Guidance in making clinical decisions is supported by ethical principles that are adhered to when stipulating the Evidence-based Practice guidelines. These fundamental principles include non-maleficence, beneficence, Autonomy, and Justice (Hopp and Rettinmeyer, 2020). Autonomy encourages respect for patients’ right to make their own decisions, the right to decide about treatment, and the right to refuse treatment. Beneficence emphasizes the obligation to promote the patient’s wellbeing. Non-maleficence ensures avoidance of directly causing harm to the patient. On the other hand, Justice provides responsibility for fair treatment to all patients.
The ethical principle of Autonomy, as is true for all four ethics, needs to be assessed against competing for just codes and can be overruled on some occasions. Distractors of this principle demand the person’s attention and propose a broader perception of relational Autonomy (Hopp and Rettinmeyer, 2020). However, the code is supported by evidence-based practices by suggesting that each patient has the right to make their own decision regarding their beliefs. A patient’s desire for Autonomy may contradict with guidelines care of the nurses that they believe is the best. The patient can refuse medications, treatment, and surgery regardless of what benefits may come with it. If a patient refuses to receive treatment that could be of help, that decision must be respected by the nurse and other health officers.
A critical issue in providing high-quality patient care is the nursing application of evidence-based practice. Institutional leaders, like nurse administrators, coordinate an essential role in implementing nursing units (Hopp and Rettinmeyer, 2020). The content of the statement of the practice in implementing evidence-based practice describes who, what, where, and how nurses should practice depending on their education, experience, role, and population. The standards of techniques are followed to ensure a competent level of significant action nursing care taken by registered nurses and form the foundation of the nurse’s decision-making.
Reference
Hopp, L., & Rittenmeyer, L. (2020). Introduction to evidence-based practice: A practical guide for nursing (2nd ed.). F. A. Davis Company.