Galen College Of Nursing Practice Exam

Nonmaleficence is the obligation to do no harm. In healthcare, this means choosing actions that minimize risk and avoiding interventions that could cause unnecessary injury or suffering, even when there might be a potential benefit. It centers on preventing harm as a fundamental duty of care. For example, if a treatment has a high chance of serious side effects with only unclear benefit, a clinician would weigh whether the harm is avoidable and consider alternatives. This principle contrasts with respecting autonomy (honoring patient choices), doing good (beneficence, actively promoting benefit), and fairness in resource allocation (justice). While decisions often involve balancing harms and benefits, nonmaleficence specifically anchors the obligation to avoid harming patients.