Four patients in labor all request epidural analgesia to manage their pain at the same time. Which ethical principle is most compromised when only one nurse anesthetist is on call?

A. Nonmaleficence involves preventing harm, but the ethical issue here centers around fairness rather than harm. B. Beneficence focuses on doing good and providing benefits, but the concern here is not about maximizing benefit but rather ensuring equitable treatment. C. Justice refers to fairness and equitable treatment. In this scenario, the nurse anesthetist’s limited availability to administer epidural analgesia to all four patients creates an issue of fairness. Only one patient can be treated at a time, compromising the equal allocation of resources. D. Fidelity involves being loyal, faithful, and honoring commitments, but the issue in this case is resource allocation, not trust or loyalty.