A nurse provides wound care that reduces infection risk and increases patient comfort. Which ethical principle is being demonstrated?

Choice A reason: Fidelity refers to the nurse's obligation to be faithful to commitments and to keep promises made to patients. This principle supports the development of a trusting therapeutic relationship. While providing scheduled wound care fulfills a promise to provide care, the specific act of improving comfort and health status is more directly aligned with the principle of doing good. Choice B reason: Beneficence is the ethical principle that requires healthcare providers to take positive actions to help others and promote the well-being of the patient. By performing wound care that actively reduces the risk of infection and alleviates pain, the nurse is providing a direct benefit to the patient. This action goes beyond avoiding harm and focuses on producing a positive health outcome. Choice C reason: Non-maleficence is the duty to do no harm. While preventing infection avoids a harmful complication, the multifaceted act of improving a patient's comfort and actively promoting wound healing is primarily an act of beneficence. Non-maleficence is often a passive obligation (avoiding an action that causes pain), whereas beneficence is an active obligation to provide helpful interventions. Choice D reason: Justice pertains to the fair and equitable distribution of healthcare resources and treatments. It ensures that all patients receive the care they are entitled to without discrimination. Providing wound care to an individual patient is a clinical intervention aimed at their personal recovery and does not involve the broader societal or organizational questions of resource allocation defined by justice.