their abilities.6. FidelityPeople want to know they can count on nurses, no matter what. The fidelity ethical principle can best be described by keeping your word to patients. Nurses should be honest and loyal to each patient, as this helps the nurse gain trust and fulfill their professional commitment. Without fidelity, more trusting relationships cannot be formed, which leads to less positive patient outcomes and less trust in professional relationships.7. VeracityWorking in healthcare is challenging for many reasons, and in some cases, nurses must communicate unpleasant information to a patient. Veracity in nursing is the ethical principle of being completely open and honest with patients, even if the truth causes distress. While being completely truthful can be daunting, especially in certain patient care circumstances, veracity in nursing is important for establishing trust and strengthening the nurse-patient relationship. Veracity also helps patients become more autonomous, making decisions for their care based on all relevant, factual information.Nursing Ethical Principles in PracticeIn order to learn how to put each of these nursing ethical principles to good use, most nursing programs include ethics as part of their curriculum. Ethical principles in nursing may be presented as an individual class, or the topic may be rolled into another course, such as professionalism in nursing practice. To reinforce the importance of the subject matter, questions about nursing ethics often appear on the NCLEX exam.Ethical principles in nursing help guide nurses’ daily practice, even if a nurse isn’t directly aware of it. You’ve probably already encountered these ethical principles, even if you didn’t know it at the time. Check out these real-world examples of ethical principles in nursing:Accountability: If you mix up medications when drawing them up, you take accountability by discarding them and pulling new vials rather than administering them to the patient.Justice: When you know a patient needs extra assistance because of a disability or economic hardship, you go out of your way to advocate for their needs to be met.Nonmaleficence: Even if you know a patient, you perform the rights of medication administration before giving them their evening medicines.Autonomy: If a patient makes a care decision that goes against your judgment as a clinician, you respect their decision because you value their autonomy.Beneficence: When your patient is undergoing a care plan change that could have negative side effects, you help them understand the pros and cons so they can choose the treatment with the most benefit for them.Fidelity: If you promise a patient that you won’t tell their family about a procedure they’re having, you keep that promise because you value their trust.Veracity: When you have bad news to share with a patient, you explain the situation with truth and empathy. Being truthful, even when you’re talking about an unwanted outcome, reinforces trust and helps patients make autonomous decisions.