nd allowing for the necessary information for complete autonomy, in lieu of the second and third principles, beneficence and non-malfeasance. However, beneficence is not sufficient; the judgment must be subjective to preventing actual harm.

The second principle within healthcare ethics is beneficence (Fremgen, 2009; Rodriguez, 2009; Gauthier, 2005). Beneficence means to “act with charity and kindness” (Rodriguez, 2009); it means to use one’s skills and professional authority to care for, comfort, and if possible, cure a patient. Beneficence implies that one will fairly and justly provide services with the intention of another’s improving the patient’s wellbeing. Rodriguez’s definition is valid because it indicates the primary values of beneficence.

When deciding ethical dilemmas, it is important to not only consider the ethical obligations; respecting a person and acting with beneficence, but it is also necessary to consider the legal implications of actions within the context of the healthcare setting. The following scenarios are presented with both ethical and legal considerations:

In the intensive care unit, you are working on a patient in a very unstable state. The woman and her children (who were all killed) had been in an accident. It is clear that further emotional trauma would be disastrous to the patient and may cause her death. In a lucid moment, she looks at you and asks, “How are my children?” Is this an instance when therapeutic privilege seems reasonable? Whether you decide yes or no to the therapeutic privilege question, write a sentence that you think would be the most appropriate answer for the patient.

The primary principle of healthcare ethics being respect for persons, it is important to refl