive plans (Cheraghi et al., 2023). Giving patients the right to choose what is good for them must be considered, and in aspects like emergencies, the principle may not be a priority. However, healthcare providers act professionally to enhance safety and promote patient healthcare outcomes.
References
Cheraghi, R., Valizadeh, L., Zamanzadeh, V., Hassankhani, H., & Jafarzadeh, A. (2023). Clarification of ethical principle of the beneficence in nursing care: an integrative. https://bmcnurs.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12912-023-01246-4.pdf
Fazail, I. P. (2024). Key Charac-teristics of Autonomy, Confidentiality, Bene-ficence, Non-maleficence, Justice and Privacy principles in Medical Law within the Context of Human Rights. https://dspace.uzhnu.edu.ua/jspui/bitstream/lib/69600/1/308895-%D0%A2%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D1%82%20%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%82%D1%96-713618-1-10-20240721.pdf
