A nurse is discharging two clients from the hospital to their homes. The provider states that the client with insurance will receive supplies to take home and the one without insurance will need to pick up supplies at the local clinic. The nurse should recognize that this is a breach of which of the following ethical principles?

A. Autonomy refers to the client’s right to make informed decisions about their own care and treatment. In this scenario, the issue is not about the clients making choices, but about unequal distribution of healthcare resources based on insurance status, so autonomy is not the correct principle. B. Nonmaleficence means “do no harm,” focusing on avoiding actions that cause physical or psychological harm to clients. While unequal access to supplies could indirectly contribute to poorer outcomes, the primary ethical concern in this situation is fairness in distribution of resources rather than direct harm caused by the nurse or provider. C. Justice is the correct ethical principle. Justice refers to fairness and equitable distribution of healthcare resources. In this scenario, one client receives supplies due to insurance coverage while the other does not, creating unequal treatment based on financial status. This represents a breach of distributive justice because care and resources are not being allocated fairly to all clients with similar needs. D. Beneficence involves actions that promote good and benefit the client. While providing supplies to the insured client may be seen as beneficial, the ethical issue here is not about promoting good but about unequal treatment, making beneficence incorrect in this context.